Clinton News-Record, 1985-10-30, Page 38With uncertain fuel prices, owning and
operating, an aatomobl is an expensive
proposition• It is important to keep fuel effi-
ciency in mind wiaen buying a new car, but it
isn't too late to save money on the car you
already own, with the help of a few tips for
efficient fuel use.
The easiest way to save is by driving only,
When it is necessary. Use other available op-
tions like walking, biking, and public
transportation systems. Or make a
telephone call instead. Ride -sharing on trips
to work is also a good way to save energy
and money.
When you do use your car, try to combine
a number of short errands or chores into one
trip. It is estimated that we use 30 per cent
of our gasoline on trips off less than 8 km.
These short ventures consume excess fuel
because the car's engine is not warm for
much of the trip.
Avoid jumpy starts, because more fuel is
used and the tires wear out more quickly.
Sharp jabs on the gas pedal activate the ac-
celerator pump, which supplies extra fuel to
the engine.
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving, however lightly; this could
put needless resistance on the wheels. If you
are waiting for someone, or are caught in a
traffic jam, turn off the motor. Idling gives
you zero fuel economy.
Remove roof racks when they are not
needed because they increase wind
resistance significantly. Also, close your
windows on the highway; open windows add
to aerodynamic drag and raise fuel con-
sumption.
Fill your gas tank only to the first `click',
when the pump shuts itself off. Never top up
the tank because the fuel might expand in
warm weather and overflow the tank.
Try to decrease your speed on the
highway — tests show that most cars use 20
per cent less fuel when driven at 90 km/h
than they do at 110 km/h.
Allow plenty of time to reach your destina-
tion. Driving to beat the clock forces ybu to
•
speed, brake sharply, accelerate too rapidly
and generally waste fuel and put strain on
the car.
In the winter, drivers have to be even
more careful if they want to improve the
fuel efficiency of their vehicles. For exam-
ple, at —12 degrees C the average engine
needs at least 15 km of driving to warm up
fully, so it is even more important to
eliminate short trips from your driving pat-
tern.
It is not necessary to let your engine idle
for a long period when starting in the winter
— 30 second in all the car generally needs. It
will warm best as it is driven, but be careful
to accelerate smoothly.
Watching the traffic well ahead of you and
summer, is one of the best ways to save fuel.
This allows you to travel at a consistent
speed and avoid braking too often. If you are
travelling on a hilly road, allow the vehicle
to slow down as you climb the hill, and speed
up to the legal limit when descending. In
other words, maintain even accelerator
pressure. Professional truckers call this
'road management'.
Regi. ar engine tuning is vital if you want
to get the most for your energy dollar. Tun-
ing should be done every four months, but a
fall and spring tuneup are most important to
get your engine ready for drastic
temperature changes. This can cut fuel con-
sumption by 10 per cent.
Tire pressure should be checked every
&Wog defensively, **tiler 111x1winter or
week in the winter because. temperature
chang. es affect the pressure, and
uncle nflated tires adversely affect .fuel
consumption. If your tire pressures are 20
kfa or 3 psi softer than the manufacturer
recommends, you are using about 1.5 per
cent more fuel than necessary. And
remember to check the tires when they are
cold.
Snow tires running on dry pavement
cause your car to consume 4 per cent more
fuel than when you are using summer tires.
So snow tires should be removed as early in
the spring as possible.
Radial tires have a well-documented
potential for a 5 per cent or better improve-
ment in fuel economy over bias ply tires. P -
Metric tires represent the state of the art in
tires engineered for fuel economy. These
tires are lighter, operate at higher
pressures for the same load and offer less
resistance when rolling.
An air conditioner adds weight to your car
and can reduce fuel economy by as much as
6 per cent in a small car. When in use, it can
increase fuel consumption by as much as 20
per cent in hot -weather stop -and -go driving.
. Car costs can be cut dramatically.
Organize yourself to take advantage of
alternatives like walking or biking, and try
to allow for those minutes off extra car care
that will save you money.
There are reasons why your car is
Several reasons why a car is burning oil
Do you think your car may be using too
much oil? One sign an engine is burning oil
is blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipe.
There can be several reasons for this con-
dition, says Car Care Council, the most com-
mon being worn valve guide seals. Here's
why: The valves in a typical engine may
open and close as often as 100,000 times per
hour at highway speeds.
The stem of the valve, sliding up and down
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Instead of a skimpy 30, 60 or 90 ;Irr
days, we warranty our genuine
Volvo replacement parts for a
full year. Regardless of how
many miles you drive?*
And if a replacement part
installed by an authorized
• Volvo Dealer should fail
while under warranty, there
will be no charge for the
labor to replace it.
If you're taking your Volvo to an inde-
mechanic for service, VOLVOask him if he'll offer
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If he refuses, PARTS & SERVICE
Bring your Volvo home.
pendent
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Sales • Service • Parts • Leasing
in a guide, is fitted with a special seal;
designed to permit only a limited amount of
oil to pass. (Some oil is necessary for
lubrication, but too much creates oil burn-
ing problems).
Eventually these seals will wear, harden
or otherwise fail. That's when oil burning.
begins.
Many of the conditions which cause an
engine to burn oil prematurely are caused
by vehicle neglect. One example of this is
worn piston rings. which can wear out
prematurely because of failure to change oil
and filter regularly.
Once the rings become excessively worn,
an expensive "ring job” is the only remedy.
With proper maintenance, however, an
engine normally should go well beyond the
160,000 kilometre mark without needing new
piston rings.
It is essential to check the engine oil
regularly. If oil is over -full or smells like
gasoline, it could mean it is becoming
diluted with gasoline.
Thus, the oil becomes thin enough to work
burning oil
its way into the combustion chamber, even-
tually to burn and end up in the atmosphere
as smoke.
If you have to pump the accelerator to
keep the engine from stalling, you may be
pumping raw gasoline into the crank case.
This situation can be avoided by keeping the
engine in tune.
Misfiring spark plugs can aggravate a
situation such as this because they permit
raw, unburned gasoline to wash into the
crank case. Not only does this. create hard
starting, it also accelerates wear due to
diluted engine oil.
Another factor in oil burning is a malfunc-
tioning positive crank case ventilation
(PCV) valve, which. isintended to route oil
vapors through the combustion chamber.
rather than permitting them to escape into
the atmosphere.
If the PCV system is not in proper working
order, it can be the cause of oil burning.
Excessive oil burning is a condition that
gradually worsens and can affect other
aspects of the engine.
/ COMPLETE
COLLISION
REPAIRS TO ALL MAKES
SPECIALIZING IN IMPORTS & RESTORATION
•FRAME STRAIGHTENING •FIBREGLASS REPAIRS
•INSURANCE WORK •ALL WORK GUARANTEED •COMPETITIVE RATES
FREE FREE
ESTIMATES ESTIMATES
Our Advice to You...
TUNE-UP YOUR
PAINT JOB FOR WINTER!
A few touch-ups now Mit prevent the need for a complete refinish
in the future. Looks better! Car lasts longer! Costs Tess too!
Give us a call, we'll be pleased to look after you.
OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
WIGIW
GObbII�SIIOs�1
M -W MOTORS LTD.
i84 EAST ST., GODERICH 524-2113
f1�i��L•
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184 EAST ST., GODERICH
524-2113
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