If you’re hitting the road this summer, you might be worried about the rising cost of fuel. While there are ways you can alter your driving habits to help improve fuel economy, keeping up on some important vehicle maintenance can also make a big difference. Here’s how to improve fuel economy with a little vehicle care:
Check your tire pressure.
If your tires are low on pressure, they will cause a rolling drag and your engine will burn more fuel. Make sure you check your tire pressure at least once a month and every time you leave on a big road trip. If your tires are under-inflated, you’ll spend more on fuel than necessary.
Service your fuel injectors.
A faulty fuel injector can prevent fuel from being delivered to the engine in the right intervals or not at all. It can diminish fuel economy, but if it’s not repaired it can cause your engine to quit altogether.
Bad diesel truck fuel economy is a tell-tale sign of a fuel injector problem because if the engine is not getting the fuel it needs, it will cause the injector to keep delivering extra fuel needlessly. In some cases, this can cause potential engine failure by either hydro locking a cylinder with fuel, washing down the cylinder walls causing piston failure or filling your crankcase with diesel which can fail all sorts of internal parts. Checking up on your diesel fuel injection and having it serviced regularly can help catch these problems and ensure your vehicle is running at peak performance.
Pay attention to oil changes.
Not only is it important to give your vehicle a regular oil and oil filter change, but you should also make sure you’re using the grade of motor oil that has been recommended by your car or truck manufacturer. If your vehicle is designed to use 5W-30 and you’re using 10W-30, that thicker oil could be causing your engine to use more fuel as it struggles to move it through. You could be losing horsepower and reducing fuel economy.
Don’t forget to change the air filter.
An air filter is one of those car parts we often forget about, but if you constantly fail to change the air filter when it needs to be changed, you’ll fail the good fuel economy test! Your vehicle’s manual will let you know how often it needs to be changed. Change it more often if you’re driving down a lot of dusty roads.
Come in for regular vehicle check-ups.
Coming in for regular check-ups can help catch problems that could be hampering your car or diesel truck fuel economy. The experienced technicians at Revolution Motors will run engine diagnostics to see if there are any major issues and check things like spark plugs, fuel injectors, air and fuel filters ensure everything is operating at optimal efficiency. We’ll also check your suspension for loose components and/or misalignment, which can also reduce fuel efficiency. Learn more about our fuel filter services.
Consider aftermarket performance kits.
If you’ve done a few fuel consumption trucks comparison with types of diesel that have aftermarket kits and notice your truck isn’t passing the fuel economy test for efficiency, look into EGR/DFP Deletes. Not only will these delete kits improve fuel economy by up to 30%, but they’ll also boost horsepower and overall engine performance.
Watch how you drive.
If you were to do a gas mileage comparison between an aggressive driver and someone who is driving with fuel efficiency in mind, you’ll see a huge difference. Things, like revving the engine, hard braking, quick speed-ups and idling the vehicle, can all use more fuel than necessary. Drive steadily, use cruise control on long highway drives, lighten the load in your vehicle when possible and you’ll improve fuel economy.
