How to Get Better Gas Mileage This Summer; Five Tips For Improving Your Car's Fuel EconomyMark Salem is host of the "Under the
26 Juin 2006 - 3:30PM
Business Wire
Poor fuel economy can put a costly damper on any summer vacation
taken in the family vehicle. But according to Mark Salem, host of
the "Under the Hood" car-care radio show in Phoenix and an ASE(a)
Certified Master Technician, there are a few simple things you can
do to enhance your fuel economy no matter what type of vehicle you
drive, which means you'll buy less gas and have more money to enjoy
this summer's vacation. Get the junk out of the trunk. Salem
recommends removing unnecessary winter supplies such as bags of
salt and tire chains from the trunk of your vehicle. "The dead
weight found in the trunk of many cars can be equivalent to a
full-size man. Get that bag of old newspapers to the recycling
bin," he says. "Your vehicle will require less energy to move
without the dead weight. So ask yourself if you really need to be
transporting around that card table, set of golf clubs or storage
container." Keep air in your tires. "Remember what it was like
riding your bike as a child with half-flat tires?" asks Salem. "It
was hard to get the bike moving. Once you inflated the tires, your
bike was like a new sports car; it went faster with far less
effort. Your car feels the same pain when the tires are at, say, 28
psi instead of the recommended 35 psi. Just to be clear: not every
tire should be inflated to 35 psi. Look for the recommended psi
rating on a label on your driver's door or in the glove box." Use
the right motor oil for your vehicle. Salem notes that the
importance of using good motor oil cannot be overstated. To
illustrate this point, he suggests trying a simple exercise. "Take
your hands and place them together with palms touching," he says.
"Then rub the palms against each other quickly. Feel that warmth
generated by friction? That's exactly what is happening inside your
engine. If you rubbed your hands together like that for an hour,
you'd probably do some damage to your hands. And you'd also have to
work much harder to rub your hands together." If you put motor oil
between those two sliding surfaces, Salem notes, a lot of that
friction goes away, and the engine doesn't have to work as hard. As
a result, an engine is more fuel efficient. "But not every motor
oil is created equal," said Salem. "Some last longer than others
and some promote better fuel economy. For example, last year
ExxonMobil introduced a new high endurance motor oil to its Mobil 1
brand of synthetic motor oils -- Mobil 1 Extended Performance,
which is guaranteed for 15,000 miles. The Mobil 1 brand also has
two viscosity grades that specifically help promote greater fuel
economy -- Mobil 1 0W-20 and Mobil 1 0W-30." Keep your vehicle
clean. "Believe it or not, that layer of dirt on your exterior
creates drag that, over long distances, hurts your miles-per-gallon
count," says Salem. He points out that keeping your vehicle washed
and waxed will improve its aerodynamics, improving your fuel
economy. "And you'll feel good about driving around in a clean
vehicle," he adds. Consider the best option for ventilation.
Conventional wisdom says that cars are always more fuel-efficient
when the air conditioner is off. Salem disagrees. "On long trips or
highway driving, using the air conditioner is actually more fuel
efficient than rolling down the windows," he says. "When driving
fast, open windows create a drag that forces the engine to work
harder to maintain speed. For short trips or in city traffic, roll
down the windows and enjoy the breeze, but on the highway, turn on
the air." For more information about car care, visit
www.mobiloil.com. ExxonMobil and Mobil 1 are trademarks of Exxon
Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) or one of its subsidiaries. (a)
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Juin 2024 à Juil 2024
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Juil 2023 à Juil 2024