Fuel-Saving
Tips:
Vehicle
gas caps
About 17 percent
of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are either damaged,
loose or are missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons
of gas to vaporize every year.
Underinflated tires
 When
tires aren't inflated properly it's like driving with the parking
brake on and can cost a mile or two per gallon. Under inflated
tires can cause wheel damage and could cause you to lose control
of your vehicle in certain situations. Check your tire presssures
regularly to protect yourself and those you love.
Worn
spark plugs
A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which
fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting
in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty
spark plus causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs
need to be replaced as recommended by the manufacturer.
Dirty air filters
 An
air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off
the air and creates a "rich" mixture -- too much gas
being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes
the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can
improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 20
cents a gallon.
Fuel-saving driving tips include:
Don't
be an aggressive driver
Aggressive driving
can lower gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway
and 5 percent on city streets, which results in 10 to 66 cents
per gallon.
Avoid excessive idling
Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon. Letting the vehicle
warm up for one to two minutes is sufficient.
Observe the speed limit
Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each mpg
driven over 60 will result in an additional 10 cents per gallon.
To maintain a constant speed on the highway, cruise control
is recommended. |
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Lighting
Another important
pre-trip check should be exterior and interior lighting. Vehicle
check lanes revealed an overall failure rate of over 25 percent
in the lighting category. Drivers Driveline reminds motorists
to check their lights monthly.
Other suggestions
from Drivers Driveline include turning on headlights both day
and night. This helps define your car's position on the road,
and its distance from other drivers. When your vehicle's lighting
is defective, other motorists may not get the message that you
intend to stop or turn. The end result could be disastrous.
Windshield
Wipers
In the 2001National
Car Care Month vehicle check lanes, 21percent of participants
had wipers that smeared, streaked or chattered across their
windshields.
 Although
climates vary, wipers generally need replacing every six months.
An easy reminder is to change wiper blades in the spring and
fall when you change your clock.
Be sure the windshield washers are workingn properly, too, and
keep the reservoir filled with solvent.
Ten
Minutes Can Save You Money
Check all
fluids.
There are several fluids, in addition to antifreeze, that require
attention, including engine oil, power steering, brake and transmission
fluids and windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.
Check hoses and belts.
A belt that fails can affect the electrical system, air conditioning
and power steering, as well as the cooling system. Cooling system
hoses may be deteriorating from within, so old hoses and clamps
in marginal condition might need to be replaced.
Check the tires.
Check tire inflation and inspect the tread for uneven wear,
indicating the need for wheel alignment. Also look for bulges
and bald spots.
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Are
Dirty Cabin Air Filters Preventing You From Breathing Easily
in Your Car?
During the hot summer
months, contaminants, such as pollen, dust, mold spores and
smog, can easily enter a vehicle's passenger compartment through
the air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems, making
the air in the car six times dirtier than the air outside, cautions
the Car Care Council.
Motorists can protect
themselves and their passengers from these containments by replacing
the vehicle's cabin air filter annually or more often in areas
with heavy containments, or whenever heating or cooling efficiency
is reduced. Cabin air filters clean the incoming air and remove
allergens - especially beneficial to people who suffer from
allergies.
If your vehicle is
model year 2000 or newer, there's a good chance it is equipped
with a cabin air filter.
"There are about
30 million vehicles in North America that currently have cabin
air filters," said Rich White, executive director of the
Car Care Council. "However, most people have never heard
of a cabin air filter or don't know if their vehicle is equipped
with one. Vehicle owners should refer to their owners' manuals
for this information."
If the cabin air
filter is not replaced, it can cause musty odors in the vehicle,
and over time, the heater and air conditioner may become damaged
by corrosion. A dirty or clogged cabin air filter can also cause
containments to become so concentrated in the cabin that passengers
actually breathe in more fumes and particles when riding in
the car compared to walking down the street.
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It's
All in the Timing With
automotive engines as with many aspects of daily life, timing
is critical. One vehicle component often overlooked during routine
maintenance is the engine timing belt. If it fails, the engine
will stop and the car will coast to a stop. The lucky motorist
will only have the inconvenience of being stranded on the side
of the road until the car can be towed to a repair facility
to have the timing belt replaced. On the other hand, the engine
might suffer severe, if not catastrophic, damage to its internal
components.
This potential disaster
can be avoided easily and relatively inexpensively by replacing
the timing belt within the required replacement interval.
Timing belts resemble
an engine accessory serpentine belt in appearance, only they
typically have square teeth on the inside surface. They usually
are constructed of rubber reinforced with nylon. The timing
belt transfers the rotation of the crankshaft to the camshaft.
The rotating camshaft activates the valves, which provide air
and fuel to the cylinders and expel combustion gases to the
exhaust system.
The valves and pistons
are constantly moving up and down at very high speeds. When
the pistons are down, the valves are open; when the piston is
at the top of its travel, the valves are closed. Some engines
don't allow clearance between a valve at its lowest point and
a piston at its highest. The timing belt, therefore, is the
critical link to ensure that these components don't collide.
If collision occurs, damage to the valves, pistons, cylinder
head and cylinder walls can result. This can be an expensive
repair.
Timing belts usually
are protected from foreign objects by a cover, making visual
inspection impossible.
Many domestic vehicles
built within the last several years and the majority of imports
are equipped with a timing belt. Other engines rely on a timing
chain rather than a belt. Refer to your owner's manual or take
your car to a repair facility if you are unsure. The owner's
manual maintenance schedule is a source of timing belt replacement
intervals, typically every 60,000 to 90,000 miles.
Timing belt replacement
usually requires removal of the engine drive belt that operates
the alternator, water pump, power steering pump and air conditioner.
Consider replacing this belt, or multiple belts, when having
a new timing belt installed.
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