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Tom's News & Tips
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Fuel Cost Reduction
and Improving Fuel Mileage
We all remember the days when gas was less than $2.00 a gallon. Well those days are long behind us now and we now know the term “what goes up must come down” is a farce.
Gas prices are reaching all time highs and as busy as we all are today we need our vehicles more than ever. Here are some tips that can help increase mileage and reduce your overall fuel bill as much as 30%.
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On the Road: Drive More Efficiently
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Slowing Down – According to the Department of Energy, slowing down from 65 mph to 55 mph can increase your miles per gallon as much as 15%.
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Remove Excess Weight and Accessories – An extra 100 pounds can reduce fuel mileage by 2%. Bicycle and ski racks add drag and this can cost you another 3% on the freeway.
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Cruise Control and Overdrive – Maintaining constant speeds and lowering RPMs will help conserve fuel.
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Air Conditioning and Other Accessories – Using your air conditioning and other accessories put additional loads on your engine, resulting in lower fuel economy. Only using them when you absolutely have to will save on fuel usage.
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Combining Errands – One longer trip on a warm engine is much better than several trips on a cold engine. Planning an efficient route will even save you more money at the pump.
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Avoid Long Idle Times and Aggressive Driving – In the summer you don’t need to warm your vehicle up, instead drive a little slower for the first couple of miles. Also, rapid acceleration and heavy braking can lower your gas mileage 3-5%.
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At the Shop: Maintain Your Vehicle
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Oil Services – Clean oil reduces friction and dissipates heat, promoting better fuel efficiency. Using Synthetic Oils will increase fuel efficiency even more.
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Tire Maintenance – Improperly inflated tires alone can cost you as much as 7% in gas mileage, not to mention is a safety hazard. Make sure your tires are properly inflated, rotated and evaluated on a regular basis. Abnormal wear can be an indication of an alignment problem which will lower fuel economy even more.
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Fuel and Air Filters – Dirty and clogged filters can decrease engine performance, thus reducing gas mileage as much as 10%. Having them properly serviced can pay for themselves within 2-3 fill-ups.
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Tune-Ups – An improperly tuned engine will cause loss of power, increase in emissions and a decrease in fuel economy, up to 50%! Having the state of tune inspected regularly and following your Factory Maintenance Requirements will keep you on the road more and away from the costly gas pumps.
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“Engine Light” On – Your on-board computer is warning you of trouble and decrease in fuel mileage, 10-40% in most cases. Having your vehicle properly tested and repaired will not only save you in gas money but it will reduce premature aging and failure of some of your vehicle’s other critical systems and components.
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Be Skeptical – Claims for devices that will “boost your mileage,” “improve your fuel economy,” or the like usually only provide marginal improvement at best. The Environmental Protection Agency has tested over 100 supposed gas-saving devices and found that very few provide any fuel economy benefits at all. For more information, go to www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer.htm.
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Are Your Tires Properly Inflated?
Kick the Tires
It’s not a bad idea to give the ol’ tires a kick now and then. Did you know that over- or under-inflated tires cost you money, pollutes our environment and manipulates your vehicle's designed handling capabilities?
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Under inflated tires by only four or five psi can reduce gas mileage
as much as 10%.
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Burning extra gasoline unnecessarily adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
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When tuning chassis systems for safe and consistent handling behaviors, specific tire sizes and inflation pressures are key to the engineered specifications.
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How to Read a Tire
You can find all the information you need to know about your tires right on the tires themselves. Each tire has its width, sidewall height, construction, wheel diameter, weight load code, speed rating and maximum tire inflation rating written on the side of the tire.
In addition, you can also check your door for a sticker that contains all the information you need for correct inflation as specified by the vehicle manufacturer. (Note: Always refer to the door sticker for manufacturer information or to your owner's manual.)
For example: 195/60R15 87H MAX PRESSURE 35 psi
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| 195 |
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tire width in millimeters
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sidewall height as a percentage of the tire width
(60% of 195 is 117 millimeters)
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radial construction
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weight load code – maximum weight capacity
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speed rating – maximum speed a properly inflated tire will withstand for a determined amount of time.
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Max
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Number of pounds per square inch you should inflate your tire cold. If you have been driving, then rule of thumb is allow for a 5% increase. A 35 psi rating should read approximately 37 psi warm.
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All tires should be inflated, rotated and evaluated on a regular basis. Tires should be evaluated and have the inflation adjusted every 3,000 miles and rotated every 6,000 miles or every other oil service.
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Changing Seasons are Car Care Reminders
See if you can find the pattern here: summertime means vacations and an oil change. Fall means football, an oil change and tire rotation. In the winter it's hot cocoa and (you guessed it) an oil change. Springtime reminds us of April showers, an oil change and tire rotation.
If that exercise prompted you to think about seasonal car maintenance, then you and your car are headed in the right direction. October is the time to winterize your cars as part of a good maintenance plan throughout the year.
During National Car Care Month motorists visited free vehicle check lanes in thirty-five cities throughout the U.S. Thousands of motorists took their cars for review. The results: nearly 9 out of 10 failed some portion of the inspection.
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A closer look revealedd that thirty percent failed due to worn belts and hoses. Nearly one out of three (32%) were found to have low or dirty motor oil. It gets worse. Thirty-five percent failed the exhaust emissions test and 59% had bald or underinflated tires.
These statistics help remind us to change the oil each season and rotate the tires every six months or as recommended in the owner's manual. But preventive maintenance doesn't end there. There's wheel alignment, cooling system, brakes and other systems and components needing periodic attention.
The owner's manual is a good place to start. Some car companies go so far as to break their service recommendations down month by month. Read the owner's manual carefully then keep track of all maintenance.
If you keep good records you won't duplicate any maintenance procedures. And a well-cared-for car, with maintenance records to prove it, is worth a lot more in trade than the same car in average condition.
Source: Car Care Council
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