Neglecting Your Car's Oil Will Cost You Gas!
A car that runs at it's peak will produce the best fuel economy. Anything that interferes with peak engine performance will decrease fuel economy and cost you gas and money. That is the reason that proper oil maintenance of your engine is critical to maintaining good fuel economy.
A priority in your car maintenance needs to be scheduled oil changes. Changing the oil according to the car makers recommendations is essential to keeping your car at its peak and keeping your gas economy at its best.
The job of the oil in your car is to lubricate the moving parts of its engine, minimizing friction. preventing metal- to-metal contact and carrying away excess heat. All of those functions promote better gas efficiency.
The oil in your engine also removes metal shavings, dirt and other impurities which are then captured in the oil filter. Neglecting your cars oil can create other problems above and beyond the effects on fuel economy. Improper oil maintenance could lead to replacing the engine itself. Keeping a record of when you last had the oil changed will ultimately help you save gas.
Following the manufacturers maintenance schedule for oil changes is very important. If the car maker says to change the oil every three months or every three thousand miles, do it. If your oil is not changed at the proper intervals it becomes saturated with the very impurities it is supposed to remove. Once saturated with these impurities the oil will be less efficient in doing its job. Engine performance will decline and so will your fuel economy.
Another facet of proper oil care is to make sure that you are using the right grade of oil. You should use the grade of oil recommended in your owner's manual. The fuel efficiency of the engine can improve as much as 2 percent versus using the wrong grade oil especially when starting in cold weather.
Using the wrong grade of oil may cause your car to run poorly as the weather changes. The wrong grade will get thick and heavy in cold weather. Oil that is too thick and heavy requires the engine to work harder because the thick and heavy oil's resistance is greater. The harder the engine works the more gasoline it will use. The wrong grade of oil can cost you 1 to 2 percent of your gas economy.
As an illustration: using 10W-20 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage. Use only the oil recommended in the owner's manual for the best engine efficiency and the best fuel efficiency.
Many drivers make the mistake of procrastinating in getting the oil changed. The more a driver puts off changing the oil the worse the fuel economy will be. Using the proper grade and changing the oil on time will help you get better gas economy.
Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider secrets on saving gas and dollars at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to discover how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.
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