Auto Repair & Tires

Below are some tips that will really help you get the most mileage out of that gallon of gas.

Number 1: Make sure your vehicle has had its most recent required tune up. This is number 1 because without it, all the other good advice below becomes pointless. You could be doing everything right to save fuel mileage, and even spending money on more fancy ways to save fuel, but it won't amount to one cent in dollars saved if your car can't burn the fuel correctly or if it has dirty internal parts that fail to open and allow for the best air & fuel mixture to take place. Newer style vehicles generally can go 50-100 thousand miles between tune ups; older style vehicles usually around 30 thousand.

Number 2: Check your tire pressure every two weeks. Tire pressures can change with seasonal and temperature changes during the year. Checking your tire pressure every two weeks is the best way to make sure your vehicle doesn't have to put more force (fuel) into movement because of an imbalance in drag or power distribution.

Number 3: Use Fuel System Treatment Once Every 3000 miles. Using any of the common fuel system treatments such as Chemtool, Gumout, or Chevron's Techron Cleaner once every 3000 miles can improve both responsiveness and combustion efficiency, which results in more power. This added power when used correctly (see below) can result in higher gas mileage. Always follow the directions on the back of the can or bottle.

Number 4: Try to make a habit out of slower acceleration. This one of the simplest yet most effective tips you can employ to save gas. Many people, however, fail to take advantage of this in their day to day grind, and bear down on the pedal in a hurry to get from place to place. Even if you have to drive at a faster speed, pushing the pedal down harder in the initial takeoff isn't going to speed things up and will actually cost you more in fuel. However, gradually depressing the pedal and arriving at that higher speed can save you anywhere from 3-10% in fuel. That could add up to $12 of savings in every 30 gallon tank! How many of those do you buy in a year's time?

Number 5: Use that Cruise Control & keep freeway/highway speeds at 60 mph. This one is a bit harder to employ as we're usually so busy and rushed, but you would be shocked at how much further you can go on a tank when this tip is employed. Some years ago, AAA, issued a report on how for every 1 MPH faster than 60 MPH, most vehicles begin to loose fuel efficiency and mileage. Some publications claim that the fuel loss from going over 60 MPH is the equivalent of paying an extra 20 to 50 cents per gallon. That equals anywhere from $2 to $15 in fuel loss per tank! Ouch! However, combining this tip with the previous one can provide you 6-19 dollars in savings for each tank. That is a significant savings. source: AAA News Room

Experimental Stuff (To be Added Later): The tips above are proven to increase gas mileage. However, there are other pieces of equipment, additives, and engine manipulations such as supplemental Fuels, Fuel Line Heaters, & Computer Re-Programmers among many other things. We've personally seen some impressive results from these experimental methods, but a whole lot of inconsistency and difficulty in employing them. Therefore, we cannot recommend them to our customers as they aren't really reliable yet, and can be quite costly. Nevertheless, having your car in good working order and doing our part to make sure that it serves you well is a priority for us. We are always looking for effective and reliable methods to save gas. When we find such methods, we'll be sure to post them here.