Robert Sikorsky’s little book Drive It Forever offers invaluable tips to keep your car going the extra mile. His stellar advice could save you a year’s worth of car payments or more!
The smoother you drive, the longer your car will run. Stopping and starting, fast lane changes, scratching off all lead to shorter life for your car.
Naturally, you can’t drive at all without stopping and starting. But your goal is to keep moving smoothly any time that you can. Does it look like a stoplight is about to turn green? Then slow down and if possible, gently keep moving until the light changes.
Less engine idle means less engine wear, says Sikorsky. If you have to idle longer than 30 seconds, you may as well turn the engine off and start it when you’re ready to roll. So turn off the car if you’re waiting in parking lots, waiting on others to ready themselves for travel, if you have to go back in the house for something, etc.
And never rev up the car while it’s not moving.
If you’re driving in “bumper to bumper” barely moving traffic, it’s wise to turn your air conditioner off. This saves a lot of wear on your car. The engine has to work overtime if the air is on and you’re stopping and starting frequently.
You’ve probably heard that it’s good to take your car out periodically for a good drive on the highway now and again, and that’s good advice. This allows your engine to get fully warmed up and helps get rid of some deposits built up by short trips.
If it’s below freezing, try not to take your car out on short trips of less than five miles. Sikorsky says this is one of the worst possible conditions for your car.
Don’t cruise around a parking lot forever, trying to find a spot. Go ahead and park further away and get in a little exercise.
Avoid accelerating suddenly unless there’s an emergency situation. Putting the pedal to the metal may get you someplace today, but tomorrow you may end up hitching a ride from a neighbor.
If possible, don’t park your car headed uphill. When you’re ready to start it later, the engine will have to use extra power to pull itself. It’s better to park headed downhill than uphill.
Driving on dusty roads cuts your gas mileage considerably as well as adds to engine wear.
I’ve found Drive It Forever a valuable read! It’s personal, and easy to read, even if you’re mechanically challenged.
Oil cleans your car. It lubricates parts. It helps cool things down. Without it, your engine would be sitting squarely in the center of your local junkyard.
Scheduling regular oil changes is vital to the life of any vehicle.
The oil filter keeps little bits of dust and other contaminants out of your engine, and helps ensure the oil runs smoothly, so you want to change that every time you change the oil.
Imagine how your body would react if your kidneys and liver shut down. The impurities in your blood would build up continually, and it wouldn't take long for your body to completely break down.
Oil for your car can be likened to blood to your body. Your car needs clean oil to keep going. What would happen if you never changed your oil?
Well, you'd be lucky to get 30,000 miles out of the car before your engine would collapse.
Say you only change your oil once a year. Your car seems to be running fine, so no harm done, right? Not so fast! Your engine has been flooded with contaminants. It won't be long till you find yourself coming to a standstill.
Regular oil changes are as important to your car as daily trips to the bathroom are to you. Now, we won't take the analogy too far, but you get the idea. This one scheduled maintenance may help your vehicle avoid mechanical failures.
I actually heard two mechanics say that they figured you could run a car forever if you had the oil changed every 2000 miles. That may seem excessive to some folks. But it kept my baby humming nicely!
Now if you see any hint of an oil leak on the driveway after the car is parked, get to a service station. This could be ultra bad news and you need to have your car checked out immediately. Ditto if you detect a burning smell or smoke coming from around the engine!
You may not feel 100% comfortable changing your oil, but you can check it easily. It's best to check the oil when your engine is cold. Unscrew the cap and pull out the dipstick. Wipe it with a clean tissue or paper towel. Reinsert the stick all the way. Then pull it back out and check the dipstick. You'll see "add" and "full" lines clearly marked on it. If the oil film is between the "add" and "full" lines, you're good. If it's below the "add" line, you need a quart of oil. Make sure you use the kind recommended in your owner's manual. After adding the oil, repeat all the steps.
See, that wasn't too hard, was it?
Make sure you take the time to check the oil levels in your car, and have it changed regularly. It literally means the difference between life and death for your vehicle!
Cars are like electric lights. We often don’t appreciate them until they go on the blink. Regular maintenance checks and simple service can greatly reduce the cost of car ownership and keep you a much happier traveler!
Don’t let the thought of car maintenance intimidate you. There are actually several car maintenance tips you can do – even if you’re totally mechanicallychallenged!
For instance, you’ll want to keep your windshield washer fluid reservoir full. This involves screwing off the cap and pouring windshield wiper fluid in the right spot. You can quickly check the fluid levels when filling up at the gas station.
While you’ve got the windshield washer fluid out, pour some on a rag and clean the bug guts, etc. off the wiper blades.
If you see any colored fluid leaking from your car, get it serviced immediately.
If you smell any peculiar odor coming from your car, take it to the nearest service station. Odors mean something inappropriate is going on under the hood of your car!
Every fall, go ahead and replace your wiper blades. You need new ones once a year – might as well get them before winter sets in and you’re wiping away that ice and sleet!
Be sure all your lights are clean and working, including brake lights, turn signals and emergency flashers. You can perform this quick check while filling up your gas tank.
Check your tires once a month – give a look over for cuts, bulges, or nails or other foreign objects sticking out.
Take your car to your friendly serviceman once a month and have the pressure in your tires checked. This service should cost you less than five bucks, if anything.
Every three months have your oil and oil filter changed. Many times an inspection is done during the oil change. It’s worth it to pay a little extra if you have to and have this done. Ask to have your battery checked, too.
Have your air filter changed when it gets dirty. You can ask the folks who change your oil to check the air filter. They’re happy to change it for you.
No matter how non-car savvy you may have felt in the past, finding that you can do some simple maintenance checks puts you in the driver’s seat. You’re likely to discover in advance if your car has a problem that should be taken care of immediately.
Gas prices are higher than ever, so you’re likely to see more advertising for "gas-saving" products. Yes, we want to improve on fuel efficiency, but are these products really helping? Or are they just taking an extra bite out of our already shrinking car budget?
The truth is, you should be suspicious of any gas-saving claims for certain devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the savings have been miniscule.
You’ll see all sorts of claims and testimonies. "This gas-saving product improves fuel economy by 20 percent." Yeah, yeah. Actually, the EPA has tested over 100 of these supposed gas saving doo-hickies, and none of them were found to do the job well.
Some of the products can even damage your car. So much for cost savings!
Please be skeptical of advertising claims for gas saving devices.
Here’s another quote you might read. "This gas-saving device is approved by the Federal government." Actually, no government agency endorses gassaving products for cars. If the seller claims the EPA has evaluated its product, ask for a copy of the report, or check www.epa.gov for information. Ah, I love the power of the internet.
If you want to save money at the pump, try these tips. They’ll serve you much better than some snake oil product.
Buy only the octane level gas you need.
The faster you drive, the more fuel you use. It’s a fact.
Use overdrive gears during highway driving. This also saves wear on your engine.
Use cruise control on highway trips.
Avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration. That means no tailgating! This tip alone can improve your fuel economy by 5 to 10 percent. Sudden starts and sudden stops are wasteful, not to mention the barf factor involved for those of us who get car sick.
Unnecessary idling wastes fuel.
Avoid carrying excess weight in your trunk.
Keep your engine tuned. Engine troubles can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 to 20 percent.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated and aligned. Check them once a month.
Under-inflated tires increases fuel consumption by six percent.
Change your oil.
Check and replace air filters regularly. Clogged filters can cause up to a 10 percent increase in fuel consumption.
There’s no need to buy products that cost you more money than they save. These little fuel saving tips can add up to an extra hundred bucks or so in your pocket each year!