Simple Vehicle Maintenance to Improve Fuel Economy

April 30th, 2014
Be conscientious of your tire pressure. Most vehicle owners underestimate the importance of properly inflated tires.  When inflated properly, you can save nearly 4% on gas mileage. Under-inflated tires can cause a mileage loss of near .5% for every 1 psi drop in pressure for all four tires. Not only will this save fuel economy, but greatly improve the performance and safety of your vehicle as well as increasing the life of your tires.
Schedule routine tune-ups and do not deviate from that schedule.  Keeping your engine in proper working order will allow it to perform at peak condition and ensure fuel is not wasted performing extraneous tasks.
Replacing clogged air filters and keeping a prompt oil changing routine can also save a combined 4% on fuel economy. It is important to use the correct oil and filters as recommended by the manufacturer to ensure accuracy of parts. Taking time to go above and beyond when doing simple tasks such as these will make all the difference in the future longevity of your vehicle. Understanding what repairs and parts a vehicle needs is an important job for any car owner, not only to ensure the standard of workmanship a dealer will provide you, but more importantly to know when a vehicle needs servicing.
If needed, addressing serious preexisting issues is the most important tip to improve fuel economy. The engine of a vehicle cannot perform at any acceptable standard if major auto repair is needed, thus wasting fuel overworking can cause serious losses in gas mileage.
It is easy to compare our vehicles to ourselves. You need fuel each day to survive, without proper nutrients you will likely be tired or weak. If you are sick you need more food and every task is a struggle. Similar to you, when your vehicle is worn down or needs repair it cannot function correctly, using more fuel and lacking in performance, having a properly maintained motor is the lifeline of a vehicle.
However, not all fuel economy is saved from inside the engine with preventative measures. Naturally, modifying your driving habits can improve fuel economy equally to any other precaution. Making effort to stop and start carefully, while observing speed limits can greatly improve fuel efficiency.
There is a direct positive correlation between routine auto repair and gas mileage consumption, meaning any customer can fight against rising gas prices and improve fuel economy to save money. These simple steps can help your wallet stretch further and also give you great peace of mind for the road ahead.
  Posted in: Tires 101, Auto Repair 101