Here's ten ways to save gasoline and keep your dough in your pocket!
1) Check your tire pressure once a month:
Under-inflated tires are costly because they increase tire wear, waste gas and, more important, they cause serious injuries and deaths in what is a totally avoidable situation. There are over 10,000 tire related accidents each year in the U.S. and the number one cause of tire failure is under-inflated or improperly inflated tires.
If you luckily escape injury or worse in an accident caused by under-inflated tires, it will cost you plenty financially in damage to your car, lost wages, property damage, deductibles, etc.
Improper tire inflation also reduces your gas mileage by more than 3% therefore costing you extra at the pump. It's been estimated that under-inflated tires alone cost the country more than 3.5 million gallons of gasoline each day!
Program your computer, i-phone, etc. to remind you to check your tire pressure or simply come on it to one of our 5 locations and let us do this for you....FREE! And while we are on the topic of saving you money as Queens leader in tire sales and service, lets say a few words on how you can save yourself some money by keeping what is a major purchase, TIRES, in the best shape possible and extending tire performance and tire life. 106 St Tire steps up to save our friends and neighbors cash.
Here's various services that can help you extend the life of your tires as drive through the traffic maze Queens has become. All these related services help customers get optimum wear from their tires, a major investment for most people, and lets remember, tires are the only part of your car touching the ground and we count on THEM to protect us, our families, kids playing in the streets, other cars...
Tire maintainence and improving tire wear tips from 106 St Tire & Wheel in Jamaica, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Corona:
- Suspension and steering: ultimately this affects tire wear, gas consumption, your repair bills
- Wheel alignment: this too extends tire life therefore saving you money and 106 St Tire & Wheel has the lowest price on wheel alignment in Queens and NYC, $45 most cars
- Tire balancing: 106 St Tire gives our customers who buy 4 new tires, balancing for free however getting your tires balanced after any tire repair improves your ride get more bang for your buck by improving gas mileage and extend the wear of your tires
- Tire rotation: this is another simple but effective way to be safer and save money by extending the life or your tires
- Tire repair: got a slow leak? Riding on a partially flat tire? Kiss that baby goodbye, boys and girls. Think safety first in Queens and in NYC yours and our kids are crossing the streets.
- Vehicle maintenance: everything in a car is connected to something else and some times maitence issues lfet unattended cause damage to others parts and your repair bill can escalate because you did not repair and maintain. Does that make sense, Queens?
- Think about nitrogen tire-fill—it lasts 3 to 4 times longer than traditional compressed air and it's environmentally sound. We have more information about this on our blog which you are reading right at this moment.
2) Lighten your load:
The more your car weighs the harder the engine has to work. The harder your engine works the more gas you burn. The more you burn the more its costing you $$$ at the pump.
What's in your trunk? Your kid's sporting equipment? Boxes of books, glassware, clothes, etc. for your next garage sale? Camping gear? Car parts?
A gallon of water weighs over 8 pounds so if you have windshield washer fluid, anti-freeze and a couple of pints of oil, the weight can add up fast. And for every 50 lbs you carry, you reduce your miles-per-gallon (MPG) by roughly 1%.
3) Don't idle:
Here in NYC this is a real issue because:
- It's against the law
- It increases air pollution
- IT COSTS YOU MONEY
Ever hear the old rule that says re-starting your car will waste more fuel than idling? It's simply a myth!
Here's the truth: if you idle for just 10 minutes a day, you will be wasting about 22 gallons a year. Do the math? With gas at more than $3.00 a gallon right now, that's $66 a year that's polluting the air, it could get you fined and, for sure, is costing you money you have better uses for.
4) Maintain your vehicle:
Keep a small spiral in your glove compartment and keep track of oil changes and other maintenance and repair work that keeps your vehicle running efficiently,your costs down and you and your family safe. Replace your alternator? Enter it into the spiral with month date and year. That's easier to do then thumbing through a ton receipts to find out if it's still under warrantee. You can also keep your vehicle records on your computer but remember if it fries your records can be lost and your back to thumbing through receipts. Please keep the receipts in a safe place? They are your proof you maintained your vehicle in accordance with the sacred recommendations made in your owner's manual.
Your owner's manual is very important and despite the controversy over how often to change your oil, take our advice and ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDATIONS on all maintenance issues to keep your warranty in tack and, of course, save all your receipts. Lost it? We will tell you how to retrieve your manual shortly.
By changing your sparkplugs, oil and air filters, etc., as recommended in your owner's manual you will never make a mistake. Research by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence shows dirty, misfiring, old spark plugs can be responsible for reducing MPG as much as a whopping 30%. Also, by replacing a clogged air filter you can improve your fuel economy by an up to an additional 10%.
5) Change your driving habits:
Our pace of life definitely affects our driving habits! Speeding and aggressive driving can reduce your gas mileage by as much as 50 cents per gallon, so avoid gunning your engine. In general, each 10 MPG over 50 reduces your fuel mileage by one mile per gallon. Use your cruise control on the highway whenever possible to help prevent creeping up in speed without realizing and save yourself points on your license, a hiked insurance premium and a speeding ticket. Coast to the red lights rather than stepping on the gas peddle to be the first person at the light and then having to use your brakes. Coasting where possible will save gas as well as your brake linings.
6) Fill your tank full:
If you need gas, fill your tank all the way. Trying to save money by getting $10 of gas here and $20 worth of gas there costs you time and time is always money. Also, the more trips to the gas station you make, the more gas your burn.
7) Don't take off from a stop sign like you are driving in the Indy 500!
This is one adjustment alone will have dramatic effects on your gas mileage; don't tear off from a stoplight or stop sign!
8) Plan your trip:
Driving around trying to find your destination burns gas (=costs you $$$).
9) Park in the shade:
...because gasoline evaporates out of your tank! When you park in the sun, it will evaporate faster...winter, spring, summer or fall! If there is no shade available, park so that the actual gas tank under the car (not the gas valve used to fill your tank) is facing away from the direct sun. Even though today's fuel systems are supposed to be airtight, your gas cap should have a tight seal in it. Make sure that the seal is keeping the fumes in and the air out!
10) Are you using premium gas?
Chances are 99% of you who are, are wasting money. Check your owner's manual; if it doesn't call for premium fuel, don't bother. Don't have your owner's manual? Google your car's model and make. Ex: Toyota Camry owners Manual 2009. You'll find it.
==>The impact on your pocket and planet:
The impact of the ten gas saving recommendations made above is huge. If you do all of them, your gasoline savings would be substantial and who couldn't use more money in their pocket these days?
Also think about the impact in our neighborhoods on air quality...and on our kids. Asthma and breathing related ailments are a serious threat and the number of sufferers is growing rapidly.
Thinking about the long term effects on earth is something we will all have to face sooner or later. Let's make a healthier choice and make it sooner?
...and for a little additional help from Queens premier tire and wheel dealer, your leader and innovator in all things auto and customer, please help yourself to our monthly maintence check list.
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