3 Car Maintenance Tips to Improve Fuel Economy

Is your vehicle consuming more fuel than it should? In these hard economic times when fuel cost has gone through the roof, one thing you should monitor is your vehicle’s fuel consumption. One of the best and the most obvious ways to improve fuel economy is changing your driving style, but that’s not all. Maintaining your car can also go a long way in doing so.

This article shares 3 car maintenance tips to improve fuel economy.

Clean the Fuel Injectors

Cleaning your car’s fuel injectors can help improve fuel economy. One effective way to unclog fuel injectors is by adding fuel injector cleaners into the fuel tank just before you fill it up. The best fuel injector cleaners are those with polyether amine (PEA).

Cleaning your fuel injectors does not have to be too frequent. You can do it every time you change the engine oil. If your fuel injectors are so clogged that the engine misfires or has rough idling, then it might just be the correct time to replace them. 

Check Spark Plugs and Ignition Coils

Spark plugs’ work is to ignite the compressed fuel and air mixture in the combustion chamber. If a spark plug does not produce enough spark to burn the fuel, then some fuel will go unburnt. You should constantly check and replace old spark plugs. This will help improve your car’s fuel economy.

In a vehicle’s ignition system, the ignition coils work hand-in-hand with the spark plugs. The ignition coils produce the sparks and pass them onto the spark plugs. If the ignition coils don’t work, then the spark plugs will not ignite the combustion chambers. Therefore, you should also check and change faulty ignition coils frequently if you want to improve your car’s fuel economy.

Inflate Tyres Correctly and Check Wheel Alignment

Inflating your tyres correctly is not only good for your vehicle’s handling but can also play a role in improving its fuel economy. Under-inflated tyres can increase drag and cause an increase in fuel consumption. You can increase the tyre pressure by 1 or 2 PSI above normal to get the most of it.

Another way to improve fuel economy through tyres is checking the wheel alignment. Apart from affecting your vehicle’s handling, a poorly done wheel alignment will make the engine work harder and consume more fuel.