Gasoline.

Car owners have a love/hate relationship with gasoline. We love where fuel can take us, but not the rising cost and inconvenience of getting it in the tank. There are many myths, and the old rules that used to apply to may no longer be true. Todays technology is changing the game, so lets get to the truth about gasoline - and how to use less of it.

Is premium gas best for my car?

No, not unless your engine was designed to burn that higher octane. There is no advantage to a premium grade fuel if your engine was designed to burn regular gas with a lower ignition temperature.

Will I get more gas if I fill up early in the morning?

No, the tanks are underground - so the temperature is pretty much the same throughout the day. Gas does turn to vapor when it heats, but a collection system in your car has a carbon-filled cannister that sends it right back to your engine. Buy gas when you need it - there is no "magical" hour.

Does rolling down my windows instead of running the A/C save on gas?

While driving, the car has to cut though strong wind resistance, causing it to drag if the windows are down. The engine has to work harder to push through the resistance at faster speeds - requiring more gas. The aerodynamics of cars are designed to reduce drag, but only if the windows are UP! The amount of fuel used by the air conditioner is not significant, so why suffer the Texas heat?

Do I need to warm up my car if it's cold outside?

It is no longer necessary in cars made since 2000. Driving on a cold start won't do your car any harm - the fluids will effeciently warm up in the first few minutes of normal driving. In sub-freezing temperatures, warming up the car could help the oil circulate - but is that really ever a problem for us Texans?

Should I avoid the pump while the tanker is filling at the station?

Tanker trucks stir up particles inside storage tanks, but gas stations are required to install really heavy duty filters to trap dirt and muck. Cars also now have very efficient fuel filters to catch debris, so stirred-up particles will not have much potential to adversely affect your engine. You will however damage your fuel pump by running below a quarter of a tank, so fill up before that happens - anywhere you are!