Maintaining good mileage is important, especially in times when the price of gas is rising. You want each drop to count, and it’s frustrating when you notice your gas isn’t taking you as far as it should. There are a number of reasons for that, but here are six of the most common ones.
1. Poor Driving Habits
Sometimes increasing your fuel economy is as simple as correcting some of your own bad habits. Aggressive driving or frequently accelerating rapidly will cause you to use more fuel. Idling also causes you to waste gasoline even if it doesn’t sap it down the way quick acceleration does.
2. Inefficient Motor Oil
Some types of motor oil can cause gas inefficiency, too. In fact, your fuel economy could be affected by as much as 12% if you’re using the wrong motor oil. Your owner’s manual will tell you what kind of oil your car or truck’s manufacturer recommends. Typically, you’ll want some synthetic variety or oil that’s high in friction reduction. The better your vehicle’s engine’s parts are working, the better the gas mileage, and the lubrication that oil provides goes a long way toward helping that.
3. Low Tire Pressure
When your tire pressure is low, the engine is forced to use more fuel to keep your vehicle traveling. Luckily, this, too, is an easy fix. Driving with low tire pressure isn’t just bad for your gas mileage, though. It can also damage the rim of your wheels.
4. Bad Fuel Injectors
Fuel injectors are responsible for pumping fuel into your automobile’s engine. They can both clog and leak, resulting in your engine not receiving all the fuel it needs and wasting gas to boot.
5. Failing Oxygen Sensors and Air Filters
These two go hand-in-hand because both problems result in your gas mileage being reduced by up to 20%. Oxygen sensors ensure that the air/fuel mixture is balanced, so if it’s failing, your engine might inadvertently use more fuel than it needs. Clogged air filters also create such an imbalance and should be checked. Air filters are an easier fix than oxygen sensors, but a problem with either will just waste gasoline.
6. Spark Plugs That Need to Be Changed
Spark plugs work by igniting the gas, their work continuing throughout the vehicle’s operation. Bad spark plugs can cause a number of problems, even on the road, but one symptom of worn spark plugs is bad fuel economy. If the engine can’t burn all of the fuel being pumped into it, the gas mileage decreases.
What Should You Do?
If you notice a decrease in gas mileage, the best thing to do is start by checking the tires. This is easy to fix yourself if there’s a problem, so use a gauge to make sure their pressure is okay. Sometimes, even just eyeballing them can tell you if there’s a problem.
Also, assess your own driving habits. Do you idle your vehicle often? Are you fond of fast accelerations and aggressive behavior? These are other easy fixes.
Beyond this point, depending on your own skills, bringing your vehicle to a mechanic’s shop may be wise. They will be able to diagnose the problem and fix it.