A Few Money-Saving Tips That Could Make a Dollars and Sense Difference Start at the Pump

Fluff up the fuel? Who ever thought there was more to pumping fuel into your vehicle's tank than selecting the type and grade of fuel, putting the hose and fuel nozzle into the fuel-filler door, and releasing the handle to start the flow? An employee of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, who has worked in the petroleum industry for more than three decades, has become proactive in good consumer sense at the pump and has offered a few pointers to maximize fuel efficiency while fueling your tank. The tips are geared toward optimizing every gallon of fuel to its fullest. While some tips might bring a modest return, modest for most of us is still great... and worth taking the extra steps.

Fill fuel tanks in the early morning hours. Those in the know say 'the colder the ground, the denser the fuel'. Afternoon fill-ups in warmer temperatures can cause gasoline to expand which means less overall fuel for each gallon.

Ease your trigger grip. Letting fuel flow into your vehicle's tank at high pressure causes agitation. This amounts to more vapors and less actual fuel. It is suggested to fill your tank with a low flow speed from the nozzle.

Don't drop below the half mark. The less fuel in the tank, the more air in the tank, says the petroleum expert; less fuel leads to a higher rate of evaporation. Therefore, keeping your tank above the halfway mark on the fuel gauge will amount to less air filling the empty tank space and less evaporation.

Don't pump your fuel tank at the same time a fuel delivery truck is pumping. The re-fueling of a station's holding tanks causes air to mix into the tanks. There is the potential for this process to a gitate dirt that can settle into the bottom of fuel tanks. Be patient. Fueling while a re-fueling truck is pumping could lead to dirt stirring up enough to enter your vehicle's gas tank.

For other tips, quips and helpful hints, check out the following sites:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/how-to-get-better-fuel-economy.htm

--Sue Mead