Fuel Saving Tips

Now that the country has slowly opened back up after some mandatory quarantine time and our vehicles did not get driven as much, here are a few simple tips that you can use to assist you with getting the most fuel savings for your vehicle.

Whether you travel a lot for work or take the occasional road trip for pleasure or the holidays, keeping your care properly maintained will help you get the best fuel mileage for your vehicle.  

Keep tires inflated to their proper psi level. Don’t just wait for your car’s tire system to notify you that the tire needs air, try to make it a habit to walk around your vehicle and inspect your tires. Constant changes in the temperature do affect your tire pressure so be mindful of this. If it is available in your area, go to a full-service gas station to get the attendant to check your tire pressure for you. You can also go to any tire service center like Wal-Mart, Goodyear, Firestone, Discount Tires, etc. The simple process of keeping your tires properly inflated helps save on your fuel costs.

Keep your oil changed. For older model vehicles the recommended time frame was every 3,000 miles and/or 3 months. However, with today’s more technologically advanced vehicles, you simply need to follow your manufacturer’s timeframe. This simple maintenance service helps to protect your engine which helps with your overall fuel efficiency. Also, at times your air filter has to be changed along with your oil. This is a schedule that will be recommended by the manufacturer. The rule of thumb for older vehicles is every 6,000 miles or every other oil change.

Lighten the load. Many of us either have the trunk of our cars loaded with items we don’t need or use daily or we have the cargo area of the SUV/van full. This adds to the weight which means more pull by the engine which equals more fuel to be used. Take the time to keep only the bare essentials in your trunk or cargo areas.

Keep your tires rotated and balanced. This process plays a key role in your fuel efficiency usage. Again, follow the recommended mileage suggested by the manufacturer of your vehicle and by the tire manufacturer. Also keeping your vehicle in proper alignment helps with fuel usage. In general, alignments can last up to a year and it is based on the road conditions that you travel on a daily. If you feel your vehicle pulling to the left or right, that usually means your alignment has worn off and it is time to get another one done.

Overall, it is best to keep your vehicle properly maintained in order to get the best fuel economy usage from your vehicle.