Gas: Ways to save $
I am driving across the country in a few weeks, so I am looking to find as many ways as possible at saving gas. Do you know of any rebates, offers, membership programs or gas programs which can help us save at the pump?
NEW- (3/26/06)
The Exxon/Mobil Speedpass 5˘ Discount Promotion is back!
Sign up for a Speedpass and for the first 90 days you have it, you'll receive a 5˘ discount on every gallon of gas you buy at Exxon/Mobil. Plus, you can link any credit card to to the Speedpass. I would suggest one of those credit cards which earn 5% back on Gas purchases. If you do that, you'll be saving in total about 18˘ per gallon or more! (assuming $2.50 posted price per gallon -5%, -5˘). $20 is the max you can get back.
What is Speedpass? It is a little wand that fits on your key chain. When you request one, you link it to any credit card. Then, once you have it, when you go to fill up at Exxon or Mobil, just wave the wand infront of the special pad on the pump and your credit card is automatically charged.
The promotion's link is here. (https://www.speedpass.com/forms/frmDynPage.aspx?pPg=promo.htm&pgType=N) Sign up and activate your speedpass anytime before Dec. 31, 2006 to get the offer. Some have signed up to get several Speedpasses over time to extend the 90 day savings period. Residents of FL, LA, MA, NC, NJ, RI and SC will receive a $20 ExxonMobil Cash Card instead.
Some credit cards which give back 5% cash or reward points on gas purchases are Chase Cash (or Rewards) Plus, Citi Dividend or Diamond Preferred, and Discover Platinum Gas.
They don't have "normal" (miserable) summers in SFO. ;)
"Dear Tom and Ray:
We purchased a '97 Nissan Maxima automatic in January and love it! The owner's manual recommends "unleaded premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91." It also says, "If unleaded premium is unavailable, unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 can be used." Whenever I fill up the car (which is most of the time), I follow the manual's recommendation and use premium gas. But when my husband fills her up, he uses regular gasoline even when premium is available. So my question is, am I spending money needlessly on premium gasoline? And why would Nissan recommend premium gasoline if regular is OK to use? -- JoAnn
Tom: You're doing exactly the right thing, JoAnn.
Ray: This car has a high-compression engine that's designed to run on premium gas. But since there are places where premium gas is not available, and because premium gasolines can vary in octane, most manufacturers, including Nissan, use a "knock sensor" to protect the engine.
Tom: The knock sensor detects -- that's right -- "knocking" (also known as "pre-ignition" or "pinging")! Knocking is bad for the engine, and it often results from using lower-than-recommended-octane fuel. So when your cheapskate husband puts regular unleaded in the Maxima, the knock sensor kicks into action and retards the ignition timing to protect the engine.
Ray: Retarding the timing prevents the knocking, but it also reduces the engine's power, decreases fuel economy, probably increases the emissions, and may lead to a buildup of residue on the valves. So it's not an ideal situation. It won't hurt the engine if you use regular gas occasionally, but it prevents the engine from performing at the specifications at which it was designed to perform.
Tom: So I'd either take away your husband's keys, or increase his allowance by a few bucks a month so he can afford to buy premium. And if he's unhappy about having to spend the extra money, remind him that a car's fuel requirement (which can add many hundreds of dollars to the cost of owning a car over the years) is one of the things you should find out about before you put down your deposit."
I had the same car in manual, and it did get much better power and economy with 92 octane. However, in cars that do not require it, it is wasted money.
Do most people shop at one set of stations (I usually go with Exxon, Mobil, Sunoco, BP, or Shell, depending on which is cheaper) - or will they go with any no name or "cheaper" gas (like Citgo/7-11 or Hess or other smaller branded products like Gas King - which is an independent gas station thats about 3 cents cheaper per gallon)? I realize that the gas all essentially the same - but are some better than others in the long term?
Basically, a free full service car wash with fill up. With my truck, it's "and then some"
Gotta maximize what you pay for!
There's a limit to how small you can go and still save on gas. The smaller your wheel diameter (rim + tire), the faster the wheel has to spin to get you to the same linear speed (i.e. at 55mph, a wheel that's 18" in overall diameter [rim+tire] will spin 10% faster than a wheel that's 20" in overall diameter). If the wheel spins faster, you get increased frictional heating in the bearings, and the grease won't protect as much, leading to increased friction, etc. At some point, the extra torque required to overcome the extra friction will essentially negate the "savings" in torque due to the smaller wheel. (Not to mention that if you spin TOO fast, your bearings will give out.) There is an optimum wheel size that will properly balance the spin friction with the wheel's moment of intertia to minimize the required torque and hence maximize gas mileage. If one has faith in the designer of the car, one would think that the stock wheel size (stock rim + stock tire) should be near optimal. Thus it is likely better to go with lighter rims/tires that are the same size as stock (e.g. by using alloy rather than steel, or with more intelligent spoke design), rather than simply going to a smaller diameter.
I thought that you can move up in size and still realize the savings as long as the weight is reduced and diameter remains unchanged. If you move down, just make sure that the tire doesn't weigh more than the rim itself.
Whoa, gas expires? That's a new one to me. My parents have a can of gas in their basement that is probably at least 2 years old... used for lawn mowing, which doesn't require that much gas. The mower doesn't seem to complain, but then, its engine isn't exactly built to drive Porches. :)
As gasoline ages, some of its components evaporate i.e.stablizers and some components oxidize, leaving behind a thickened material like a lacquer or varnish. That's why they say "gummed up". This thickened gas may be difficult for an engine to combust.
