You rely on your vehicle to get you where you need to go each day. You’ve noticed lately that it’s using more gas than normal. You can’t afford to fill it up more often. Fairfax Auto Repair can determine why your vehicle’s fuel economy has taken a dive and fix the problem. Reduced fuel economy can be caused by your driving habits, circumstances out of your control, or a problem with the automobile itself.
Driving Habits and Weather
How you drive affects your gas mileage. If you do most of your driving around town, you won’t get as good gas mileage as you would if you did highway driving. Short trips to and from places all day long will use up more gas because your car, truck, or C/SUV doesn’t warm up completely, and it uses more gas. Other driving habits that affect gas mileage include
- Heavy acceleration
- Heavy braking
- Overloading your vehicle
- Speeding
The weather can also affect your automobile’s gas mileage. For example, when it’s chilly outside, it takes your car longer to warm up, and, as we said above, when it’s cold, it uses more fuel. Even if you let your vehicle warm up before you put it in reverse or drive, you’re using up gasoline. In fact, idling wastes a ton of gas, so don’t sit idling too long unless you must.
Vehicle Problems That Affect Gas Mileage
A sudden loss of fuel economy can indicate a problem with your automobile. It’s important to stick to your vehicle’s preventative maintenance schedule to ensure it’s always running as efficiently as it did when it was brand new. A neglected vehicle will burn gasoline as it struggles to run. Other vehicle problems that can affect your gas mileage include
- Fuel injector or pump problems
- Exhaust system leaks
- Old, dirty, or the wrong motor oil
- Worn or misfiring spark plugs
- Tire problems
- Wheel balance or alignment problems
Your vehicle will respond to how well you take care of it. If you stick to the factory-scheduled services and keep the tires properly inflated at all times, you shouldn’t see a significant drop in your fuel economy. If you do, you might have a clogged fuel pump or another issue that forces your engine to work harder and burn more gasoline.
Fairfax Auto Repair offers fuel economy inspections to our customers to ensure they always get the gas mileage they should from their automobiles. Call our auto service shop in Fairfax, VA, today.
