Question:  What can I do to improve my fuel economy?

Simple Answer:  There are a few things that you can do – some of them are easy and some take a little more effort.  One of the first things you should do is make sure your tires are properly inflated.  On the inside of the driver’s door or door jamb is a plate that says the correct tire pressure.  Careful – there might be a different pressure recommendation for the front tires and rear tires.  Check them at least once a month.

Carrying extra weight in the vehicle will hurt your fuel economy.  Leave any unnecessary stuff at home.  Do we even need to mention driving fast and jackrabbit starts?  When you gently accelerate and plan your stops so that you can ease into them a bit, this way of driving will make a big difference in improving your fuel economy.

Now there are several maintenance items that improve fuel economy.  Lubricants should be replaced on schedule – dirty oil, transmission fluid and differential fluid cause more friction and drag which hurt fuel economy.  A big one is having a fuel system cleaning done if needed.  A dirty fuel system can really reduce engine efficiency and increase fuel consumption.

And if your check engine light is on, take your vehicle in for a diagnosis.  Some conditions that trigger the light can really hurt your fuel economy.  Getting the necessary work done to correct the fault will help your engine run better and may bump up your mileage.

Also be on the alert for so called miracle cures.  There are a lot of products out there that claim to increase fuel economy.  Research them before you spend your money.  And as always your service adviser can give you more ideas on how to improve your fuel economy.  At this time when fuel prices are high and getting higher daily, we need to do all we can to improve fuel economy.