You're right, most mowers are likely designed to drink the old stuff.
-jc
Oh, and on my car at least, the windshield defrost setting uses the A/C even when you don't have the A/C on. So, unless you need it, don't leave your air flow selector on defrost. (The A/C is used to remove moisture and humidity from the air)
Personally, I don't find daytime running lights to enhance safety at all in most situations, except herein the Bay Area when it can be uber-bright and sunny in one place, and completely fogged over about 2 minutes away. THEN running lights help, in the fog. :) That being said, my car has running lights and I wouldn't turn them off, either, given that I don't feel like trying to futz with the circuitry of the car.
As for the windshield defrost, yes, it uses the A/C in almost all cars. I also highly recommend NOT leaving it on defrost unless you need it. Also, regularly cleaning the inside of your windshield (with glass cleaner) will reduce the amount and frequency of fogging.
I have heard an unconfirmed rumor that the only difference is that off brand gas is closer to its expiry date. I'm not sure how true that is.
7. Do not roll down your windows
From what I've heard, if you must either use AC or roll down windows, rolling down windows is more efficient below about 40 mph, and A/C is more efficient over 40 mph. All to do with drag and aerodynamics and I'm sure on every car, the optimal point is slightly different.
Time to dust off those 10" wheels...
Time to dust off those 27" (two) wheels.
http://citi.bridgetrack.com/usc/MultiCard/default.htm?BTData=C021273716961745D514F42B7A3A3AC A39D9D9D84F0FDF8F3F4C2B840C89&BT_TRF=249868&app=UNSOL&sc=4T3Z6GM5&m=7OVT000000W&langId=EN&siteId=CB&B=M&BT_VEN=1307&BT_PUB=58&BT_CAT=825&SOURCE=GOTO&KEYWORD=citi%2Bdividend&BT_TX=1&ProspectID=61B11972C40A464B972216D7E015D345
Do most people shop at one set of stations (I usually go with Exxon, Mobil, Sunoco, BP, or Shell, depending on which is cheaper) - or will they go with any no name or "cheaper" gas (like Citgo/7-11 or Hess or other smaller branded products like Gas King - which is an independent gas station thats about 3 cents cheaper per gallon)? I realize that the gas all essentially the same - but are some better than others in the long term?
I think the quality issue is sometimes car-specific. I know that one of my cars in the 90s used to run best with Mobil, while my mom's car currently runs best with Shell. But my old Explorer would run with anything, the cheaper the better, even Sam's Club gas.
Where I live now, Speedway is the dominant "discount" station. They have a rewards program (!) that's actually not bad. A point per dime, rounded up, plus bonus points for targetted c-store purchases. In July, they gave a bonus 2 cent/gallon discount for using the card. The big award is a free tank of gas (up to 25 gallons) after $1600 of spending, although I suspect that they'll be discontinuing that or raising the redemption rate soon. Most of the other awards fall into the $0.007 to $0.012 range - the gas awards' value depends on the size of your tank.
Speedway also has a 4% discount if you buy their gift cards. For a while, they were offering an 8% discount in June and December, but they have appeared to discontinue that (in favor of their Chase credit card that's not very good). I'd buy three $250 gift cards for $230 each (and 230 Starpoints) and use the gift cards to buy the gas.
One can hope, anyway. It would only benefit me, since I buy Costco brand and who knows where they get their supply. :) No, seriously, who does know? ;)
I have heard an unconfirmed rumor that the only difference is that off brand gas is closer to its expiry date. I'm not sure how true that is.
Whoa, gas expires? That's a new one to me. My parents have a can of gas in their basement that is probably at least 2 years old... used for lawn mowing, which doesn't require that much gas. The mower doesn't seem to complain, but then, its engine isn't exactly built to drive Porches. :)
I also have been trying to telecommute to my client's office at least 2x a week. In addition to the daily $ave on gas, it also saves in buying lunch costs.
Do most people shop at one set of stations (I usually go with Exxon, Mobil, Sunoco, BP, or Shell, depending on which is cheaper) - or will they go with any no name or "cheaper" gas (like Citgo/7-11 or Hess or other smaller branded products like Gas King - which is an independent gas station thats about 3 cents cheaper per gallon)? I realize that the gas all essentially the same - but are some better than others in the long term?
Basically, gasoline is the same everywhere, various combinations of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The difference between brands is the additives. Each company has its ideas of what will keep the fuel injectors clean and other such ancillary benefits. There are also the EPA mandated additives.
The discount stations may only have the EPA minimums and no advertising overhead while the majors have the extra additives to differentiate its product.
7. Do not roll down your windows
Yes, but any savings is eaten up in the emergency room as you're treated for heat stroke... ;)
I'm not giving up my *wood or UA cards, but this is handy for gas (I was using my costco card previously).
According to the rep I had, the Discover card gas rebate starts on the next cycle and you get 5% on the first $1,500 spent on gas, no initial amount you have to spend before the rebate begins to accrue. After the initial fifteen hundred, the percent is reduced for the next level until you are at the standard 1% level. I think it was $5K spending or something like that. I'm hoping not to meet that as I'll only be using this card for gas purchases.
Carpooling is a good way to save up on gas. I'm attending college right now as a commuter student and if I can get a bunch of blokes together and fork a few bucks a week, that's savings for everyone.
