Your Energy Diet - Checking Out Your Car

Your car, that 4 wheeler that gets you from place to place, is now, today, a very big burden on your pocketbook and, to say the least, on your health and the environment. So let's check it out and make it as efficient as possible.

First, if your car is more than 3 years old, have you checked your muffler? Its the item under the car that all the engine exhausts go through before leaving the car to enter the air you breath. This item, if not checked periodically, may develope a hole allowing harmful gases to escape. You should have a trusted, certified mechanic check it on a regular basis after your car is about 3 years old.

Next, have you had your tires checked lately? Your tires should be fully inflated to the pressure specified by the manufacturer which will be found on the side of the tires. Tires lose pressure over time, and under inflated tires effects your miles per gallon. Lower MPG is money out of your pocket.

We know that todays cars, per the manufacturer, can go 6000 miles between oil changes. Well, a good friend of mine (who is an excellent auto mechanic) swears that you should change your oil every 3000 miles. Yes, its an added expense, but as my good friend said, clean oil makes your engine run more efficiently. This will lead to less repair costs and better MPG.

When you do an oil change, check out all your fluids, the hoses and belts, AND you can check your tires at the same time.

Don't miss regular engine check ups specified by the manufacturer. In fact, do the check ups a little earlier than called for. If you should do it at 30,000 miles, make a note to do it at 25,000. Most of us are usually late, but if you make an honest effort to do it early, you will probably be on time. Why? Because these check ups will allow you to find out if your carburetor or injectors are working at an optimum level.

Going back to tires, make sure you rotate your tires every 6000 miles for better mileage. AND, don't forget to have them checked for balance also. Another thing to be checked is the alinement of your tires. All of this provides even wear and this leads to better mileage also.

Visibility is very important so you can avoid potholes and rough spots on the road. So, check your wiper blades regularily, and if you have a crack in your windshield, get it fixed. That pothole you just missed because you had good visibility just saved your tires and helped your miles per gallon.

What all of this adds up to is that you must take care of your car to keep out of pocket expenses to a minimum. The side benefit is that a well maintained car produces less pollution which helps your health and the environment.

We hope this has been helpful. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at driving habits.