From there on the tips on saving fuel won't have anywhere near as great an impact, but they're worth pointing out just the same:
- Remove everything from the vehicle that you don't need to carry, since every kilogram of weight the engine has to pull around uses more fuel. In the winter, be sure to remove the snow and ice because they disrupt the car's aerodynamics as well as add weight.
- Don't make a trip unless you really have to. Consider car-pooling, the public transit, walking, or cycling. The last two will even make you feel better.
- Take off any cargo carrier and roof racks, as they detract from the vehicle's ideal aerodynamic shape.
- Clean out the air filters so the engine can get its ideal air/fuel mix.
- Get a tune-up, unless you've been faithful about keeping your car serviced. You can get another tuneup if you want, but that costs money so you better be sure you need one.
- Ask a technician you trust if you need a wheel alignment, since unaligned tires can also require more engine energy and that means more fuel.
- Stay out of traffic as much as possible, since you get zero kilometers per litre when the vehicle is standing still, and getting the car moving again after it has slowed down or stopped really uses fuel.
- Do up the seatbelt and adjust the mirrors and check your teeth before your start the engine. New vehicles don't need much warm-up time and sitting still delivers awful fuel economy ratings. Today's cars are designed to be driven almost immediately; even 30 seconds of warm-up time is probably more than enough.
- Don't use the air conditioning unless you really have to, and then keep it as high as you can stand. At the same time, do not open the windows (or sunroof) when you're moving because that creates drag and ruins the car's ideal aerodynamic package.
- The smoother the road, the less fuel you'll use. Dirt or gravel roads require more fuel than a paved surface.
- Even if your car is built to run on premium unleaded, you can still put lower octane fuel in without causing any harm. All that will happen is that you'll lose a little off the top of your maximum power ratings, and since you're driving gently that doesn't matter. This won't give you better fuel economy, but it will save you a significant amount of money on the per-litre price between regular and premium gas.
- Don't overfill the tank, since a few drops of spilled gas can take you farther than you would imagine. Make sure the fuel cap is screwed on tight, to ensure the fuel doesn't evaporate.
- Gasoline prices can vary considerably, so get used to stopping for fuel where the price is low, rather than where you always stop because they know you and they're friendly and yet still charging you more per-litre. On the other hand, avoid places that don't get that much traffic, since their fuel could be old and flat and that's not helpful.
- Park in the shade if you can, or keep an eye on where the sun will be when you come back to the car and position the car so it stays as cool as possible, since cooling a car requires energy. In the winter, park in the sun, since warming a car requires energy.
- Park where you can drive straight out rather than backing out, and look for a slope to let the car's weight move itself forward from a stop.
- Consider paying for your fuel with a credit card that has some kind of rebate program or gives you a discount or allows you to earn frequent flyer miles or something similar.
- Consider paying for your fuel with cash if the service station offers a discount for that.
- Do not assume that self-service is always less expensive than ''full-service,'' because they may be expecting you to think that.
- Plan trips so you do more than one errand at a time and you take the best route.
- Shift the fuel cost to someone else -- instead of going to a store to buy something, order by phone or on the internet and see if they'll deliver.