When I studied at for my theology degree, I used to live in an apartment, where there is a bus stop a block away. There are trade offs-- time, and creepy people. (Weird is OK, but creepy is not! :eek: ) Now I live in another area, riding the bus is out of the question as it's two miles away on foot.
I use Discover regularly, and somehow, I got a lower interest rate, and from June til August I get 5% bonus. Remember kids, pay off the credit card regularly so you can make it work! :D
I think I'd rather have the safety of having the lights on.
Oh, and on my car at least, the windshield defrost setting uses the A/C even when you don't have the A/C on. So, unless you need it, don't leave your air flow selector on defrost. (The A/C is used to remove moisture and humidity from the air)
P.S. Anyone know how you activate a Moble/Exxon Speedpass?
Er... not sure I understand what you mean by "moving up" if the diameter remains unchanged. You mean, get a larger rim but a tire with a smaller profile? Yes, you can do that, but depending on the rim and tire, it won't necessarily reduce your weight (and will likely increase it, actually).
You can actually move up even in overall diameter and still realize savings, yes, but the weight distribution is the important point here, and you're likely to save more by going lighter on the same size than lighter on a larger size. Basically, you want to both (a) reduce the overall weight of the wheel, and (b) keep as much of the weight as close to the axle as possible. In principle, you could even find a heavier overall wheel that still saves gas because the weight is concentrated near the axle, thereby reducing the moment of intertia (and thus the torque required to turn it). So yes, if you found a larger rim/tire combo whose weight distribution was more beneficial, you'd still save... but as I mentioned, it's easier to stay in the same size and go with ligher (alloy) rims and lighter tires. That way you don't have to do any calculations to figure out whether your proposed new wheel will work or not.
As for decreasing the size, you can still make the tire weigh more than the rim... as I mentioned, it's the overall weight distribution (size AND weight placement) that matters. I'll refrain from posting all the equations here :D but suffice it to say that none of these options is really cost-effective since new rims/tires will cost more than your gas savings. If you're buying new rims/tires *anyway*, then it's worth considering these factors. I would recommend simply staying with stock sizes but going lighter on the weight, it's the easiest solution if you're already buying new rims/tires. If not, don't bother. :)
cepheid- Thanks for the information! If it works, that is wonderful, but I thought that Discover told me that with the specialty cards (gas, home improvement, & restaurant) you do not get the Get More Promotions. I understood it as that was the major difference between reward programs.
You're quite welcome, that's what FT is all about. :) I don't know what the CSRs may have told you, but most of them seem unfamiliar with the terms of the specialty cards anyway. When I called them a couple of months ago, I had to point them to the T&Cs so they could figure out how the reverse tiers worked! (I had an issue where my tiers didn't reset on the anniversary date... they only reset 2 months later. No idea why and no idea if it will bite me again next year; I never got a call back from the CashBack department despite at least 4 attempts.)
From personal experience, I can tell you that the specialty cards still work just fine under the Get More promos. I definitely received the usual cashback plus the Get More bonus under the Home Improvement promo a couple of months ago using my Home Improvement card, and got the Get More bonus on bookstore purchases about 5 months ago using my Restaurant card. So both specialty cards have shown that they can take advantage of the Get More... unless something has changed since then. Hopefully it all still works as usual.
I've found that Costco DOESN'T always have the best gas prices
True, they don't always... but *usually* they do, and the cheaper stations may be harder to find and/or out of the way. If you're going to Costco anyway for your shopping, you may as well gas up there since driving out of your way to save an extra 1-3 cents per gallon is generally not worth it unless the cheaper station is also on your way. (If it's out of your way, you not only lose time, but you use gas to get there, hence decreasing or negative the savings.)
As for quality of gas, as others have said, it's mostly the additives... however, "purity" can be an issue. In principle, gasoline is supposed to be purely octane, hexane, and mandated additives (ethanol, oxygenation, MTBE [in the past], etc.) Even though all stations will meet the minimum requirements for gas in terms of octane rating and mandated additives, the no-name brands may have a higher water content in the gas, or may have other deposits and impurities, all while still meeting the minimum requirements. The gas will still work just fine, but over the long term may cause increased deposit buildup and/or engine wear (higher moisture in the gas can lead to increased sludge and corrosion in the cylinders). The name brands that add detergents (like Chevron, Shell, etc.) will also likely take care to "purify" the gas beyond the minimum requirements, to reduce water content and other impurities that won't affect the octane rating but can still cause certain problems over extended periods.
(Of course, adding your own detergents such as Slick 50, STP, etc. every few thousand miles can also reduce sludge and deposits, although it won't help fix corrosion if you've got it.)
That being said, I've been fairly happy with Costco's gas quality, whereas I've noticed engine knocks and pinging if I use certain discount brands such as ARCO... so I don't use them. Since I'm at Costco every other week, gassing up there is convenient and cost-effective, since in my area (Berkeley) they consistently have the lowest prices except for 1 or 2 stations that are either out of my way (and thus not worth driving to) or whose gas causes my engine to complain. If I'm in need of a fill and not near Costco, I'll put in some name-brand (usually Chevron) to tide me over until the next Costco trip.
Granted, I do need 91-octane or higher in my car (Subie WRX :D :cool: :D), so it's more sensitive to deviations in the gas.
Oddly enough, I used to be a public tax accountant and one of my clients was a mom and pop gas station. I was floored by how little the gas profits >10% were compared to revenue compared to the concessions sold.
