Top Five Ways to Improve your Gas Mileage

First and foremost, it's essential to know that a healthy engine is an efficient engine. Therefore, it is imperative that you maintain your vehicle. The primary purpose of maintenance is to keep your engine running smoothly because the harder the engine needs to work, the more fuel it uses. For instance, engine oil provides lubrication for the engine. When this oil becomes old and broken down, it doesn't give the same level of lubrication, forcing the engine not to run as smoothly. Additionally, you should keep your engine air filter in mind. This keeps road debris and dirt from entering the engine's cylinders to be mixed with fuel. When this filter gets clogged, the engine won't be getting enough clean air, causing the engine to work harder to produce the power that's being requested. Another critical component is the spark plugs which ignite the fuel and air mixture inside the cylinders. These should be checked approximately every 30,000 miles and replaced when necessary as they can become burnt out and contaminated with carbon.

While taking care of your tires extends their life and keeps you safe on the road, routine tire maintenance can also help save fuel. Three factors keep your tires in good condition. The first is tire pressure. You can find your vehicle's recommended tire pressure on a sticker inside of the driver's door or in the owner's manual. Overinflated tires increase friction and create more rolling resistance. Similarly, underinflated tires can make drag. These effects force the engine to work harder to keep the car moving. The second is the tread depth. While it's true that big, knobby tires significantly decrease fuel economy, you still want to maintain traction on the road. In fact, if tires don't have enough tread to keep a firm grip on the road, the engine has to produce more torque to send to the wheels, using more fuel. To help maintain good tread depth, we recommend getting tire rotations with each oil change. The last factor is the alignment of your wheels. Misaligned wheels will essentially drag your tires down the road, putting more strain on the engine.

Keeping your vehicle in good health is a surefire way to maintain good fuel efficiency. However, you can also save gas by keeping tabs on your driving habits. The main thing you should keep an eye on is your speed. High cruising speeds and rapid acceleration play the most prominent role in gas-guzzling. Driving the speed limit and not fluctuating your pressure on the gas pedal will help maintain your fuel efficiency. Keep in mind that the more pressure you place on the gas pedal, the more fuel will get burned. In a study performed by Edmunds, it was found that drivers who drive in a calm manner save between 33% and 38% on fuel. Helping with this effort is your car's cruise control. We also recommend monitoring how much you're driving. You should, if possible, try to carpool or take public transportation as often as you can.

Another factor in fuel economy is what kind of car you drive. Larger vehicles with larger engines will get lower fuel economy than smaller cars. This is mainly because of the vehicle's weight and the engine's displacement. Today, many car manufacturers are beginning to use turbocharged four-cylinder engines to increase fuel economy without sacrificing acceleration. Many brands are also heading towards an electric future, like Jeep and Chrysler with their plug-in hybrid models. Getting a plug-in hybrid model is a fantastic way to keep your performance up while also getting outstanding fuel economy. The Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee are available with Jeep's 4xe powertrain, which provides even greater on and off-road performance with the electric equivalent of 49 and 56 MPG respectively.

Before heading to the pump, you should scout out the cheapest gas in your area. Today, this doesn't require using gas to drive around to different gas stations; numerous applications allow you to compare prices in your area right from your smartphone. If you're on a road trip, you'll probably notice the gas prices at the rest areas are much higher than those a couple of miles off the highway. Also, gas prices tend to rise on the weekends and fall towards the middle of the week, making this the optimal time to fill up.

While there are many ways to save fuel, the most surefire way is to keep up with your vehicle's routine maintenance. Here at Reedman-Toll CDJR, we want to help keep your vehicle running as smoothly as the day you drove it off the lot. That's why our service center is full of highly-skilled service technicians with the skills, tools, and knowledge to maintain your vehicle's health. From tire rotations and oil changes to diagnosis and mechanical repairs, our service team can help. So book your next service appointment with us right here on our website. We look forward to serving you!