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Home › Articles › Grandparent Finance › Cutting Car Costs

Cutting Car Costs

Tips for Spending Less When Caring for Your Vehicle

By Kyle Busch

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An air filter that is clogged wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power causing a decrease in fuel efficiency of up to two miles per gallon.

  • Replace worn spark plugs as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Dirty spark plugs cause misfiring, which wastes fuel.
  • Use quality fuel and oil and change your oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles. Dirty or substandard engine oil increases internal engine friction.
  • Remember to tighten gas cap with each refueling. Loose or missing gas caps allow fuel to evaporate causing a loss in fuel efficiency of up to two miles per gallon.
  • Check your vehicles emissions system. Worn oxygen sensors may be unable to detect and adjust the air/fuel mixture, which can cause a loss in fuel efficiency of up to three miles per gallon.
  • Keep your fuel system clean. Carbon deposits can build up on essential engine parts like fuel injectors, intake valves, piston heads and combustion chambers, robbing your engine of power, acceleration and gas mileage. Regular use of a specially formulated fuel additive to clean the engine will maximize fuel efficiency.
  • 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.
  • Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.
  • Avoid excessive idling. Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon.

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