The AAA Visa was a 5% rebate, but it is now a minimum of 2% rebate. But, depending on any other spending with the card (such as shopping, hotels, meals, etc...), the rebate goes from 2% up to 5% for gas purchases. If you spend more, you earn a higher gas rebate. However, there is no rebates (or any other rewards) for the other purchases.
And you can ONLY get this gas rebate IF you use the AAA Visa to PAY AT THE PUMP. If you need to go inside to pay (such as if the pump does not have a card reader or if you also wanted to buy a soda), you DO NOT qualify for the rebate for this purchase!
Especially if you live in Las Vegas, Phoenix, El Paso, etc . . .
Bonus tip: Following #6 at home can really save you money off your electricity bill as well.
OK, apparently Discover *has* changed the terms of the Get More promotion. :rolleyes: I tried to register both of my specialty cards (Restaurant and Home Improvement) for this month's promo (Restaurants & Theatres), and the website blatantly told me I was not eligible. It's also written in the fine print on the info page for the promo. This was definitely NOT the case a couple of months ago, so they obviously wised up and changed the terms. :td:
*sniff* Goodbye, extra bonus bucks! :(
Now I'm considering getting a regular Discover card to add to the arsenal... so that I can use the promos. This month, no need - I already have a Restaurant card. I guess we'll see what next month brings.
Of course, it's really silly for Discover to make specialty cards not eligible, since it encourages spending if we can use it! This way we'll just get another card, and the people obsessive enough (or financially savvy enough :D) to do this just for the extra 5% are also probably the same people who pay off their cards in full all the time... (I know I am!) So Discover will just LOSE money on us this way, while we're pissed at Discover. Oh well.
Time to dust off those 10" wheels...
Save 12-30 cents per gallon or more by using your Discover Gas Rebate Card at ANY gas station. No annual fee. Save more as gas gets more expensive!
The Card
The card is accepted anywhere that accepts Discover, but the Gas Rebate Card has a different reward program than the normal Discover card. You must sign up for it specifically, or switch into the Gas Rebate program if you already have Discover. You earn up to 5-10% cash back on all of your gas purchases, the standard 1% on everything else.
How to Save
Just pay for gas using your Discover Gas Rebate Card and you will earn 5% cash back. Once you have earned a total of $20 in cash back (which is $400 spent in gas) you get a check for $20! With gas at $2.50 per gallon, you would essentially be saving 12 cents per gallon. Good deal. But, you can feasibly save even more than that…..
How to Save.... More!
6.25% Discount- Anyone can earn this as long as you plan on spending any money at Bed Bath and Beyond, Red Lobster, or Borders Books (plus others.) When it comes time to redeem your reward, rather than redeem the $20 reward in the form of a check, just ask for a gift certificate to one of those retailers. You redeem a reward of $20, but the gift certificate actually has a value of $25! Mathematically you would be saving 6.25% on your gas that way
10% Discount- Well, if you plan on shopping at the Sharper Image, staying at the Hyatt, or buying from FTD (plus others) you can save even more. Again, just ask to have your $20 reward turned into a gift certificate and the value of the certificate will actually be $40 with these retailers. Therefore, if you get back $40 for every $400 you spend on gas, you are saving 10%, or 25 cents per gallon at $2.50!
The Catch-
You only earn 5% cash back on gas during your first $1,500 in TOTAL purchases on the card PER YEAR*. Don’t waste part of that $1,500 limit on items like groceries where you are only earning 1%. Use the card only for gas. If you do reach the $1,500 limit, you then earn a respectable but not as good 3%. You can still double the reward using the method described above. If you love Discover and want to use it for more than just gas, try to sign up for one gas rewards card, and one basic rewards card.... that way you don't use up your spending limit.
* I was just told (Oct 1st) by a Discover Rep. that this limit may be upped or gotten rid of all together soon. Keep an eye out.
If you have a Discover card, just call them to switch programs (you can’t do it online) No new card, no credit application. If you don’t have one you can just call them or sign up online, but make sure you sign up specifically for the gas rebate card.
Ooh!....Sneaky!-
If you spend more than $1,500 on gas and want to keep earning 5% cash back beyond the $1,500 limit, then try this. Discover has no problem giving one person two different accounts (ie one Gas Rewards card, one normal Discover card) that way they keep you spending $ on more than just gas. So do that, and when you reach the $1,500 limit for the 5% reward on the gas card, call and switch it to the regular Cash Back rewards program, and swich the basic card into the Gas Program.... that way you have another $1,500 to spend on gas at the full 5% or more! (I haven't tried it yet, but it should theoretically work) You can switch rewards programs as much as you want, but remember the limit to earn the full rewards is annual and per account.
Sign up- https://www.novusnet.com/cardmembersvcs/discovercard/apply-for-a-card/apply?card=CBBP
Details- https://www.novusnet.com/cardmembersvcs/discovercard/apply-for-a-card/importantInfo?card=CBBP
Redemption Partners-https://www.novusnet.com/discover/data/cashback/partners.shtml
If you like my idea bump this every once-in-a-while so others can read it. Do you know any other gas offers?
Cheers!
When I studied at for my theology degree, I used to live in an apartment, where there is a bus stop a block away. There are trade offs-- time, and creepy people. (Weird is OK, but creepy is not! :eek: ) Now I live in another area, riding the bus is out of the question as it's two miles away on foot.
I use Discover regularly, and somehow, I got a lower interest rate, and from June til August I get 5% bonus. Remember kids, pay off the credit card regularly so you can make it work! :D
....
