Lifestyle Articles :Get Your Money’s Worth at the Gas Pump

Posted on Monday, July 28, 2008

Ouch! With the price of gas edging over the $4 per gallon mark, we’re all feeling some pain at the pump. Use these tips to get the last drop from every dollar you spend on gas:

• For gas bargains in your area, search Web sites like gasbuddy.com or gaspricewatch.com. Use grocery savings programs to earn gas discounts.
• Fill up at the coolest time of day: early morning or late evening. Gas is denser when it’s cold so you get more gas per volume because the gas molecules are packed tightly together. As temperatures rise, gas molecules expand and each gallon you pump contains less gas.
• Don’t buy higher octane gas than is recommended in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. It costs more and won’t increase mileage.
• Pump gas slowly. Fast pumping causes some gas to turn into vapor in your tank. Gas pumps are safety equipped to suck that vapor from your car and return it to the underground storage tank. By pumping slowly you keep more of the gas you pay for.
• Fill up when your gas gauge hits half-full. As your vehicle uses gas, it is replaced by air in your gas tank, allowing gas to evaporate. By keeping your tank full, you keep air from building up in the tank and minimize evaporation.
• Don’t overfill your tank and always screw the cap on tightly to prevent leakage.
• Don’t fill up if the station’s tanks are being filled. Dirt and debris from the storage tank floor are churned into the gas during filling and can get into your engine and cause problems.
• Remember basic maintenance: change the oil and air filter when recommended, keep the engine tuned, inflate tires to the recommended pressure and have the alignment checked.

Sources:
Columbus Dispatch
Chattanooga Times Free Press (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/jul/05/consumer-watch-station-owners-say-pump-gas-early-d/?columnists)
Charleston Post and Courier (http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jun/23/owner_tired_waiting_at_pump_car_fill_up/?print)
Consumer Reports

The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today.