Can You Save Gas by Turning Off an Engine?

You probably heard your Dad tell you that it “uses more gas to start a car than it does to keep it running.”  He probably heard it from his Dad, and someplace along the way, it was really a thing.

 

When cars engines used to have carburetors, you did expend a little extra gas getting the car started.  Hence, it wasn’t the worst idea to leave your car running when you ran in the old service station to get a pack of Lucky Strikes.  And, besides… that nice rumble of idling is a great way to get Peggy Sue’s attention and see if she might want to grab a malt.  Two straws, please.

Let’s fast forward to present day.  Engines now have more advanced fuel injection technology.  It’s a much more realistic way to use gas, and turning it from on to off to on again isn’t going to waste gas.

Now, it would be a bit silly to be killing the motor every time you come to a red light… and the savings would be pretty small.  But, if you think you’re going to be sitting for a couple minutes, like while a lengthy train passes by, or that fast food order isn’t coming quite fast enough… you may save some gas by shutting the engine off.

Many hybrid cars have been perfecting this technology over the past decade.  As you come to a stop, the engine just quietly shuts down and the internal battery takes over.  A bit hard to get used to at first, but the fuel savings are real.

Now, all that otherstuff your Dad told you still applies.  Don’t rev the engine, don’t go over the speed limit, and always hold the door for Peggy Sue. 

Happy Father’s Day, and safe driving!

Clean your Injector, Fix your MPG

Gas prices are fluctuating, as always, and are pretty high for most. We have it a little better  than some parts of the country here in Southwestern, MO…but they are still high for our taste. 

There is a great way to help beat the prices with better miles per gallon – get your fuel system cleaned out!  It’s all about deposits that build up in there that reduces your fuel economy. How do they get in there? Improper maintenance, changing weather conditions that are drastic, stop and go traffic are just a few. 

Cleaning out your fuel system is a 3 stage process. First, carbon deposits are removed. Second, a clean out of the fuel tank pushes everything out of the fuel system (the lines and the pump). It also hits the fuel injectors. And the third stage feeds off the second where the fuel injector tips get cleaned.

Here’s where the important part of the fuel system cleaning comes into play. If any fuel injector is even partially clogged, and remember, each cylinder has an injector, you are wasting fuel and, therefore, wasting money. If an injector goes bad from deposits, you could be looking at $400 to repair…that’s just one injector!

Consider a fuel system cleaning every 15,000 miles. Save money at the gas station today, save money on maintenance and repair later.