Joe's Tech Tips
Sept. 3
Well folks, it's time to get back on track with our weekly sound bites in the wonderful world of auto repair. By now, most of you have returned home from the Labor Day weekend and settled back to a somewhat normal routine. I spent my day off laboring in our backyard and working hard to get the seasonal monsoon deposits of leaves and dirt, and various assorted debris, swept, raked, and cleaned up. I also removed about 300 lbs. of large overgrown branches and limbs from our extra large mesquite tree. I even made time to straighten out my home office, and that was no small feat. All soreness aside, let's get back to my last discourse on how we can achieve better gas mileage and maintain our vehicles in good operating condition. There is one thing we can all do that is quite obvious, but seems to be a major challenge based on the driving habits of many motorists I encounter on my daily drive to work. Simply put -- lay off the gas pedal and don't speed. While your speeding may be beneficial for me in providing additional brake and front-end work, it is not going to help you achieve good gas mileage. With gasoline priced at approximately $3.50 per gallon, don't you want to squeeze every drop for maximum efficiency? Another thing you can do that doesn't entail a large investment in money is to add a 12-ounce bottle of fuel injector cleaner every time your oil is changed. This helps to keep your injectors operating properly and helps to remove harmful deposits from forming on the valves and pistons. And lastly, have you checked the tire pressure on your tires lately? Don't laugh; it's important to maintain proper tire pressure in your tires to help fuel economy and save wear and tear on your tires.
Okay, that's all I have for now; I will continue in this series next week with more recommendations on proper car care.
Also, beginning this fall, I plan on starting a monthly car-care clinic for those interested in learning what makes a car tick and to be better educated on the different components that make our cars and trucks run. If this is something you would be interested in attending, send a private message or post a comment here stating your interest.
Thanks for reading!
- R.H. ‘Joe’ Lopez
Request an Appointment