PAIN AT THE PUMP RETURNING AS GAS PRICES HEAD FOR $3

Car Care Council Tips Can Help Save Money at Pump

Consumers’ chronic pain at the pump is returning with gas prices 67 percent higher than a year ago and probably heading back toward $3 a gallon soon. To help alleviate the pain the Car Care Council offers some simple and inexpensive vehicle maintenance tips.

“You can’t control the price of gas, but you can control how much gas you burn by performing proper maintenance and how you drive. Performing simple and inexpensive maintenance can save as much as $1,200 per year in gas costs,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council.

The Car Care Council offers these gas saving maintenance tips:

  • Keep your car properly tuned to improve gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.

  • Keep tires properly inflated and improve gas mileage by 3 percent.

  • Replace dirty or clogged air filters and improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

  • Replace dirty spark plugs which can reduce mileage by two miles per gallon.

  • Change oil regularly and gain another mile per gallon.


Driving behavior also impacts fuel efficiency. The council offers these gas saving driving tips:

  • Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 mph.

  • Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Warming up the vehicle for one or two minutes is sufficient.

  • Avoid quick starts and stops. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.

  • Consolidate trips. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much gas as one longer multi-purpose trip.

  • Don’t haul unneeded items in the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent.

WINTER VEHICLE CHECK-UP SAVES MONEY AND STRESS

Winter Vehicle Prep Can Also Save Many Hours of Frustration

With cold winter weather bearing down on much of the country, motorists can avoid breaking down and being stranded by investing a little time on preventive maintenance of their vehicle according to the Car Care Council. Peace of mind while driving is a powerful defense against the ravages of winter.

The Car Care Council recommends some quick tips to prepare your vehicle for winter:

  • Keep the battery connections clean, tight and corrosion free. Since batteries don't always give warning signs before they fail completely it’s wise to replace batteries that are more than three years old.

  • Antifreeze (coolant) should be flushed and refilled at least every two years in most vehicles. The mixture of antifreeze and water is typically 50:50. As a reminder, don’t make the mistake of adding 100 percent antifreeze.

  • Change to low viscosity oil in winter as it will flow more easily between moving parts when cold. Drivers in sub-zero driving temperatures should drop their oil weight from 10-W30 to 5-W30 as thickened oil can make it hard to start the car.

  • Keep the gas tank at least half full decreasing the chances of moisture forming in the gas lines and possibly freezing.

  • Tire pressure should also be checked as tires will lose pressure when temperatures drop. Consider special tires if snow and ice are a problem in your area.

  • If you’re due for a tune-up, have it done before winter sets in. Winter magnifies existing problems such as pings, hard starts, sluggish performance or rough idling.

  • Have the exhaust system checked for carbon monoxide leaks which can be especially dangerous during cold weather driving when windows are closed.

  • Allow your car a little more time to warm up when temperatures are below freezing to let the oil in the engine and transmission circulate and get warm.

  • If you live in a place with especially severe winter conditions consider using cold weather washer fluid and special winter windshield blades

80% OF VEHICLES NEED SERVICE & PARTS, REPORTS CAR CARE COUNCIL

The Car Care Council reported that results of vehicle check-up events at community car care events across the country revealed that 80 percent of vehicles need service or parts. The unsatisfactory condition of vehicles also reinforces the continued need for consumer education about the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.

An analysis of vehicle inspection forms submitted from event coordinators in several states shows that 80 percent of the vehicles checked during National Car Care Month needed parts replacement, service or fluids. For example, nearly one out of every 10 vehicles had the check engine light on. The top problem areas were motor oil, windshield wipers, air filters, belts and hoses and lights.

“Vehicle check-up events are typically the focus of community car care events sponsored by repair shops, parts stores or distributors in cooperation with local vocational schools, media, civic groups and others,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “While these events are free to consumers and serve as community relation builders, most aftermarket businesses who participate experience an increase in sales and customers as a result.”

When checking lubricants and fluids the three top failure rates were:

  • low, overfull or dirty motor oil at 32 percent;


  • inadequate washer fluid levels at 23 percent, and


  • low, leaky or dirty coolant at 23 percent;


  • transmission, brake, power steering and clutch fluids had failure rates of 17 percent and below;


Approximately 15 percent of vehicles had front windshield wiper failures, and 10 percent needed service to rear wipers.

At least one belt was reported as unsatisfactory in 18 percent of the vehicles inspected, and 7 percent required at least one new hose. New air filters were needed in 18 percent of the vehicles while 7 percent needed new PVC filters. The check engine light was on in 9 percent of the vehicles.

Battery cables, clamps and terminals needed maintenance in 10 percent of the vehicles inspected, while 9 percent of the batteries were not properly held down. Eleven percent had either a green, dark or clear/yellow charge indicator light.

Improperly inflated tires were found on 15 percent of the cars and 12 percent had worn tread and were in need of replacement.

 


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