A little extra care with your vehicle here and there and you’ll find yourself making savings – not just on general repairs, but on fuel costs as well!

Always try and keep your engine tuned!

A spark plug that’s misfiring can reduce your fuel efficiency by as much as 30%, meaning higher fuel costs.

Stick to the service schedules listed in the manufacturers manual and replace your filters and fluids as recommended by them, you’ll definitely feel the difference.

This can be an inconvenience in the hectic schedule most people lead today, but its well worth the effort. If the dealer is charging a small fortune for a tune-up, don’t be afraid to go and get a second opinion at a local, reputable garage. They can do the same service, usually at a fraction of the cost.

Keeping your vehicle tuned, serviced, and running smoothly is not only beneficial to you and the vehicle, it also means when you’re ready for a newer vehicle you’ll get a better resale value. All potential buyers like a full service history showing them that the car has been well looked after over the years.

Always check your tires for proper inflation. Under-inflation causes your engine to work harder to push the vehicle, wasting fuel in the process.

Wheels that are out-of-line or unbalanced make the engine work harder too. You can usually identify this by uneven tread ware or your vehicle pulling to one side, Keep your tires inflated properly, and you’ll save at the pumps.

Try to drive gently. Avoid sudden accelerations and the jerky stop-and-go routine. If your car has cruise-control try to use it as much as possible and keep your speed as steady as possible.

Avoid excessive idling, but bare in mind starting your vehicle is equivalent to 1 minutes idling. Today’s vehicles are designed to “warm up” quickly, so there’s no need to leave your car warming up for half an hour on winter mornings.

Don’t carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Less weight means better mileage. This may sound minor but all these little things add up over a year.