It might feel like a losing battle when you’re trying to improve your car’s gas mileage, but it’s a variable that’s more under your own control than you might think. This information from Viking Automotive can help you to understand just how you can get that mileage to improve.
Get Tire and Wheel Maintenance Done Regularly
Tire and wheel maintenance seem so unnecessary to a lot of car owners, but you might change your mind once you realize just how important these services are. Because your tires make direct contact with the road’s surface, your tires have a direct impact on how hard the engine has to work to move the car. Do you realize what that means? The harder the engine works, the worse your gas mileage is. Make life easier on your car’s engine and get alignments, rotations, and balance the wheels as often as recommended.
Make Sure You’re Handling Other Maintenance, Too
Other maintenance also matters. Everything from oil changes to fuel injection cleanings has a direct result on how well your engine can function. Again, if the engine is forced to work too hard, that means it’s burning more fuel and it’s doing so inefficiently. You’ll see that as poor gas mileage and you can do more to avoid it.
Avoid Speeding Whenever Possible
Nobody is trying to tell you how to live your life, but if you’ve got a lead foot that has a direct impact on fuel mileage, too. When you can slow down just a little bit that’s going to take strain off your engine that doesn’t even have to be there. Take your time and enjoy the drive more often. Your car’s engine will thank you.
Get Gas Earlier in the Day and Fill the Tank
During cooler weather it probably doesn’t make much of a difference, but when you get gas earlier in the day when it’s not as hot that’s better for gas mileage. You’re experiencing less evaporation as you fill the tank, and that translates into good metrics for your car’s engine. Also, if you’re in the habit of only putting in a few bucks of gas at a time, that might be worse for your mileage numbers.
If you’re still seeing worse gas mileage than you think you should, contact us at Viking Automotive in Houston, TX. We’ll run diagnostic testing and figure out what’s keeping your engine performance lower than you want it to be.
