If you are currently the owner of a modern car, or one that is not more than 3 years old, then you are in luck. New cars were developed to be more fuel efficient compared to older cars. New cars only require basic maintenance in order to produce high levels of fuel economy.

Of course, your driving style and your driving habits will matter, too. But for those with older cars, or for someone who is just looking for ways on how to save gas regardless of the age of your car, read on and learn the easy tips on how to make your car more fuel efficient.

Tip 1: Tune Your Car!

Think of your car as a musical instrument–a guitar, for example. A guitar that is not tuned properly will produce weird sounds, regardless if the guitar was played by a professional musician or not. The same can be said for your car.

If your engine is not tuned according to factory specifications, if your suspension is not aligned, if there is something wrong with your intake and exhaust system, if you are not using the right type of gasoline for your car, heck–even if you make the mistake of using the wrong engine oil on your next oil change, then your car will be less fuel efficient than originally intended.

We know that fixing a car is not exactly an easy thing to do. Expert mechanics spent years honing their craft before getting it right. Yes, we are also aware that fixing or tuning a car costs money as well.

Think about this for a second: the small amount of money that you spend in tuning your car will give you fantastic savings in the long run. This will also make your car more reliable and less prone to breakdowns.

Facts about the Oil Change

It is important to make sure that you follow the maintenance procedures indicated on the owner’s manual of your car. If you drive an old car, then simply changing the oil every 3 to 4 months will make your engine run smoother, eliminating heat and friction inside the engine, thus making it more fuel efficient to drive.

When you change the oil, you should remember to change the oil filter, too. You can do it yourself and save tons of money on labor and parts, or you can consult your favorite car dealer for specific maintenance tasks on your car.

Change the Spark Plugs

You should also consider changing the spark plugs at least once a year. The spark plugs can be found on the top or on the side of the engine. Open the hood and check for the high-tension cables that relay electricity to the spark plugs inside your engine. Your car can either have anywhere from 4 to 12 spark plugs, depending on the engine. A car with a four cylinder engine will have 4 spark plugs, a V6 engine will have 6 spark plugs, a V8 will have 8 spark plugs and so forth.

The spark plugs produce the ‘spark’ that is needed to ignite the fuel and air mixture inside the combustion chamber. When the fuel and air mixture is compressed by the piston and is ignited by the spark plug, the ‘explosion’ that happens is responsible for the rush that you feel when you press on the gas pedal.

Changing or cleaning the spark plugs will remove accumulated dirt and debris on the plugs itself. New spark plugs will also produce a better ‘spark’, hence producing better power, more fuel economy, and cleaner emissions.

We will tackle more tips on how to make your car more fuel efficient in the next post. Driving an older car need not be a pain, but if you are currently searching for a replacement for your old car, you should look into the money saving new and used car deals offered by our free online quote. This service is safe, free, and a lot better than calling or visiting every car dealer in town.