Have you noticed your vehicle’s fuel efficiency decreasing? Are you planning a road trip and want to save money buying fuel on the road? Regularly-scheduled basic car maintenance will not only extend your car’s life, but it will also help improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency over time. This is important not only because it saves you money but also saves the environment! This post is part of my series on Car Basics and will help you identify 6 surprising things that might be affecting your vehicle’s fuel performance by up to 40%!

Also check out my post on 8 Ways to Save Money on Gas:

1. Dirty air filters

According to ProCarMechanics, replacing a dirty air filter will increase MPG on the car up to 10% and also generate a fuel savings of close $.15 per gallon at the fuel pump. Air filters should be replaced every 15,000-30,000 miles depending on driving conditions and if you spend a lot of time driving off-road. Keep track of how when (and at what mileage) your air filter was replaced to know if you need to consider buying a new air filter.

2. Bad spark plugs

If your car’s mileage per gallon suddenly drops, it could be an indicator that your spark plugs have gone bad. Bad spark plugs can affect your fuel consumption by up to 30%! Spark plugs should be replaced every 80,000-100,000 miles.

3. Under-inflated tires

Improperly inflated tires can reduce your car’s fuel economy by up to 5% in some cases! Keep a tire gauge in your vehicle and regularly measure your car’s tire pressure. Keep your tires inflated to the manufacturer’s recommendations located in your vehicle’s handbook (NOT the “max pressure” number provided on the tire) to maintain optimum fuel consumption.

4. Loose or missing fuel cap

According to HowStuffWorks, if your fuel cap is loose or missing, fuel exhaust fumes may lose up to 1-2% of your fuel’s efficiency. A loose or missing fuel cap may trigger your Check Engine light to turn on because your car thinks there is a leak in the system. You may also notice that the fuel cap doesn’t tighten until it clicks or a gasoline smell in the car. Depending on the type of car you drive, this is an easy repair you can probably do yourself with $15 and a trip to AutoZone.

5. Faulty oxygen sensors

Oxygen sensors measure the exhaust-gas concentration of oxygen in your vehicle’s engine to determine if more oxygen is required for your engine to run optimally. Over time, these sensors become less and less accurate, which can result in excess consumption of fuel, which may affect your vehicle’s fuel consumption by up to 40%! Don’t know how to tell if your oxygen sensor needs to be replaced? Click here to find out how to detect a faulty oxygen sensor.

6. Clogged fuel injectors

Fuel injectors spray fuel mist into the engine, so a clean fuel injector results in better engine performance.  Some people report fuel savings of up to 40% after cleaning their fuel injectors!

Thanks for reading! Get out there and take care of your car so it will take care of you on the road. 🙂 – Lindsay