You may feel helpless against rising fuel prices, but you don’t have to feel helpless when it comes to reducing your fuel mileage. There are many steps you can take to keep your gas consumption down using proper maintenance and safe driving tips.
Tire tips
Keeping tabs on your tires’ air pressure as well as their general condition will help you lessen your gas consumption. You can check your tire pressure regularly by purchasing a tire gauge and make certain the pressure matches the recommendations in your driver’s manual. As well making sure your tires are in tip top shape will lessen the impact on your overall mileage. Believe it or not this can save as much as 3.3 percent of your fuel consumption.
Engine Tune-Ups
Pay attention to your car’s care and if you have an engine light warning be certain to have your engine checked. An engine light warning can mean there are many issues with your car including issues that will interfere with passing your emissions test. By taking care of emission issues you can improve your fuel usage by as much as 40 percent and other engine related issues can result in a four percent reduction in gas consumption. You can also speak to your mechanic about the best oil to use in your car or check your driver’s manual. Using the right oil for your car can save from one to three percent. An injector cleaning will also help you reduce the amount of gas you use.
Safe driving habits
When you drive aggressively you not only put yourself and others at risk, you can waste as much as 33 percent of your fuel driving on the highway and five percent driving around town. In fact speeding can add several cents for every five miles you drive above the speed limit. If you tend to store stuff in your car remove it and place it in your garage. This can actually use two percent less gas. Idling is not only bad for the environment but it is also bad for your pocket book. Idling can use up from a quarter to a half tank of gas per hour. As well if you can manage less use of your AC you can save as much as two cents per minute.
Double B Automotive can help keep your car in perfect working order to help reduce your gas consumption. Visit www.doublebautomotive.com or call 519-767-3252 to schedule an appointment with their expert mechanics. You can also follow them on Facebook.