Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Car Care Tips #1

How important are vehicle gas caps?

17 percent of the vehicles on U.S. highways have either misused or missing gas caps, causing 147,000,000 gallons of gas per year to vaporize into the atmosphere. (Source: Service Tech Magazine, Sept. 2000)

How do underinflated tires affect fuel efficiency?

Underinflated tires and incorrect wheel alignment can lead to conditions which increase rolling resistance. This is like driving with the parking brake not fully released, it can cost a mile or two per gallon on a car that normally delivers 20 miles per gallon.


Keep your car in tune:

Keeping up with regular vehicle maintenance can improve gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent. Results may vary depending on the kind of repair and how well it is performed.

Other gas guzzlers include:

Dirty oil = 1 mile per gallon

Slipping automatic transmission = 1 mile per gallon

Cooling system thermostat that causes the engine to run too cold = 2 miles per gallon

Combining all of these discrepancies into one vehicle and the cost of wasted fuel easily couldexceed recent increases in pump prices.

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