10. Accelerate moderately
Just a few tips off the top of my head.
11. Remove your side view mirrors (studies show you can save 2mpg by doing so) :D
I'll try to get the Speedpass deal, too but doubt that will work at this late date.
For new Speedpass customers
Get a new Speedpass™ any time between June 1 and August 31, 2005, and you'll receive a 5˘ per gallon discount on fuel purchases made with your new Speedpass device in most states.*
Just activate your new Speedpass device by August 31, 2005, and for 90 days after your activation date, every time you fill up, you can save towards the $20 maximum per account. The credit or check card you link to Speedpass will automatically be credited with the amount you saved.
Information: www.speedpass.com
That is golden stuff! Thanks. I will try and sign up for the speedpass thing then here pretty quick. Mobil does seem to be the cheapest station in some states!
cepheid- Thanks for the information! If it works, that is wonderful, but I thought that Discover told me that with the specialty cards (gas, home improvement, & restaurant) you do not get the Get More Promotions. I understood it as that was the major difference between reward programs. I sure hope you are correct though! Did anyone try it on the gas promotion for a full 10% plus the redemption bonus which could mean a possible 20% savings! Whew! Pretty soon we'll have gas back to where it should be with all of these discounts!
Moderator - move this lame thread someplace else.
The S.P. of S.P.A.M. stands for sites with points. This posting started out with information on various credit cards & frequent buyer cards offering points toward rebates (specifically gas).
I think this topic is quite appropriate.... even more so than the postings on iTunes, Starbucks, and Ensure shakes. I don't complain about those, but at least this thread deals with 1) travel and 2) points.
Er... it has to run off SOME engine, so it's probably using the electric motor. But then it's using battery power and the gas engine helps recharge the battery. Unless you do ALL your driving downhill (pretty difficult to accomplish, given that you have to go back up eventually), the gas engine has to contribute sometimes. If you're using extra battery power through the AC, the gas engine will have to work somewhat harder or somewhat more often. Definitely not as bad as in an all-gas car, but it will still affect your mileage somewhat.
In fact, Toyota's own Prius FAQ (http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/faq.html) states (under question #6):
Despite Prius' significantly improved electric air conditioning from the prior generation, less use of the A/C will translate into better gas mileage.
So turn off that A/C when it's temperate out! ;)
It irks me that people think the Texaco on Century near LAX is convenient for gasing up, even tho it's the highest price station in the continental US.
Why do you think they can charge such high prices? Because they are convenient and people think they're convenient, and are willing to pay for it. It's silly, sure, but as long as people are willing to pay the premium, Texaco will continue to charge it.
From what I've heard, if you must either use AC or roll down windows, rolling down windows is more efficient below about 40 mph, and A/C is more efficient over 40 mph.
Hmm, is there an echo (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466085&page=2&pp=15#post4506788) in here? ;) :D
And at least in my experience, 87 is as good as 93 for most cars, even luxury, though some sports cars will do better.
Bike-riding definitely saves gas, and is good for the waistline, too! Boulder, CO is one of the leanest and fittest cities in the US, and nearly everyone there rides bikes. However, with today's sprawl, it's not always (or often) possible to bike to work or school. Put pressure on your city planners to reduce sprawl, increase public transportation (in an intelligent manner, for once!), and make non-car commuting more convenient!
As for octane rating, it won't make a difference for regular cars, quite right, and if the manufacturer says to use 87 as a minimum, then using a higher rating will almost always be just a waste. (My dad's old 1990 Buick Estate Wagon is an exception, it was supposed to run on 87 but would knock like crazy unless he used 89. That was some annoying design flaw.) If your manufacturer specifies 91 or higher for your sports car, though, you should probably follow it since the tuned engine will likely knock or ping with the lower octane. Cars with turbos should definitely follow the manufacturer ratings, since they're most sensitive to knocking. I should also point out that using a lower-rated gas than specified by the manufacturer may void your warranty if you have engine problems, as the dealer may use the fact that you didn't follow the manufacturer requirements to claim that you were negligent (whether or not that is true). If you're out of warranty, no worries there.
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It is true that the optimization point is around 50ish (freeway speeds), but if you use neither, you save the most gas.
:D
Quite right... the same way that store branded products come from the same places as the name brands. For example, here in NorCal, Albertson's-brand milk is from the Berkeley Farms dairy. However, there are variations in this... Berkeley Farms processes the milk somewhat differently (or perhaps uses somewhat different-quality milk) for their name brand than they do for the store brand. They do taste somewhat different, although Albertson's milk is just fine by me.
The same is likely true of gas. The "overflow" refinement may not be exactly the same as the branded refinement, not considering the additives, etc... they may not have the same filtration processes to remove water and other impurities beyond the minimum requirements, etc. So, just because it comes from the same refinery doesn't mean it's been refined in exactly the same way. Small differences but over time they can be noticed, as I mentioned.
(Note that this doesn't mean I am endorsing name-brand over no-name. I buy store brand products all the time. I'm simply commenting that it's not necessarily the same manufacturing/refining procedure even if it is from the same place. Whether the difference is significant and/or noticeable and/or you care about it is a totally different issue. :))
Just fyi, In California per the CVC, it is required that there be at least 2 mirrors. The drivers side and the center mirror. If the center is blocked, the passenger mirror is then required.
ALSO, regarding the Discover card:
Sadly, I just discovered (no pun intended) that the "Get More, Get Out There" has a limit of $400 of gas purchases that qualify for the full 5% rebate.
