Engine design expert offers efficiency tips

Gasoline prices have reached or exceeded $4 a gallon in Maine and across the country, leaving many consumers wondering how to cut transportation expenses to cope with rising prices. University of Maine associate professor of mechanical engineering technology, Chuck Maguire, a former engine designer with General Motors in Detroit, is available to discuss ways to squeeze maximum efficiency out of our motor vehicles.

Maguire says that the automotive industry is so competitive that manufacturers are already doing all they can to make cars and trucks as efficient as possible, which is reflected in the sophisticated computerized fuel-use and efficiency displays standard on many new vehicles today.

As far as commercially available, expensive after-market devices touted as gas-savers, Maguire says “if the factory could put on a device for $20-$30 that will improve fuel economy, they certainly would.”

Save the money and pay attention to things that really make a difference — driving style — he advises.

Maguire recommends keeping tires properly inflated and checking tire pressure about once a month, removing any excess weight from the car, and accelerating gently when starting out, and taking advantage of factory-installed driver information centers to monitor fuel economy.

Because cars and trucks are engineered so precisely these days, driving at 65 miles per hour on the highway is probably more efficient than slowing to 55 mph, since that’s the recommended highway standard and vehicles are designed to work best at that speed.

Maguire advises against tricks like over-inflating tires or putting the vehicle in neutral when cruising down hills, as both can compromise safety.

Provided by University of Maine