Fuel-Economy.co.uk

Car Maintenance

These days, car manufacturers have to go to great lengths to develop modern engines that are reliable and meet tough environmental regulations, all the while offering more power and lower emissions. Because of this its essential that a regular maintenance routine is followed.

If you have been following the service schedule as specified by the manufacturer, then you'll already be in a good position. During these services you car's oil and other lubricants will be replaced, allowing the engine to run efficiently. However, as the gaps between services are growing increasingly longer, there are some steps you can take in the mean time to try and improve fuel economy.

• Check your tyre pressures regularly - at least once every two weeks. Under-inflated tyres increase the rolling resistance of your vehicle, which means you'll be using up to 3% more fuel than you need to. Correctly inflated tyres last longer too!
• Make sure that the engine oil is changed regularly. Grubby oil wont allow the engine to run efficiently, neither will a gearbox run at its best with ancient and dirty oil.
• Check you air filter. You engine needs to breathe freely in order to get efficient combustion of your fuel. If fuel isn't being properly burnt in the engine, it will just come out the exhaust un-burnt and be totally wasted!

There are countless other points to consider when servicing your car - if in doubt take your car to a reputable garage for it to be given a check up. Remember that it is older cars that maybe haven't been to a main dealer for servicing for sometime that are most likely to benefit. You can save money by going to a specialist or independent garage instead of a main dealer to service your car, or you can do some simple work like checking the tyre pressures or changing the air filter yourself - check your car's service manual for details.

Fuel-Economy.co.uk has gone to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, however please be aware it is provide only as a guide.