Keeping Your Car Maintained Saves Gas …

With today’s high gas prices, we are all looking for ways to save gas. One of the best ways to save gas is to drive ‘like you have some sense.’ In other words, don’t be one of ‘those’ drivers that acts like it is a drag race from stoplight to stoplight … gently accelerate and gently brake. Another way to save
gas is to keep your car well maintained.

Keep Your Car’s Engine Properly Tuned
By simply fixing a car that is out of tune, you can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent. Obviously, results will vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. By fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, you can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.

Check & Replace Air Filters Regularly
Replacing your car’s clogged air filter can improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your car’s air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will protect your engine.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated
Your gas mileage can be increased by around 3.3 percent by simply keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

Use the Proper Grade of Motor Oil
You can increase your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.