Fuel economy is something of concern to many drivers, especially with rising fuel costs and gradually ageing vehicles. Still, you don’t have to buy a new car to enjoy better fuel economy. You just need to know which auto services can help.
The auto services that improve your vehicle’s fuel economy aren’t all that unusual but are instead regular services like engine oil & transmission fluid changes, spark plug cleaning/replacements, fuel injection cleaning, and replacing faulty oxygen sensors. Together, these services keep your vehicle running optimally, restoring the fuel economy they had when they were still brand-new.
The following sections will help you understand what auto services you can get to improve your car’s fuel economy and how they help with that process precisely.
Let’s get started.
What Services Can You Get to Improve Your Car’s Fuel Economy?
So, you want to maximise your car’s fuel economy—that’s good! But before you invest your hard-earned money in products or accessories claiming to improve mileage, there’s something you must remember.
Your car is already engineered to have the best fuel economy possible. That’s especially true with late-model vehicles, which need to pass stringent fuel efficiency standards.
Naturally, all vehicles lose a bit of that efficiency over their life, but here’s something you ought to know. Before spending your money anywhere else, know that you can improve fuel economy by paying for these essential car services:
1. Regular Fluid Changes
One of the best things you can do to maximise your vehicle’s fuel efficiency is to stay on top of its regular fluid changes. Keeping your engine oil and transmission fluid clean is enough to keep your vehicle running as precisely as designed.
Engine oils and transmission fluids are critical in lubricating your car’s most important moving parts. Unfortunately, they get dirty over time and lose some lubricating qualities.
So, some of the power that’s supposed to be transmitted to your wheels is wasted on friction instead.
Changing your fluids at regular intervals and not delaying ensures that your engine and transmission have the lubrication they need to run optimally. As such, the engine doesn’t unnecessarily waste energy on friction, and your car’s fuel economy will improve.
The time frame between fluid changes depends on the kind of fluids you use and when you last changed them. Check your windscreen for a reminder sticker placed there by your mechanic the last time you changed your car’s oil and transmission fluid.
2. Fuel Injection Cleaning
Fuel economy starts with getting that fuel into your engine’s chambers, where it’s combusted efficiently. Your car’s fuel economy degrades when any step of that process doesn’t happen as smoothly as possible.
One area that gets dirty with time is the fuel injectors. Carbon deposits tend to form around them, undermining their ability to spray fuel into the engine at the correct intervals and causing a drop in fuel economy.
That’s why fuel injection cleaning is another service you can use to restore your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
Fuel injection cleaning only needs to happen every 40,000 kilometres or so. The service will instantly clean the injectors and test them for optimal flow, improving your car’s fuel economy.
3. Tyre Filling, Balancing, and Rotation
So far, you’ve seen services related to your engine, transmission, and fuel injection. Once you have those three things covered, you must focus on your wheels next.
Fuel efficiency isn't just about what goes on into the engine. Sure, that's where fuel and air are mixed and burned to produce power, which the transmission sends towards the wheels.
All that power drives the wheels and tyres as they make contact with the ground—literally ‘where the rubber meets the road'. As such, they must also be in optimal condition to improve your car's fuel efficiency.
Here, there are 3 services you’ll want to perform regularly:
- Tyre filling: You must fill your tires with the correct amount of air and make sure there are no leaks. Most drivers do this themselves at the petrol station, but you can get your mechanic to fill and check your tyres for you.
- Tyre balancing: Tyre balancing ensures that your wheels are perfectly balanced to ensure maximum contact with the ground, transmitting the engine’s power to move the vehicle forward. Well-balanced tyres help fuel efficiency by not wasting power.
- Tyre rotation: Rotating your tyres’ positions ensures they wear out evenly. Tyres that aren’t worn out can still grip the road effectively, maintaining traction and preventing energy wastage.
Keep your tyres in excellent shape, and your fuel efficiency will improve.
4. Spark Plug Cleaning or Replacements
Another critical piece of the ‘better fuel economy’ puzzle is your spark plugs.
Remember that air and fuel mix inside your engine's chambers before they are compressed for combustion. The spark plug triggers combustion as it delivers the high-voltage spark necessary for your engine to convert fuel into power.
Spark plugs also get dirty and wear out over time. So, if you haven’t shown yours any attention lately, it’s likely the reason for your drop in fuel economy.
You can get a mechanic to clean your spark plugs, or you can preemptively replace them with new ones to keep fuel efficiency at a maximum.
5. Oxygen Sensor Replacements
The first four services mentioned above are the basics you must stay on top of. Once you’ve done them, you can further improve fuel economy by replacing your oxygen sensor as soon as they experience any problems.
The oxygen sensor collects data that the car uses to decide how much fuel and air to mix inside the engine for combustion. That data must be accurate to ensure maximum fuel economy for your vehicle.
Your fuel economy drops significantly when the oxygen sensor stops working perfectly well. So, if you see any symptoms of oxygen sensor problems, replace them immediately. That’s one part replacement you do not want to delay as it directly impacts your car’s fuel economy.
There are plenty of things you should know to be a better car owner, things they didn’t teach you in driving school. The Blog at CarpartAU is an excellent resource you can use, with continuous updates and information for Aussie drivers everywhere.
By Ray Hasbollah