Battle High Gas Prices with Fuel Efficiency Tips from NAPA AUTO PARTS

ATLANTA--With gas prices fast approaching the $4 per gallon range in many parts of the country, now is the time to start taking measures to gain better fuel efficiency. Consumers can take a number of steps to ensure their vehicle runs more effectively; NAPA recommends the following tips from Kit Johnson, 2007 NAPA Technician of the Year from East Helena, Montana.

“Gaining more fuel efficiency from your vehicle is not an easy task, it takes a concerted effort to increase the number of miles achieved per gallon. In many instances, common sense is the fuel efficient way to go,” says Johnson. “Start with two strategies, better driving habits and car maintenance.”

Thinking about your driving can reduce the amount of miles driven and strain on the engine, both big users of fuel. Below are some new habits to adopt for better fuel efficiency.

• Plan ahead - When going out to run errands, map an efficient route to handle all of your tasks in one trip and not backtrack. Also, observing the speed limit can have a significant impact on fuel usage. With most vehicles, increasing your speed from 55 mph to 65 mph will increase fuel consumption by about 20 percent.
• Try to predict the flow - In heavy traffic avoid constant accelerating and braking. Research suggests driving techniques can influence car fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
• Don’t drive with your windows open – Driving with your windows down drastically reduces your fuel efficiency, far more so than when using the air conditioning during highway driving. In the upcoming warmer months keep the windows open during city driving and the air conditioning on during trips where you exceed 55 mph.
• Keep the load light - Your vehicle could stand to lose a few pounds. Those heavy bags of sand and salt you may carry around in your trunk during winter serve no useful purpose in spring, summer and fall. The extra weight just means wasted fuel and unnecessary emissions. Treat your trunk to a spring cleaning!
• Avoid excessive idling - Believe it or not, unnecessary idling is one of the biggest problems among motorists. Most of today’s newer cars do not benefit from idling more than 30 seconds. In fact, the opposite is true: in addition to wasting fuel, excessive idling can contaminate engine oil and damage engine components.

“A few simple maintenance tips can also help boost fuel efficiency and a vehicle’s performance as well,” says Johnson. “These fuel-saving tips are a simple fix for everybody and can be easily taken care of with a routine service schedule at your local NAPA AutoCare Center.”

• Vehicle gas caps - Nearly 17 percent of all vehicles have gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing resulting in 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.
• Under-inflated tires - When tires aren’t inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake. According to Johnson, under-inflated tires can cut fuel economy by two percent per pound, which means if your tire pressure is 27 pounds per square inch (psi) when it should be 32 psi, you’ve reduced your gas mileage by 10 percent! An alternative can be Nitrogen-filled tires which don’t allow oxygen to migrate out and doesn’t degrade the rubber through oxidation allowing the tires to stay fuller, longer.
• Worn spark plugs - A vehicle can have either four, six, eight, or ten spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel.
• Dirty air filters - An air filter clogged with dirt, dust or bugs chokes off the air and creates a "rich" mixture - too much gas being burned for the amount of air - which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 20 cents a gallon.
• Watch that engine light! – The engine light is also a sensor that handles fuel management. It could be a warning of gas or oil leaks. Johnson says “even the smallest leak can turn into a large hole in the wallet if not caught and fixed.”

Consumers can learn more about an appropriate preventive maintenance program for all their vehicles by contacting their local NAPA AutoCare Center or calling 800-LET-NAPA.

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