With fuel prices soaring, we need to be more conscientious of our vehicle’s state of health and our own driving habits.
Service Tech Magazine, in September 2000, reported that 147 million gallons of fuel is wasted each year due to evaporation. It is estimated that 115 million gallons of fuel is lost because of a loose or missing fuel cap. This is an easy fix; pay attention to what you are doing: don’t leave the fuel cap on top of your vehicle or the gas pump, and make sure the fuel cap screws on straight and tight.
Other areas to focus your attention are:
1) Air filters – dirty filters can cost you up to 10% fuel usage. Have the air filter checked every time you do an oil service.
2) Tire pressure – low pressure creates excess friction or drag, costing you 1-2 miles per gallon. Remember to check your tires on a monthly basis.
3) Worn spark plugs or a dirty fuel induction system can also decrease fuel economy. Therefore the fuel system should be cleaned every 40K miles.
* Fuel deposits that build up on an injector will interrupt proper fuel burning, this leads to increased fuel emissions and drivability problems such as hesitation, surging, misfire and loss of power.
4) Don’t be an aggressive driver. Aggressive driving may lower your gas mileage from 5% around town to 33% on the freeway. For every 5 mph that you drive over 60 mph you will pay up to an additional $0.24 cents per gallon
Information and facts mentioned in this article can be found at US Department of Energy Website, http://www.fueleconomy.gov,
