Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay
At the time of writing, the average price of petrol in the UK is £1.47, and diesel is £1.50. That’s not the highest prices we’ve seen, but it’s still enough to make most people wince when they fill up.
Car maintenance might not seem an obvious way to lowering your fuel bill, but it turns out that regular care can increase your mileage a fair bit. In fact, one estimate is that poor maintenance can increase your fuel bill by as much as 9%. We don’t know how accurate that figure is, but if it’s anywhere near the truth, we make that around £110 per year extra for the average petrol-driven car.
Let’s dive into what steps you can take.
1. Get your tyre pressures right
As our business is supplying and fitting tyres to South Oxfordshire, we were always going to put this at the top of the list, right?
Well, sort of. But this is also one of the easiest and most straightforward way to squeeze more miles from each litre. Underinflated tyres have a greater contact patch with the road, which increases the friction the engine has to overcome, and that means using more fuel.
Fixing this just requires a regular check and topping up with air if necessary. But don’t make the mistake of adding a bit extra pressure to reduce friction even more. Over-inflated tyres wear faster and may not preform so well when you need them to (when cornering or braking, for example).
The savings to be made from maintaining the right tyre pressure are modest, but it all adds up.
2. Change your oil regularly… and use the recommended type
The oil that lubricates your ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle has a tough life. It’s sluiced around, heated and cooled rapidly, surrounded by substances that want to react with it and more. Not surprisingly, it degrades over time, losing its ability to keep engine parts running smoothly. And as frictional forces rise, down goes your fuel economy.
Sticking to the recommended oil change intervals will keep your engine running smoothly. Just as importantly, keep to the manufacturer’s recommended oil type. Yes, a cheapy oil could save in the short term, but you’ll pay in terms of engine longevity and possibly in fuel bills too.
3. Clean the fuel system
Over time, critical parts of the engine and fuel delivery system can get coated in carbon deposits, meaning that they don’t function so efficiently. The tip of the injectors – considerably narrower than a human hair – is particularly vulnerable to this coating, which disrupts the spray pattern and makes fuel burn less than optimally. All this translates into lower mpg.
The solution is to clean the fuel system. Many garages will offer this as a service, but fuel additives are available that owners can simply pour into their fuel tank. Bear in mind that the efficacy of some DIY additives is up for debate, but they’re more like to yield benefits with older engines or ones that haven’t been serviced in a while.
4. Replace the air filter
Every internal combustion engine would by burning fossil fuels to release their energy. This requires oxygen derived from the air – so an inadequate supply of air stops the fuel from burning as it should. The two most obvious effects of this are reduced power output and reduced mileage.
One common culprit for reducing airflow into the engine is a clogged air filter. Given the vast amounts of air that pass through the filter on a typical journey, it’s not surprising that air filters gradually get plastered in dust, grime, and the thousands of other random types of debris that we drive through. Replacing the clogged air filter restores proper airflow.
Note that dirty air filters can have a knock on effect, as fuel that doesn’t burn properly leaves more carbon deposits – and as noted, these aren’t great for your engine either.
Even car DIY newbies can tackle an air filter change with confidence, as the filter is pretty accessible and the job only requires basic tools. But if you still don’t fancy that, your local garage will be happy to oblige.
Conclusion
Other than number one on our list, each of these maintenance tasks is going to cost you some money. Will the improvements in fuel efficiency justify the outlay? Obviously that’s going to depend on many factors, including your annual mileage, your type of car and more. But overall, we’d say a strong ‘probably’ – and given that they will definitely add to your engine’s lifespan, that’s two incentives to invest in looking after your four-wheeled friend.
The BK Tyres blog carries news, views and information on tyres and related subjects. BK Tyres supplies and fits tyres throughout South Oxfordshire, including the communities of Abingdon, Didcot and Henley on Thames. As an independent, family run mobile provider, we provide exceptional levels of service and affordable prices. Contact us today.