Suddenly Frugal Blog

Did you know that April is National Car Care Month? The idea behind this promotion is to remind people to get their cars in tip-top shape after a long winter of bad-weather driving. One car manufacturer that’s endorsing National Car Care Month is Subaru, which is offering free diagnostic and check-up clinics at the dealerships. Another company with a vested interest in people taking care of their cars by taking them in for oil changes is Jiffy Lube, which provided the following six car-maintenance tips that can help you save money at the pump. (Note: If you visit the Jiffy Lube website, you can receive a $5 off coupon for an oil change.)

1. Change Your Engine Air Filter Regularly. An air filter is essentially your vehicle’s lung. A clean air filter helps the engine “breathe” and run more efficiently, while a clogged one makes the engine work harder. According to the Federal Government, replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10%.
2. Keep Tires Inflated and in Good Condition. Tires can be gas bandits as under-inflated tires create extra friction where the rubber meets the road. Incorrectly inflated tires also wear unevenly, which can impact your vehicle’s traction on the road and possibly lead to a dangerous blowout. You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.  You can find your vehicle’s recommended tire pressure information in the vehicle owner’s manual or often on a decal typically in the vehicle’s door jamb or in the vehicle owner’s manual.
3. Use Vehicle-Recommended Grade Motor Oil. Motor oil lubricates the engine, keeping it cool and reducing friction between moving parts. As the motor oil circulates, it also cleans away harmful dirt and contaminants. Using your vehicle owner’s manual recommended grade oil can improve your gas mileage up to 2%
4. Lighten Your Load. This is advice I’ve offered before, about how having too much junk in your trunk–of your car–can sink how efficiently your car uses gas, and it bears repeating again here. Bottom line: leave unnecessary items at home before setting out on a drive.
5. Chill Out Behind the Wheel. If you can avoid the rapid acceleration and quick braking that is aggressive driving’s calling card, you will improve your gas mileage. But if you stay all hot-and-bothered behind the wheel, you can expect to lower your gas mileage by as much as 5% for around-town driving.
6. Get Thee a Carpool. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to figure out that when you carpool, you save gas and wear-and-tear on your care. Those who are active carpoolers can cut their weekly gas usage in half.

Tip #5 is the one that resonates most with me. Call it my inner New Yorker, but even though I haven’t lived in New York City for 15 years, I still tend to drive like a NYC taxi driver. If I truly want to save money at the pump, I need to learn to work on chilling out behind the wheel. Just ask my kids.