I should point out that the "Get More, Get Out There" 5% cash-back bonus is separate and ON TOP OF your regular 5% cash-back. That means you can get 10% cash-back on gas until the end of the promo.
(I have the Home Improvement Discover card, and during the Home Improvement promo 3 months ago, I was earning 10% at Home Depot. Unless they have "fixed" this, the bonuses should add as before.)
Yes, but any savings is eaten up in the emergency room as you're treated for heat stroke...
Heh, quite right. But, you can still save gas by choosing your cooling method wisely. At city speeds, rolling the windows down is better than A/C. At highway speeds, A/C is actually more fuel-efficient. Of course, try to set the A/C as warm as is still comfortable, so the compressor operates for shorter periods (and therefore puts less strain on the motor and therefore burns less gas).
1. Make sure the tires are properly inflated (between the # on the car and the tire)
2. Get a full tune up
3. Change your oil to a lighter weight. (5w30 rather than 10w30)
[...]
9. Make your car go on a diet- remove bowling balls, spare books, extra floormats, etc)
For #1, slight overinflation will actually save gas since it reduces the contact patch and therefore reduces rolling resistance. However, it also reduces handling and makes for uneven wear on the tires, so this may not be your best option... but if used properly, this can reduce mileage without significant negative impact in the other areas.
Regarding #2 and #3, you may wish to consider that the cost of this service (even if you are not doing it yourself, since parts still cost money) will likely outweigh the few-percent savings in gas mileage (and hence gas costs). Also keep in mind that lighter-weight oil (e.g. 5w vs. 10w) isn't as protective at high temperatures as the more viscous stuff, so if you're doing a lot of high-temp driving (e.g. the desert), you should ask your mechanic before switching oils.
As for #9, it's definitely a good idea. I don't think the extra floormats will make much of a difference, given that they weigh much less than 1% of the total curb weight of the car, but hey, why not. You could even remove the spare tire and the jack, but having those around is probably worth the extra weight. :D
A few additional items:
10. Diet WITH your car... not only is it healthy for you, but you'll save on gas! :)
11. Run fuel-injector/fuel-system cleaner through your engine (in one of those tanks of gas), to remove deposits.
12. Much more extreme, but: switch to lightweight rims and tires. Reducing weight on those items will save more gas, pound for pound, than reducing the same weight elsewhere, because it reduces the amount of torque required to turn the wheels, and therefore the amount of gas burned. Obviously, this option will be much more expensive than the gas savings, but you asked! :)
Moderator - move this lame thread someplace else.
2. Get a full tune up
3. Change your oil to a lighter weight. (5w30 rather than 10w30)
4. Drive slower (55-60 on most cars is the best range for fuel effeiency)
5. Use your crusie control when safe
6. Do not use your AC.
7. Do not roll down your windows
8. Make sure you purchase the proper fuel. (unless you have a sports car or luxury car, you do not need 92 fuel. Check with your owners manual to confirm)
9. Make your car go on a diet- remove bowling balls, spare books, extra floormats, etc)
10. Accelerate moderately
Just a few tips off the top of my head.
All you need is an ice cold slurpee...and turn on the fan.
You are very welcome! Yeah, the limit is not the greatest, but using it just as a gas card minimizes the inconvenience. You can always sign up for a general Discover and the Gas Rebate Discover, but I don't find the basic card to be as rewarding as some mileage cards.
NOTE: The Gas Rebate Card is NOT the same as the "Get More, Get Out There" promotion which runs thru the end of this month. I don't think that had a limit. Also, note that the limit doesn't start until you switch into the program.
As for the AAA Visa, I looked into that too. I believe the catch is that you have to spend equally (or more) on things other than gas to get the full 5% rebate on the gas. If you spend more on gas than other items you get less of a rebate.
$2.50 base price per gallon (assumed)
- .05 speedpass discount
2.45
- .15 6.25% discount with Discover (see my scheme)
2.30 price you pay per gallon @ Exxon/Mobil based on $2.50 per gallon. Thats a HUGE Savings!.... 20 cents per gallon! Just think if you doubled the reward with Discover! The price you pay at the pump is of course more since the Discover Cash Back Reward must be accumulated to at least $20... but in the long run the math still works.
So as long as Exxon/Mobil is no more than 5 cents additional per gallon than the competition, it will always be a great deal. My neighbor is a retired manager for Chevron Gas (the corporate Offices), he said that Exxon/Mobil is of great quality (second to Chevron of course)
Uh oh.... You have to activate the Speedpass by Aug. 31. I would assume that means to use it, and to get one, you have to get it mailed to you which will probably take some time. I don't think you can get one at the actual gas station instantly.
Save 12-30 cents per gallon or more by using your Discover Gas Rebate Card at ANY gas station. No annual fee. Save more as gas gets more expensive!
The Card
The card is accepted anywhere that accepts Discover, but the Gas Rebate Card has a different reward program than the normal Discover card. You must sign up for it specifically, or switch into the Gas Rebate program if you already have Discover. You earn up to 5-10% cash back on all of your gas purchases, the standard 1% on everything else.
How to Save
Just pay for gas using your Discover Gas Rebate Card and you will earn 5% cash back. Once you have earned a total of $20 in cash back (which is $400 spent in gas) you get a check for $20! With gas at $2.50 per gallon, you would essentially be saving 12 cents per gallon. Good deal. But, you can feasibly save even more than that…..
