Many of our customers would like to know how they can improve their fuel economy.  At Express Car Care, we help drivers keep their vehicles running in prime condition which makes them more efficient fuel-wise.  When your car works the way it was designed to work, it will use less fuel and you save money.

To help organize our discussion, we’ll mention the things that rob us of fuel economy in two ways:  increased friction and inefficient fuel combustion.

Friction:  Anything that increases friction increases drag or load on the engine.  The engine has to work harder to overcome the drag – and that eats up more fuel.  The first thing that can cause drag on the engine is low oil. Low oil means there isn’t enough to fully lubricate the engine and that increases the friction.

Using the wrong viscosity and grade of oil can also adversely affect fuel economy.  Talk to your helpful and knowledgeable service adviser about the right kind of oil for your vehicle.  Dirty oil won’t lubricate as well as clean oil.  The same principles apply to transmission fluid as well.  Getting your oil changed and transmission serviced on a routine schedule will reduce friction and save you money on fuel.

You might want to consider upgrading to synthetic oils in your differentials, engine and transmission to reduce friction.  Another friction related factor is under-inflated tires.  When tires are low on air, it’s like driving through sand – the engine has to work harder to move every mile.  Drivers should check or have their tire pressure checked at least once a month.

Sticking or binding brakes can also put a drag on your vehicle and can hurt fuel economy.  A simple brake inspection at Express Car Care can uncover potential problems.

Let’s move on to Fuel.  A dirty fuel system has varnish and gum interfering, and the fuel injectors may be unable to deliver the correct amount of fuel at the right pressure and in the spray pattern that the engineers intended when they designed it.  A fuel system cleaning will get all of that working correctly and will improve your fuel economy.

Your spark plugs also have to be functioning properly, so replacing worn spark plugs will help your vehicle burn its fuel efficiently and will save you money at the pump.