With the recent rise of gasoline and diesel prices has made the most conscientious person think again. What ever your motivation might be here are expert tips.
• Air conditioning. Using air conditioning always on max can significantly reduce mileage. Instead try using the a/c on max to cool off the car then switching it to normal. Another good idea is to keep the temperature setting around 68 - 70 degrees F. This keeps the a/c compressor from running constant thus saving gas and wear and tear on expensive parts. Always have your a/c tested by a Certified Technician.
• Tires. Underinflated tires are the number one leading cause of poor fuel mileage and vehicle handling characteristics i.e. rough ride, poor traction. Today's cars have tire pressure monitors for us, they let the driver know if a tire is under inflated. Keeping the tires at proper pressure keeps the engine and transmission from working harder. Always check the tire pressure when the tires are cool as heat will always give you a false reading. Use a known good tire pressure gauge. A cheap gauge is not recommended. I recommend using a digital tire gauge this is the most accurate especially for today's cars. You can pick one up at your local auto parts store relatively inexpensive.
• Alignment. Uneven tires and poorly aligned vehicles will waste gas. How do you know if your alignment is good? Have it checked by a qualified technician. Just because the vehicle goes straight down the road is not good enough. There are many potholes in our streets. No matter how hard we try to avoid them it can happen, we will land in a crater and that will throw the alignment of your vehicle out of specifications. Properly aligned cars will save gas, cause less stress on your suspension and steering parts. Keep the driver from getting tired on long trips by not fighting the steering wheel. Thus making it safer for you and everyone else on the road.
• Speed. Speeding causes the engine to race at a higher RPM (revolutions per minute), which causes the engine to use more fuel and it is Illegal. Observe the speed limit. Studies have shown driving at 65mph will waste 2% more fuel than if you were to drive at 55mph.
• Weight. The heavier the vehicle is the harder the engine has to struggle to move. Less weight means better fuel mileage. Keep only the essential items in your vehicle.
• Vehicle Appearance. Your vehicle's appearance can have an effect on fuel mileage. Keeping your car clean and waxed allows the vehicle to glide through the air with less resistance. It also adds life to your paint. Keeping reasale value higher.
• Performance. Keeping your engine tuned will add fuel mileage as well as horsepower. Manufacturers recommend 100,000 mile tune ups on some vehicles. Be careful this is only for the spark plugs. It does not cover the filters that should be changed at specific time intervals. Oil should be changed no more than 5 thousand miles. (Check with your owner's manual for different intervals). Don't forget the other fluids like transmission and differential fluids. These are just as important as engine oil. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for service. And have your vehicle serviced by a qualified technician (more on that in my later e-book).
• How you drive. When you accelerate hard and stop hard this is like throwing your money out the window. If you car gets an average of 19 mpg driving hard can bring you mpg down to an average of 6mpg. Driving gently easing into acceleration and stopping gently will keep your mpg up and save your cars braking system.
• Idling. Excessive idling causes you to waste gas and in some states it is Illegal to let your car idle for more than 3 minutes. Shut off the engine when you are waiting for family or friends.
• Check engine light. Your vehicle's check engine light is an indication that something is wrong with the vehicle emissions system. A flashing check engine light could mean that a sensor could have or is going to fail. A Solid check engine light means that you should bring your car in for service as soon as possible. Every time the yellow check engine light or for older cars service engine soon light is on the computer has to compensate fuel according to its memory table. The Longer you go without servicing the light the more you will waste fuel.
• Filling up. When you fill up with gas at the gas station. Try not to fill up when the big truck is there delivering fuel. The dirt that is at the bottom of the tank will get stirred up and you can get that in your tank. Also I have found that different brands of fuel give me better fuel mileage. Not to support any one brand of gas, My one car loves to run on Shell gas. My truck loves to run on Hess fuel. Try it out, try different brands and see what works for your car and pocket.
These expert tips will save you gas and money. This is a win - win situation for you and your car. This will extend the life of your car.
John Nolan, ASE Certified Advanced Level Master Technician for over 25 years. Ford motor Company Certified Senior Master Technician.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_T_Nolan
No comments:
Post a Comment