Newsletter - June 2006

From the Mechanical Shop

Maintenance, Driving Habits and Saving Gas

It looks like $3 gallons of gas (or higher) are here to stay. Since we can’t change the price of gas, in order to save at the pump we must change what, where, or how we drive. Changing what we drive may not be economically feasible or possible and because we have become so dependent on our vehicles, changing where we drive seems to have only a minor impact on our fuel bill. So what can we do?

Maintenance

The first part of the equation to save on gas it to keep your vehicle properly maintained. If your engine is not burning the gas efficiently, any other step you take to save gas makes little difference. A poorly maintained vehicle can decrease fuel mileage by 10-20%. A dirty air filter alone can add 10% to your fuel bill. If your mileage is down by 20%, that would make your $2.79 gallon of gas actually cost $3.35! Follow the recommended maintenance in your owner’s manual or ask your technician for advise on maintenance.

Tires that are under-inflated will increase fuel consumption by 5%. The rubber used in tires is somewhat porous and most tires will leak 1-2 lbs. per month and changes in outside temperatures will have an effect on tire pressure so regular checks of your tire pressure are important. Most shops will check this for you for free; if you choose to check your pressure yourself, purchase a quality gauge (the digital ones are most accurate).

Driving habits

One of the first things to consider is planning your errands. Rather than making multiple short trips, “chain” several errands together planning the route in advance to drive the least amount of miles. The engine is not as fuel efficient until it is warmed up so short trips are harder on fuel mileage and engine wear.

While most vehicles are most efficient at highway speeds, over half the engine’s power is used just to overcome the aerodynamic drag. Anything that adds to this drag reduces fuel economy. If you have the ski rack or cargo carrier on top of your vehicle all the time, consider removing it unless you are using it. Although most cars achieve their best fuel mileage at speeds below the posted speed limits on highways (fuel mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph), traveling in excess of the posted limit will decrease fuel mileage by 10-15% or more. On a recent trip I tested this and found that increasing my speed from 70 to 80mph dropped my fuel mileage by over 2 miles per gallon (according to the vehicles’ computer) or nearly 15%. Keeping the car at a steady speed also increase fuel mileage. Use your cruise control whenever you are able to on the highway. It is not recommended to use your cruise control while in town unless traffic is light and you are able to maintain a steady speed.

One of the single biggest factors that contributes to fuel consumption is how we drive. ‘Jack-rabbit’ starts and hard braking add to fuel consumption and wear and tear on your vehicle. Avoid hard acceleration and braking when possible. Slow and steady wins the race and taking off from the light with a heavy foot doesn’t get us to our destination that much faster. By looking further down the road and seeing the traffic light that is turning red will allow you to take you foot off the gas and coast toward the light. Sometimes it might even change to green before you get there and you don’t have to come to a complete stop!

Buying a new vehicle

If you decide it is time to replace that older, less efficient car look at the EPA fuel mileage rating on the vehicles in the size and class you are considering. While using this information as a guide, don’t be disappointed if your mileage results aren’t the same as on the window sticker. Recent studies have shown that these figures are inflated by 30-50%. This is due to several factors mainly that the models used for testing are usually prototypes that achieve higher results and the tests are done in ‘perfect’ conditions that do not accurately reflect ‘real world’ driving conditions. If you are considering a hybrid, keep in mind that they achieve their best mileage during in town driving (hybrids also had some of the worst results in comparison to EPA mileage figures according to an MSN study).

Bottom line: keep your vehicle maintained, drive smart and consider a more fuel efficient vehicle if you are in the market to replace your current vehicle.

From the Body Shop

Spotting a Flood-Damaged Car

Flood damage may be hard to spot but it can permeate the vehicle and cause ongoing problems for the rest of the car's service life. Flood damage can ruin electronics, contaminate lubricants and threaten mechanical systems, often without leaving outward signs. It can take months for incipient corrosiion to find its way to the car's computer sywtems or airbag controllers.

Mold and mildew is another major problem. Even after soggy seats and carpets dry out, the lingering smell may never go away completely.

Here are some quick checks that you can perform yourself:

• Look under the carpets to see if they are wet, damp or muddy.
• Check the seat mounting screws to see if there is any evidence that they have been removed. (To dry the carpets the seats must be removed, not generally a part of normal maintenance.
• Inspect the lights. Lights are expensive to replace and a water line may still show on the lens or reflectors.
• Inspect the car in difficult to clean places, such as the gaps between panels in the trunk and under the hood. Water borne mud and debris may still cling to these places.
• Look for mud or debris on the bottom edges of brackets or panels where it couldn’t naturally settle from the air.
• Look at the heads of any unpainted, exposed screws under the dashboard. Any unpainted metal in cars flooded in New Orleans will probably already show signs of rust.
• Check the rubber drain plugs under the car and on the bottoms of doors. If they look as if they have been removed recently, it might have been done to drain floodwater.
• If you need to dig deeper, remove a door panel to see if there is a water mark on the inside of it.