Gas mileage is a fickle measurement at times. What it mainly tells you is how hard overall the engine is working and whether the engine is running efficiently or not. Gulf Breeze Automotive has some information for you about what might be affecting that number.
Skipping Oil Changes
You probably already know that oil changes protect your car’s engine, but you might not realize just how much engine oil does. Oil is what lubricates and cools the engine, and over time engine oil breaks down and becomes less efficient at both of those jobs. When that happens, the engine gradually works harder and harder, which causes it to be less efficient, too, which causes it to burn more gas.
Picking the Wrong Gas
Have you ever noticed that your car’s manufacturer recommends a specific octane level of gas for your car? If you haven’t, that information is located in the owner’s manual. The thing is, most of the time that recommendation is for mid-grade or higher gas, which is more expensive. You might be tempted to go with lower octane gas, but that ends up costing you in terms of performance. You’ll see that in decreased gas mileage.
Wheel Issues
If you’ve been skipping any wheel services, like balancing your tires and aligning the wheels, that’s going to cost you at the gas pump. This might sound made up, but it’s true and here’s why. Your car’s engine provides power to the transmission which then gets the car’s wheels moving. But if the wheels are out of alignment or the balance is off, the engine works harder to get everything going and keep the car moving. That again costs you in gas.
Tire Pressure Problems
Tire pressure matters a lot, much like other wheel services. When tires have too much or too little air, then they aren’t able to function the way that they are supposed to. This wears out the tires sooner than they should, but it also causes the engine to have to push harder to move the car. It all works together, unless something is off.
Keeping track of your gas mileage can help you to spot issues that are fixable. Gulf Breeze Automotive in Gulf Breeze, FL can help you to stay on top of all of those little details that affect your car’s gas mileage. We’ll make it easier for you to keep your car running as efficiently as it can.