Proper maintenance will help you save on fuel costs

As far as vehicle maintenance is concerned most of the Americans resort to a reactive approach i.e., they take their vehicle for maintenance only after they notice a considerable drop in the performance of the vehicle. But a proactive approach in vehicle maintenance can indeed save a lot of money spend on gas and the term 'Proactive' in this context means regular maintenance. A well maintained vehicle can be more efficient and can save a lot of money spend on gas. Having the maintenance performed by a dealer or a reputable mechanic in accordance to the recommendations specified in the user manuals will give you optimal fuel economy. A few of the basic reasons for drop in fuel economy are and the ways of overcoming them are,

" Dirty air filters reduce the intake of air in to the cylinders of the engines resulting in poor combustion and wastage of gas. By checking your air filters regularly for cleanliness can help you to increase you fuel economy to a considerable extent

" Spark plugs accumulated with carbon deposits cannot produce a strong spark, which will hamper the cylinder firing, resulting in lower fuel economy. By cleaning the spark plug with a wire or a pin and adjusting the spark plug gap can help in easy ignition and save fuel.

" A poorly tuned engine can consume 50% more gas than a properly maintained engine. So it is necessary to have your engine tuned at regular intervals of time as prescribed in the user manual to save fuel. 

" It is important to keep the engine oil at correct level for proper lubrication of your vehicle's engine. Poorly lubricated engine consume more fuel and provide less energy. So it is imminent to check the engine oil periodically and change it as and when required to improve the fuel efficiency of your vehicle.

" Change the oil filters at recommended intervals to minimize engine wear and oil leakage. This can help in saving oil and money.

" It is important that brakes are adjusted properly in a vehicle, otherwise they will drag along the wheel in motion and vehicle would need additional power to overcome this force of the brake, while in motion. This has a direct effect on fuel economy and the mileage reduces to a great extent. So when you feel a drag while you are driving, have your brakes adjusted immediately to save fuel.

" A preventive maintenance check every month will keep the vehicle in a good condition and this helps you to prevent any loss of money on fuel wastage.

" Routine maintenance not only helps you to improve your fuel economy but it can also help you in avoiding major maintenance expenditure that results from poor maintenance of the vehicle.