Maintaining Your Car Can Help Fuel Efficiency & Save You Money

Keep Up with the Following Car Maintenance to Impact Fuel Economy

While there are lots of factors behind a good fuel economy, there are a few key ways to make a positive impact on yours. Keep all systems in your car running optimally and you’ll notice a lot more than just an increase in your fuel economy.

Tune-Ups Matter More than You Might Think

When you think about essential regular maintenance, getting a tune-up probably isn’t high on your list. You may not even know what’s involved in a tune-up service, but they keep your engine in tip-top shape and that means your car will continue to run well. Simply put, a tune-up makes sure your engine is firing efficiently and also catches potentially dangerous emissions problems and should be done about every 10,000-12,000 miles. Both the engine and emissions issues can have a negative impact on your car’s fuel economy. The ratio of oxygen to fuel is monitored by your O2 sensors, which are located near your engine and at the rear of the exhaust system. When those sensors are worn or failing, you’re likely to use too much fuel. That is just one aspect of a tune-up that can increase fuel economy when fixed.

Keep an Eye on Your Tires

One way you may not realize you can improve your fuel economy is by properly inflating your tires. If your tires are under-inflated, there is more surface area touching the pavement, which decreases fuel economy. On the other hand, you don’t want to over-inflate your tires even though that will technically improve fuel economy. That’s because over-inflating your tires put you at a higher risk of having a tire blowout while on the road.

You can find your manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure by looking in your car’s manual or by looking for a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb. Many modern cars also have tire pressure sensors that will alert you by turning on a light on your dash if your tires fall below the recommended pressure.

Regular Maintenance Also Prevents Extra Repairs

Of course, these recommendations do more than just improving fuel economy. Problems that decrease fuel economy will also impact other aspects of your car and driving. Putting off or ignoring regular tune-ups and oil changes can make your engine run rough or cause you to lose power when accelerating. They can also cause emissions problems to sneak up on you that you may not notice until you get a state-required emissions test.

Finally, proper tire pressure has a huge impact on your safety when driving because it impacts the traction of your car on the road. Over-inflated tires cause increased wear, which in turn means your tires cannot properly grip the pavement.