Ways to Improve Your Car’s Fuel Economy | Auto Repair in Southlake, TX

Inflation is affecting everything around us. The amount of money we spend nowadays is a fortune compared to the spending people did 30-40 years ago. As everything else, fuel prices are also on the rise. Fuel prices are so important that they dictate every business in the society. The increase in fuel prices means increase in other goods as all goods require transportation and transportation vehicles run on fuel. So in short if you can manage to save money on your fuel you can save a lot more than you might think. Auto repair in Southlake, TX believes there are many ways you can tackle fuel expense problem by improving your car’s economy. Here are some ways you can increase your car’s fuel economy:

TIRES

Tires play a very important role in a car’s fuel economy. They are the relation between the car and the road it runs on. Here is what you need to do look for in your tires to improve your car’s fuel economy:

SIZE OF THE TIRES

The size of the tires depends on the size of vehicle. If you own a smaller sedan than there is higher chance that it comes with smaller stock tires. Some people don’t like stock tires’ ‘looks’ so they replace them with bigger and fatter tires. Although big tires are good for longer drives on highways but aren’t very economical for everyday driving. They add weight and more friction which means the car needs higher rpm to get moving. As per auto repair in Southlake, TX you should always keep the stock tires on your car for better performance.

TIRE PRESSURE

Deflated tires can have a huge impact on the car’s fuel economy. Just an 8 psi deflation in tire pressure can cause up to 20% of rolling resistance. Auto repair professional in Southlake, TX always advises its customers to keep checking their tire pressure from time to time to avoid wastage of fuel.

TIRE TREADS

The treads are the patterns etched on the exterior of your car tire. This pattern helps your car get a good grip on the road regardless of the weather conditions. However, bigger treads can cause similar but not as severe impacts like a deflated tire. It is also illegal to use tires with no treads so the solution for this problem is to get tires with medium sized treads.

BATTERY

A faulty battery has a huge part in effecting the fuel consumption rate of your car. Auto repair in Southlake, TX always suggests getting your battery checked from time to time.

Here are some of the ways the battery can cause fuel economy problems in your car:

ALTERNATOR

An alternator is a small component in your car that is used to charge the battery. It takes energy from the drive belt directly and then converts it into electric current to charge the battery. Now if the battery is not charging properly then the alternator keeps on working nonstop which can create a tiny resistance in the engine performance which allows engine to burn more fuel. Although this effect is very little it can become bigger in long run. Get your alternator checked whenever you take your vehicle to auto repair in Southlake, TX.

FUEL INJECTORS

If the battery is not properly charging it can affect fuel injectors as well. The fuel injectors may not add required amount of fuel to the cylinders which can cause engine to burn more than usual fuel. This effect is also noticeable during driving as you will feel your car getting a bit rougher. If you notice this roughness and fuel wastage due to battery then it’s time to get your battery looked at auto repair in Southlake, TX.

O2 SENSORS

The O2 sensor (oxygen sensor) is a piece of modern technology that is installed in almost every new car nowadays. It senses the amount of oxygen inside the exhaust system. It then signals the fuel injectors through ECU to add or decrease fuel in the engine. So if the O2 sensor stops working, there will be no way for the engine to know the fuel rate and it may start burning more fuel than the required amount. The best place to get your sensors examined is at auto repair shop in Southlake, TX.

AIR FILTER

Air filter can also cause of large amount of fuel consumption if not changed in time. If your air filter is clogged with dust then it blocks the required amount of air in the system therefore causing the engine to burn more fuel than usual. Auto repair in Southlake, TX will check your car’s air filter at every service visit.

USELESS WEIGHT

Remove all the unnecessary things from your car that you don’t need. For example people always keep the roof racks on even when they aren’t going for a long trip on a highway. The roof racks can affect your performance in two ways.

Aerodynamic resistance
Weight resistance

IDLING YOU CAR

Idling your car is the easiest way to ruin your fuel economy. Cars nowadays are so efficient that it is more economical to shut down the engine than to keep it running. So remember to not idle your car uselessly.

DRIVE AT STEADY SPEEDS

Experts at auto repair in Southlake, TXalways suggest their customers to drive steadily as increasing speeds and braking reduces the fuel economy.

DAMAGED SUSPENSION AND WHEELS

Always get your suspension and wheel alignment checked at auto repair in Southlake, TX. Also check your rims from time to time as bent or damaged wheels can have a similar impact as a deflated tire.

All of the above mentioned ways that play a part in decreasing you car’s fuel economy can simply be diagnosed by monthly checks. If you are a proud owner of import cars such as Mercedes, BMW or Audi the best place to get your car examined is Import Car Center. We provide the best auto repair service in Southlake, TX. Our teams of highly trained mechanics will make sure your car has the best fuel economy after every visit.