With gas prices high, our drivers are asking, "What can I do to improve gas mileage?"  Our answer is that there are quite a few standard maintenance tips that will help you increase gas mileage and your vehicle safety. 

One of the first things you should check is tire pressure.  There is no one size fits all and it is a pretty easy thing to check at home and fix.  On the inside of the driver’s door or door jam is a plate that indicates the correct tire pressure. Careful – there might be a different pressure for the front and rear tires. Check them at least once a month. 

Carrying extra weight in the vehicle hurts gas mileage. Leave unnecessary stuff home. Do we even need to mention driving fast and jackrabbit starts? Gently accelerate and plan your stops so that you can ease into them a bit. This really makes a big difference. Now there are a number of critical maintenance items that improve fuel economy for wise auto owners. 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 family car in to for a diagnostics test.  This is the way your vehicle lets you know that maintenance is needed and 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.

The other suggestion we have is watch out for miracle cures. There are a lot of products being sold in that claim to increase fuel economy. Check them out before you buy. Ask our friendly automotive service adviser for ideas to improve your family car’s fuel efficiency.