How to Save.... More!
6.25% Discount- Anyone can earn this as long as you plan on spending any money at Bed Bath and Beyond, Red Lobster, or Borders Books (plus others.) When it comes time to redeem your reward, rather than redeem the $20 reward in the form of a check, just ask for a gift certificate to one of those retailers. You redeem a reward of $20, but the gift certificate actually has a value of $25! Mathematically you would be saving 6.25% on your gas that way
10% Discount- Well, if you plan on shopping at the Sharper Image, staying at the Hyatt, or buying from FTD (plus others) you can save even more. Again, just ask to have your $20 reward turned into a gift certificate and the value of the certificate will actually be $40 with these retailers. Therefore, if you get back $40 for every $400 you spend on gas, you are saving 10%, or 25 cents per gallon at $2.50!
The Catch-
You only earn 5% cash back on gas during your first $1,500 in TOTAL purchases on the card PER YEAR. Don’t waste part of that $1,500 limit on items like groceries where you are only earning 1%. Use the card only for gas. If you do reach the $1,500 limit, you then earn a respectable but not as good 3%. You can still double the reward using the method described above.
If you have a Discover card, just call them to switch programs (you can’t do it online) No new card, no credit application. If you don’t have one you can just call them or sign up online, but make sure you sign up specifically for the gas rebate card.
Sign up- https://www.novusnet.com/cardmembersvcs/discovercard/apply-for-a-card/apply?card=CBBP
Details- https://www.novusnet.com/cardmembersvcs/discovercard/apply-for-a-card/importantInfo?card=CBBP
Redemption Partners-https://www.novusnet.com/discover/data/cashback/partners.shtml
If you like my idea bump this every once-in-a-while so others can read it. Do you know any other gas offers? Let us all know if you run into a gas station chain that doesn’t take Discover.
Cheers!
Do you think the switch of rewards w/Discover will work w/ Sams Club business Discover card?
Ethanol blended gasolines (such as Sunoco- about 10% alcohols) are normally cheaper but the heating values are less than crude derived blends, thus you could consume more fuel for the same travel and could end up with no savings. :(
And at least in my experience, 87 is as good as 93 for most cars, even luxury, though some sports cars will do better. My Q45 and my roommates es300 ran fine when we switched to 87. Not noticable difference. The 4runner of course doesn't care either. My 69 Chevelle, however, with just an un-modded small block ran significantly better on 93.
And I feel a little better about buying gas when I use my UA MP visa, which is effectively earning me 5 miles/gallon. still hurts though
Also, if you live near a Kroger, they have 3cents off per gallon w/ card, and once you spend $100 on groceries a month you get 10cents off per gallon (one time only.) pretty good deal
In Theory, Anything using electricity puts a slight drain on the engine -
How -
As electricity is required by the car the alternator goes from spinning freely to being put under load to produce electricity, That spinning is done by the engine, so it adds load to the engine which causes it to use more gas.
So that is the theory - the fact comes into how much electricity an item requires. Rear Window Deicer uses a large amount of energy - The Radio, not so much (That is unless you have to power a sub woofer etc.. then it might be more)
So the amount of power required by your Radio is so small that it probably is not requiring any significant load, so go ahead and crank up the tunes!!
Gas Buddy (http://www.gasbuddy.com/)
I know you're being facetious, but... :D
There's a limit to how small you can go and still save on gas. The smaller your wheel diameter (rim + tire), the faster the wheel has to spin to get you to the same linear speed (i.e. at any given road speed of X mph, a wheel that's [e.g] 18" in overall diameter [rim+tire] will spin 10% faster than a wheel that's 20" in overall diameter). If the wheel spins faster, you get increased frictional heating in the bearings, and the grease won't protect as much, leading to increased friction, etc. At some point, the extra torque required to overcome the extra friction will essentially negate the "savings" in torque due to the smaller wheel. (Not to mention that if you spin TOO fast, your bearings will give out.) There is an optimum wheel size that will properly balance the spin friction with the wheel's moment of intertia to minimize the required torque and hence maximize gas mileage. If one has faith in the designer of the car, one would think that the stock wheel size (stock rim + stock tire) should be near optimal. Thus it is likely better to go with lighter rims/tires that are the same size as stock (e.g. by using alloy rather than steel, or with more intelligent spoke design), rather than simply going to a smaller diameter.
Sadly, I just discovered (no pun intended) that the "Get More, Get Out There" has a limit of $400 of gas purchases that qualify for the full 5% rebate. With today's prices, we hit that pretty quickly. I don't remember that in the fine print when I initially signed up but it was probably there.
http://www.gastips.com/
I assume there is some kind of US equivalent.
I economize on gas by using both the Citi Platinum Select and Chase Rewards for the 5% discount on gas ($300 savings on each card). I am on my third hybrid vehicle, so even with 50mpg +, every little bit helps :cool: . I run the AC all the time however, since it does not run off the engine in my car. Checking gas prices on line (my local site is http://www.raleighgasprices.com/ and gasing up at Costco helps, when I'm in the Durham area. Changing driving patterns and methods also helps. I'm trying to pretend there is an egg under my accelerator and drive accordingly and it does bump up the mpg by a few. I have always combined errands...I hate to make a trip for one reason, but I am particularly conscious of this when I take the 4Runner. I ride my motorcycle when I don't have to carry a load. Since I am really "outoftown" a lot, most of my miles are on rental cars, so someone else is usually footing my gas bill. Out of habit, I still fill up at the cheapest station which I try to note when I leave the airport, so I can catch it on the way back. It irks me that people think the Texaco on Century near LAX is convenient for gasing up, even tho it's the highest price station in the continental US.
