The cost of gas has dipped considerably in recent months, but it’s still important to try and run your vehicle efficiently; efficiency alleviates the pressure on your wallet your vehicle and the environment.
The first step toward efficiency is to ease up on pedal. Higher RPM’s mean a much lower fuel efficiency. Remember in driver’s ed when they told you to imagine there was an egg beneath the pedal? That metaphor applies. Try to accelerate slowly, smoothly. The harder you push your engine the more gas it requires to operate; it’s also much harder on your engine’s health to accelerate too quick, routinely pushing it to higher RPM’s. It’s also true with brakes: less efficient braking will lead to more fuel consumed and premature wear and tear on the brakes.
It’s also important to limit the amount of time you leave your vehicle at idle. The bulk of the winter weather is behind us—hopefully—and it’s now unnecessary to warm the vehicle before you get inside. There’s a general rule of thumb that if you plan to run the vehicle at idle for more than three minutes it’s best to turn off the engine.
Monitor your tire pressure and keep to regular maintenance schedules. Underinflated tires can decrease MPG’s significantly; 10 psi too little can translate to an efficiency loss of 5 MPG, even more. And underinflated tires can wear prematurely, and the cost to replace those tires is significant. It’s also a good idea to change the spark plugs and the air filter whenever either scheduled maintenance or an inspection make it necessary. The engine relies on its components to work, and damaged or worn components will force it to work much less efficiently.
And for all of your regular maintenance and vehicle repair needs you have your experienced mechanic at Willard’s Garage to keep your vehicle working efficiently and reliably. If it’s time for you to schedule service then call today.
