5 Ways to Ruin Your Gas Mileage

Guest Article by Don Elfrink*

The rising cost of gas has hit everyone hard, no matter what type of car, truck, SUV or van you drive. It costs a considerable amount to fill up your tank today, and if you’re doing the wrong things with your car, it can seem like your entire paycheck is going into the gas tank. There are some things that will actually cause your gas mileage to sink very low, and it’s important that you avoid doing things that actually increase fuel consumption. Here are five things that you need to avoid doing if you want to save money at the gas pump.

1. Not Changing Your Air Filter
Most of us don’t give much thought to the air filter in our vehicle. It’s just…there. However, if you’re waiting too long to change it, you could be paying for it in increased fuel consumption. Why is this? In order to burn fuel, your engine has to have a supply of fresh oxygen. Without oxygen, fuel doesn’t combust. Your engine pulls in air through the breather and air filter. Over time, that filter will become clogged and blocked with dirt and debris, reducing the amount of air getting to the engine and, thus, making it struggle to ignite fuel correctly.

2. Low Tire Pressure
You might not think it to look at them, but your tires are designed to hold a specific amount of air pressure. If you’ve been “eyeballing” them to see if they look low, but not actually checking them with a tire pressure gauge, you could have a hidden source of additional fuel consumption. Low tire pressure means that your tires are softer, and your engine has to work harder to turn the wheels, further increasing the amount of gasoline required to move the vehicle down the road. Set your tire pressure according to the door placard and check it regularly.

3. Excessive Idling
Sometimes, you have no choice but to let your engine idle (when you’re stuck in traffic, for instance). However, there are other times when we choose to leave the engine running even though the car isn’t going anywhere. For instance, if you pull up to a convenience store and leave your engine running because you’ll “be right back”, all you’re doing is wasting gas. If you warm up the engine in the morning for more than about a minute, you’re just wasting gas. Essentially, you’re burning fuel without actually moving, which is reducing your fuel economy.

4. Driving the Wrong Way
You don’t need to have the nickname of “Lead Foot” to be guilty of driving aggressively. If you’re punching the gas, you’re doing nothing but killing your gas mileage. The two most important things to stop doing are punching the gas hard off a start and braking hard. Accelerate more slowly and you’ll see your gas mileage improve. Start braking well before you get to the stop sign or red light and you’ll see the same benefits. Finally, try to avoid speeding – driving over about 65 MPH has a very serious penalty when it comes to how much gas you use.

5. You’re Loaded Down
How much extra weight are you carrying in your car? Is your trunk full of unnecessary things? How much extraneous stuff are you hauling around in the back seat? Interestingly, the more weight you haul in your car, the worse your fuel economy will be. Essentially, every hundred pounds of weight your car pulls drops your fuel economy by up to 2%. That can add up very quickly, as it can be difficult to assess just how much unnecessary weight is in your car.

* About the author: Don Elfrink is the owner and operator of AutoMatStore.com, a company selling auto mats throughout the nation. Before AutoMatStore, Elfrink was the operator of an automotive production site. AutoMatStore focuses on logo, carpeted, molded and all weather floor mats. He has previously written guest articles for our website, which you can find at:

1. Keep Your Car Looking Great by Detailing It

2. 7 Useful Tips to Prepare Your Car for Cooler Weather

3. The Importance of Choosing the Correct Engine Oil

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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The Importance of Choosing the Correct Engine Oil

Guest Article by Don Elfrink*

Engine oil comes in a bewildering array of weights, brands and types. A quick glance at the shelves in your local auto parts store will show you everything from 5W30 to full synthetic formulations to 20W50 and more. Which is the right oil for your car? It can be tempting to buy oil based on the recommendation of friends or family, or even to use whatever weight you’ve been using for years in your previous cars. However, this is the wrong approach to take. It’s important that you choose the right oil for your vehicle.

The Problem

The problem here is that your engine is designed to work with a specific weight oil. For instance, many newer engines are designed to run 5W20 or 5W30 – this is a lighter weight, thinner oil. Using something heavier than this can cause problems. If you have been mentally conditioned by years of using heavier oil in an older car because of leaks or “just because”, this can be a hard habit to break.

Understanding Oil Weight

Part of the issue in choosing the correct oil is understanding what all those weight ratings really mean. For those who have no real experience in the automotive industry, it can seem like a string of meaningless letters and numbers. It’s not that difficult to understand, though. The key is to realize that today’s oil formulations have a dualistic nature. They’re designed to operate differently in different temperatures. Older oil formulations are denoted by “SAE” and are often referred to as “straight weight”. That means they operate like a single weight oil, regardless of what the temperature is.

Today’s oils are made to work differently in winter and summer driving. That’s what the W stands for in the oil weight – winter. So, an oil with a weight of 10W30 would operate like 10-weight oil during the winter and 30-weight oil during the summer. That’s important to understand, because you need thinner oil during cold periods and thicker oil during the heat of summer. In the past, you actually had to change oil weights seasonally. That’s no longer the case.

How to Tell Your Type

When it comes to choosing the type of oil you use in your car, your choice shouldn’t be random. The best option is to use what the manufacturer recommends. Most modern vehicles have this shown on the oil filler cap. If it’s not there, you might check the owner’s manual. Failing that, you can contact a dealer that specializes in your brand and find out what they recommend for your make and model. If you have an older car, or the oil filler cap has been replaced, you should contact a dealer and find out what the automaker recommends for your engine.

The Problems of Using the Wrong Oil

Keeping your engine oil clean and changed regularly is important, but it’s just as important that you have the right oil in the engine. Many different problems can develop from using the incorrect oil for the application. For instance, if your car is rated for a 5W20 blend and you choose to use 10W30, you’re putting much thicker oil in the engine than it was designed to use. The first thing that will happen is you’ll see more sluggish engine performance. You’ll also noticed decreased fuel economy. If there’s a significant disparity between what you’re using and what the engine was designed to use, you might even find that the oil doesn’t lubricate quite as well.

Always use the oil that your engine was designed for. If you’re going with a thicker oil because of leaks, it’s better to repair them and replace leaking gaskets than run oil that is too heavy for your car.

* About the author: Don Elfrink is the owner of AutoMatStore. AutoMatStore specializes in selling custom floor mats for all weather and all vehicles. He has previously written guest articles for our website, which you can find at:

1. Keep Your Car Looking Great by Detailing It

2. 7 Useful Tips to Prepare Your Car for Cooler Weather

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Read More