How Can I Drive More Efficiently?

Kennedy Transmission always welcomes the opportunity to share our automotive expertise with our customers when asked about the different ways they can drive around the Minneapolis area more efficiently. Listed below are several tips for more efficient driving the technicians of Kennedy Transmission hope are useful in saving gas.

Sensible Driving
Kennedy Transmission tells all of our customers in Minneapolis that driving aggressively around the streets and highways of the Minneapolis area, to include speeding, braking, and rapidly accelerating, can waste gas! Gas mileage can be decreased by as much as 33 percent on the highway and about 5% when driving the streets of the Minneapolis area. Driving sensibly is not only an overall safer practice for you, but for other residents in the Minneapolis area as well, meaning more than gas money can be saved!

Observing Speed Limits
Kennedy Transmission tells our customers that while every car and truck on the roads of the greater Minneapolis area will reach optimal fuel economy at varying speeds when traveling above 50-mph. can rapidly decrease a vehicle's gas mileage. It can be assumed that for every 5 mph. above 50 mph., an additional .23 cents is paid for in gasoline. Additionally, observing the speed limit in and around the Minneapolis area is also much safer.

Removing Excessive Weight
Kennedy Transmission is quick to tell all of our customers in the Minneapolis that want to know how they can drive their vehicles more efficiently that they should avoid keeping heavy items in the vehicle. The MPG for a vehicle can be reduced by up to 2% for every extra 100 pounds. The reduced MPG is calculated on the percentage of extra weight in relation to the weight of the vehicle. Smaller vehicles are affected more than larger vehicles.

Minimize Excessive Idling
Kennedy Transmission tells our customers that one of the best ways to drive the streets of the greater Minneapolis area is to minimize excessive idling. Leaving a vehicle to idle can result in the usage of a quarter to a half gallon of gasoline per hour, dependent on the size of the engine and the air conditioner being in use or not. Kennedy Transmission suggests our customers turn off their vehicles when parked as it only takes a few seconds' worths of gasoline to restart an engine. It is worth mentioning though that turning a vehicle on and off excessively can however increase starter wear so it is advised to use your best judgment when using this advice.

Cruise Control
Kennedy Transmission suggests to all of our customers that when driving the highways and freeways around the Minneapolis area it is best practice to use cruise control if a vehicle is equipped with this feature. Cruise control helps maintain a constant speed which in most situations results in better gas mileage.