Gas is expensive! You can fight back, though. Some routine preventative maintenance services (and even some things that you can do yourself) can help you maximize your fuel efficiency!
What Goes Wrong |
What it Means |
Loss in Fuel Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| Improperly/Under-inflated tires | Under-inflated tires can’t roll as easily, so your engine has to work harder to move the car. | 0.6 mpg |
| Dirty Engine Air Filter | When fuel and air aren’t mixed to the right proportion in your engine, the fuel can’t ignite efficiently. | 2.0 mpg |
| Dirty or Worn spark plugs | If the spark plug isn’t producing a clean, powerful spark, the fuel/air mixture won’t completely burn, resulting in wasted fuel. | 2.0 mpg |
| Malfunctioning 02 Sensor | Your vehicle’s O2 sensor detects how well fuel and oxygen are mixing and adjusts for any problems (like a dirty air filter). If the sensor isn’t working however, a lot of fuel can go to waste because of an improper fuel/air mix. | 3.0 mpg |
| Dirty engine oil, or oil that doesn’t protect your engine properly | One of the roles that engine oil has in your engine is to protect against friction. More friction between moving parts means that the engine has to work harder, and fuel is wasted. | 0.4 mpg |
| Loose or worn gas cap | If your fuel cap isn’t a perfect seal for your gas tank, the increasingly expensive fuel you bought will evaporate right out into the air. | 2.0 mpg |
