You wanted more tips for saving gas, you got ‘em. Here are three more easy ways to save fuel when driving your certified Ford.

• Don’t act like you’re in NASCAR. If you’ve noticed fingernails embedded in your seats or on the inside door handles, you might be scaring people who ride with you.  You’ve probably even caused a few other drivers to go home and change their shorts. It might be fun, but erratic driving just uses too much gasoline. Hard turns and quick braking wreak havoc on your mileage. Be gentle to your car and it’ll treat you right.

• Make sure your car is running properly. Some mechanical problems can cause your car to be less efficient. Dragging brakes, for instance, is horrible for your gas mileage. Slippage between gears can also cause you to have poorer gas mileage than necessary. Also, keep an eye on the fluid levels, cracking in the engine and other mechanical problems that could negatively affect your vehicle’s efficiency.

• You can’t tune a fish, but you can tune a car. Make sure to keep your car tuned up according to the manufacturer’s recommended schedule. A bad wheel alignment or a suspension system that isn’t working properly can cause your gas mileage to drop. If you notice something “off” when driving, get it checked out to help your gas mileage and to ensure your own safety.

Have we drilled it into your head enough? With oil prices exceeding $100 a barrel, you really don’t want to buy more gas than you need. There are probably dozens of ways for you to save fuel, some of them more feasible than others. Here are a few of the more reasonable ways you can save gas when driving around town in your certified Ford.

• Combine your trips as much as possible. Studies show that starting your engine a few times while it’s still warm is more fuel-efficient than starting it once or twice when the engine is cold. As a bonus, you’ll also save wear and tear on your vehicle by making one trip with several stops rather than several trips with only one stop.

• Fill ‘er up at night. Gas tends to expand in hot weather. When that happens, you might be getting less than you’re bargaining for. By waiting until the weather cools down at night, you can save those few precious cents. Also, make sure your gas cap is tight before pulling away. Loose gas caps promote evaporation, which can negatively affect your gas mileage.

• Hike it or bike it. This probably goes without saying, but short trips in a car can eat up more gas than it’s actually worth. If you have a bike and your legs aren’t broken, try getting some exercise the next time you take a trip to McDonald’s or Taco Bell. Your gas tank (and your heart) will thank you for it.

If we intrigued you with the lengths that some drivers will go to in order to save a few bucks in fuel, keep reading. I saved the most astounding tactics for today’s post.

4. Watching the real-time display: Some newer models, including many certified Ford vehicles, have a real-time display that shows exactly how many miles you’re getting to the gallon every few seconds. Some of the most hardcore hypermilers watch these displays and adjust their driving speeds and habits to ensure the maximum mpg at any given moment.

5. Evaluating the wind conditions: A favorable wind condition is having the wind at your back, pushing you along. But how often does this happen? To be a true hypermiler, don’t make unnecessary trips on windy days. The wind might be pushing at your back one way, but that means it’ll be pushing at your front when you go the other way.

6. Planning your route around stop signs and traffic lights: Starting and stopping can wreak havoc on your gas mileage. Therefore, the fewer stops you make while traveling, the better your fuel economy. If you simply can’t avoid stop lights, try to plan your approach to the lights so you encounter only green lights.

6. Staying warm: The long-running dispute–over whether air conditioning or open windows use the most fuel–had no place with hypermilers. Because either method has a negative effect on fuel economy, true hypermilers use neither. That means leaving your windows up and your air conditioner off. If you decide to try this tactic, be sure to bring plenty of cold water with you so you don’t get dehydrated from the buckets of sweat you’ll lose on those hot summer days.

We’re not done yet! There are still more tactics that hardcore hypermilers use. We’ll cover several more hypermiling tactics over the next two days. By the end of the week, you can be a true hypermiler and show off your new skills to your friends!

To purchase a new, used or certified Ford vehicle please visit our Ford Dealer - MO or our Ford dealership - Waterloo, IL.