I don’t think anyone is too happy about the climbing fuel prices. Especially those of us who are on a tight budget or who have cars that don’t get the best gas mileage — what can we do about it? My daughter, who is away at college, is now thinking twice before driving anywhere, and has even decided to take an airplane home her next visit as it will actually be less expensive (her Izusu Rodeo is not very fuel efficient!). But there are ways we can help our cars achieve the best fuel efficiency possible. Here are some points to remember (and yes, I have shared these with my daughter, too!):
1. Know that the biggest difference between the gas at one station and another, outside of price, is the additive package used by that company. Be aware of what is being added to your gasoline.
2. In particular, look for the amount of ethanol added to the gasoline at your station. The higher the percentage, the lower the miles per gallon will be. The maximum percentage of ethanol you will generally find is 10% — look for a lower mixture if you want to enjoy better gas mileage.
3. When it comes to motor oil, synthetic products will help improve your gas mileage as well as protect your engine components.
4. The best synthetic motor oil we know of and highly recommend is AMSOIL (TM) synthetic oil*.
5. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Underinflated or low tires will noticeably decrease your mileage.
6. Reduce excess weight — what are you carrying around in your trunk that you seldom use?
7. Keep up with your vehicle’s recommended services; things like dirty air filters and fouled spark plugs can significantly affect gas mileage.
Future gas prices may climb even higher than what we are seeing now, but we do have some choices we can make to protect our wallets as much as possible. Do you know what kind of mileage your car is getting?
*Warren McCord is an AMSOIL distributor.
Donna McCord
Owner
Dean’s Automotive, Inc.