Save With Dave

Save With Dave: Gas Saving Tips

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ― We're looking out for you at the gas pump. But these fuel-saving ideas have nothing to do with how you use the accelerator.

You already know about going 60 instead of 70 to save gas or avoiding jackrabbit starts when you get a green light. But here are three other things you may not have heard.

For starters, lose the junk in your trunk. Carrying around those golf clubs, play pens or other equipment can be a drag on your gas mileage.

Especially in Suburbans, or cars with big trunks, there's usually 100 pounds of stuff in there you can take out. You're not using it, take it out and put it away.

Every 100 pounds you lose will save the average driver a little more than a gallon a month and that's $54 a year at today's prices.

You can also save about the same amount by removing your roof rack and making your car more aerodynamic.

Roof racks are for people that ride bikes and kayak things like that on the roof of the car usually on Saturday and Sunday. Well that's the time to have it on there and take it off when you're done.

Now on to the air conditioning. On most new cars it's more fuel-efficient to run the AC than it is to open windows and create more drag. But if you can keep the windows up and the air conditioning off during mornings and evenings, you can save up to 31gallons a year just by re-circulating the cool air.

The gas-savings calculations were done by US News and World Report.

If you did the three things I recommended above, you would save $237 a year at current California gas prices.

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