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Car Care Tips
| Gas Saving Tips
Check and Replace Air Filters Regularly
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's 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.
Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.29/gallon
Keep Tires Properly Inflated
You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by 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.
Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.09/gallon |
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Tire Saving Tips
Checking For Wear
The simplest way to check for wear is to do the penny test. Place a penny inside the tire tread with the top of Lincoln's head facing towards the tire. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, your tread is worn and needs replacing. The legal limit for tire tread is 1/16".
Checking Alignment
It's always a good idea to regularly check your tires for proper alignment. This way, you'll ensure your tires will last the full life for which they were intended. Ask us for an alignment inspection today.
Checking Tire Pressure
Check your tire pressure monthly when tires are cold. Air pressure changes 1-2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change. Always keep the vehicle manufacturer's recommended air pressure in all your tires.
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Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil
You can improve 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.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03-$0.06/gallon
Driving tips
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 5-33 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.15-$0.96/gallon
Observe the Speed Limit
While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed(or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.50 per gallon for gas. Observing the speed limit is also safer.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 7-23 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.20-$0.67/gallon
Remove Excess Weight
Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An
extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The
reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the
vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2 percent /100 lbs
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.03-$0.06/gallon
Avoid Excessive Idling
Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste
more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.
Use Cruise Control
Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed
and, in most cases, will save gas.
Use Overdrive Gears
When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This
saves gas and reduces engine wear.
Plan your trips
Combining errands into one trip saves you time and money. Several short
trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer
multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. Trip
planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and
efficient.
With a little planning, you can avoid retracing your route and reduce the
distance you travel as well. You'll not only save fuel, but also reduce
wear and tear on your car.
Commuting
If you can stagger your work hours to avoid peak rush hours, you'll spend
less time sitting in traffic and consume less fuel.
If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets the best gas
mileage whenever possible.
Consider telecommutin(working from home) if your employer permits it.
If possible, take advantage of carpools and ride-share programs. You can
cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car if you take
turns driving with other commuters. Many urban areas allow vehicles with
multiple passengers to use special High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
Traveling
Avoid carrying unneeded items, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 lbs in
the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
A roof rack or carrier provides additional cargo space and may allow you
to meet your needs with a smaller car. However, a loaded roof rack can
decrease your fuel economy by 5 percent. Reduce aerodynamic drag and
improve your fuel economy by placing items inside the trunk whenever
possible.
Drive a more efficient car
The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG
amounts to $750 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a
fuel cost of $3.00).
That's $3000 extra in fuel costs in just four years! |
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