Take Care of Your Oil If You Want To Save Gas!

A vehicle that performs at it's peak will realize the best fuel economy. If something interferes with peak performance it will decrease gas economy and will cause you to use more gas and spend more money. For that reason proper management of the oil in your engine is a critical component of good fuel economy.

A priority in your car maintenance needs to be scheduled oil changes. Changing the oil according to the car makers recommendations is essential to keeping your car at its peak and keeping your gas economy at its best.

The job of the oil in your car is to lubricate the moving parts of its engine, minimizing friction. preventing metal- to-metal contact and carrying away excess heat. All of those functions promote better gas efficiency.

The oil in your engine also removes metal shavings, dirt and other impurities which are then captured in the oil filter. Neglecting your cars oil can create other problems above and beyond the effects on fuel economy. Improper oil maintenance could lead to replacing the engine itself. Keeping a record of when you last had the oil changed will ultimately help you save gas.

You should follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule for oil changes. If the manufacturer says to change the oil every three thousand miles or every three months, do it. If oil is not replaced at the proper time it becomes saturated with impurities it is supposed to remove from the engine. If it becomes saturated with these impurities, sometimes called dirty oil, it will be less efficient in doing its job. That will cause the engine performance to decline and your fuel economy will decline with it.

Another factor in maintaining the best fuel economy is the proper grade of oil. Use the grade of oil recommended by your car maker. The efficiency of the engine can improve as much as 2 percent when using the correct grade of oil as opposed to using the wrong grade of oil. This becomes even more critical in cold weather.

Using the right grade of oil ensures that your car will run as smoothly as it should in all types of weather. Oil that is too heavy forces the engine to work harder to overcome the oil's resistance. If the engine works harder it uses more gas. You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil and not a higher grade.

As an illustration: using 10W-20 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage. Use only the oil recommended in the owner's manual for the best engine efficiency and the best fuel efficiency.

Many car owners make the mistake of neglecting to have the oil changed at the proper interval. The more you put off changing your oil the worse your gas economy will be. Changing the oil on time and using the proper grade will help you keep your gas costs down.

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