Will Buying Gas In The Morning Increase Your Hypermiling?

I am sure that you have heard it before, “Buy your gas in the early morning before it gets hot in the afternoon and you will get more gas for the same price”!

The theory being that gasoline expands when heated, thus taking up more volume in a confined space. Therefore, it seems logical that gas in the early morning would be cool and condensed into the confined space (your gas tank), while in the hot afternoon the gas would be expanded into the confined space.

This is indeed a sound theory. In fact, the gasoline in your tank is more than likely expanding and condensing in correlation to the temperature your gas tank is exposed to (like a hot black top highway, or cold snow and ice).

This is why the manufacturer always puts a message somewhere on the cap or near it stating to not “Overfill or to the top of the fill tube”. It does pose a danger. If you filled your gas tank so that the gas is level with the top of the fill tube, then only go a couple of miles and park in the hot sun, the gas could potentially expand right out of the tank (if a non pressurized system) or create a leak from expansion in the tank or tube (in a pressurized system).

However, that all being said, gasoline at filling stations are primarily stored in underground tanks surrounded by several inches of cement, then there should be a secondary cement wall encasement in case the first containment fails. So, needless to say, the gasoline is pretty well insulated from differing above ground air temperature.

In fact, ConsumerReports.org did an independent test at varying times of different days. The test measured the temperature of the gasoline coming out of the gas spigot. The result is that regardless of the difference in temperature in the outside surface air, the gas remained a constant 62 degrees (which is about the typical ground temperature). It makes sense, right?

It makes so much sense to me that I do not expect to see it any time soon on an episode of Mythbusters.

The bottom line is because the gas is stored in insulated underground tanks, it does not make a difference what time of day or what temperature it is when you purchase gasoline.

So, just another thing to remove from an already cluttered and worried mind, I speak of myself, not you.

3 Things To Do Right Now To Increase MPG – Hypermiling FAQ

This really is not as hard as some people make it. Some things you can do right now with very little effort to make sure you are getting the maximum gas mileage, or hypermiling!

1.     Check Tires Air Pressure – Make sure that all of your tires (including spare) are aired up properly to the manufacturers suggested air pressure. Keeping the tires at the correct air pressure creates less wear and tear on the tires themselves, but also roll and stop at the optimum ability when this is done. This ultimately increases the mileage you are getting.

2.     Use the cars engine and friction to slow your vehicle down before applying the brakes. This means you are going to be preparing to stop much sooner than you normally do, like almost immediately upon “seeing” your stop sign, signal, light.

Taking your foot off from the gas pedal and letting your car coast to a stop. The car will slow, the engine will down shift (or do it yourself with a manual transmission), and only apply your brake when you are getting close to the actual stop.

Now saying this, we are NOT suggesting in any way or form that you just wait until you are right on the area you need to stop and immediately slam the brakes!

We mean for you to do this gracefully. Let’s your car’s engine and weight work for you, doing a lot of the work instead of keeping your foot on the gas pedal until you need to stop (most people’s habit).

3.     Waste not, want not. If you are in the habit of leaving for work or any other place in a “I’m Late!” state of mind, you are most likely pressing the line of not being pulled over on the speed limit to get to your destination. In our area the expressways have a 70 miles per hour speed limit, yet most cars do about 80-85 mph.

We have found that maintaining the speed limit (and even better a bit slower, the maximum results we have found for most average cars is that engines get their best miles per gallon between 55 and 65) not only increases your gas mileage by not burning fuel at a faster rate, but it is safer! But more than that, even on hour one-way commutes you are only saving about 8.5 minutes in time, but burning as much as 25% more fuel.

Summary

There you have it, the 3 things you can do right this very moment to increase your mpg and get you into a hypermiling program today! Check your air pressure for proper inflation. Coast your way to stopping. And not being a lead foot. All 3 things help individually, so just think what’s happening when you combine them!

What Is Hypermiling FAQ?

We suppose starting with this question would be a good idea, huh?

FAQ – For those that do not know, FAQ stands for “Frequently Asked Questions”. With the Internet being an information hub or portal, people try to get as much up as they can as quickly as they can. That is why you will see a LOT of different shortcuts to words, works, and names. “Anything” FAQ usually means that whatever the subject of “anything” is, the page has Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to the subject.

Hypermiling – Different people argue the “exact” meaning. For the purpose of this website, however, it will mean: driving/maintaining any vehicle as to get the maximum mileage out of it.

Therefore, when put together this site, Hypermiling FAQ is a website focusing on the frequently asked question about the subjec of hypermiling! Easy, no?

Here, hypermiling is more than just a way of driving (as some purist define it). It could be:

• Way of driving.
• Maintenance or tweaks to vehicle.
• Products that can help increase mileage.
• Discoveries and breakthroughs.

It really is not any more complicated than that. We are trying to find ways to get the best mpg in a vehicle, regardless of the methodology (not excluding safety). Let’s get to it!