Outoftown, ORD on Monday, MCO Tuesday, Chattanooga today
For new Speedpass customers
Get a new Speedpass™ any time between June 1 and August 31, 2005, and you'll receive a 5˘ per gallon discount on fuel purchases made with your new Speedpass device in most states.*
Just activate your new Speedpass device by August 31, 2005, and for 90 days after your activation date, every time you fill up, you can save towards the $20 maximum per account. The credit or check card you link to Speedpass will automatically be credited with the amount you saved.
Not a huge savings (and has to be activated by August 31st), but no down side--especially if you were thinking about signing up for a speedpass anyway.
Information: www.speedpass.com
Unfortunately for the gas, the nearest Costco gas is too far away for me to make it my regular station but I do use it whenever I'm out in that direction. I'll think about Citi, but didn't like them years ago as a company so not sure I"m jumping on that ship now.
The tiers are as follows: 5% on purchases at gas stations (usually includes the convenience store as well) and 1% on all OTHER purchases for the first $1500 of purchases in your anniversary year; 3% on gas station purchases and 0.5% on all other purchases for the next $1500 of purchases; 1% on gas purchases and 0.25% on all other purchases for all purchases over the first $3000.
BTW, if you call up and ask questions about these tiers, most reps won't know what you're talking about until you specifically tell them you have reverse tiers and to look up the T&Cs. They're trained to deal with the regular Discover tiers and most reps haven't dealt with these specialty cards often or at all.
In principle, the tiers reset on your anniversary date, but in my particular case, the tier reset didn't happen until two billing cycles LATER, which kinda sucked.
The Citi card is certainly nice. I would recommend using the Discover card for your first $1500 in purchases, and if you happen to exceed that (KEEP TRACK!), then move your gas purchases to the Citi card to continue earning 5%. In my case, I buy gas at Costco so my non-Costco gas purchases are minimal - I just use the Citi card.
If you have a Costco station handy, it will often be more than 5% cheaper than your other stations (it certainly is around here)... check it out on a few different days to see if this is usually the case, and if so, you will save more by gassing at Costco than elsewhere. Keep in mind you can't use your Discover or Citi cards at Costco, of course, but you *CAN* use any AmEx, like your *Wood card or the Costco card. The Costco card earns (up to) 1.5% cashback you'll still be earning some rebate as well! Your *Wood card would earn the usual points, valued however you choose to value them.
Just thoughts to keep in mind, and numbers to crunch. :)
"Dear Tom and Ray:
We purchased a '97 Nissan Maxima automatic in January and love it! The owner's manual recommends "unleaded premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91." It also says, "If unleaded premium is unavailable, unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 can be used." Whenever I fill up the car (which is most of the time), I follow the manual's recommendation and use premium gas. But when my husband fills her up, he uses regular gasoline even when premium is available. So my question is, am I spending money needlessly on premium gasoline? And why would Nissan recommend premium gasoline if regular is OK to use? -- JoAnn
Tom: You're doing exactly the right thing, JoAnn.
Ray: This car has a high-compression engine that's designed to run on premium gas. But since there are places where premium gas is not available, and because premium gasolines can vary in octane, most manufacturers, including Nissan, use a "knock sensor" to protect the engine.
Tom: The knock sensor detects -- that's right -- "knocking" (also known as "pre-ignition" or "pinging")! Knocking is bad for the engine, and it often results from using lower-than-recommended-octane fuel. So when your cheapskate husband puts regular unleaded in the Maxima, the knock sensor kicks into action and retards the ignition timing to protect the engine.
Ray: Retarding the timing prevents the knocking, but it also reduces the engine's power, decreases fuel economy, probably increases the emissions, and may lead to a buildup of residue on the valves. So it's not an ideal situation. It won't hurt the engine if you use regular gas occasionally, but it prevents the engine from performing at the specifications at which it was designed to perform.
Tom: So I'd either take away your husband's keys, or increase his allowance by a few bucks a month so he can afford to buy premium. And if he's unhappy about having to spend the extra money, remind him that a car's fuel requirement (which can add many hundreds of dollars to the cost of owning a car over the years) is one of the things you should find out about before you put down your deposit."
I don't know. If the Sams Club Discover rewards program is the same as the normal one, I would think you could switch fine. If not, you can just get an additional account.
scooper, good info to know. Thanks! I didn't realize that.
The same is likely true of gas. The "overflow" refinement may not be exactly the same as the branded refinement, not considering the additives, etc... they may not have the same filtration processes to remove water and other impurities beyond the minimum requirements, etc. So, just because it comes from the same refinery doesn't mean it's been refined in exactly the same way. Small differences but over time they can be noticed, as I mentioned.
(Note that this doesn't mean I am endorsing name-brand over no-name. I buy store brand products all the time. I'm simply commenting that it's not necessarily the same manufacturing/refining procedure even if it is from the same place. Whether the difference is significant and/or noticeable and/or you care about it is a totally different issue. :))
To be honest I somehow doubt that they would modify the manufacturing process for off brand gasoline. Right now the priority from what I understand is for the refiniries to refine as much as they can, 24/7. All I'd figure the difference to be is that the detergents are not added in equal amounts, but the water content and impurities would remain constant.
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