October is Fall Car Care Month and TrueCar is reminding you of the importance of regular maintenance on your vehicle. If you want to get the most mileage out of your car, the best fuel-efficiency, and avoid costly repairs down the line, you should make sure you are taking care of your car with regular inspections and maintenance. With gas prices still high compared to a year ago, $3.40, versus $2.72 (at time of publication) according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge, the savings at the gas pump should give consumers even more incentive to give their car the care it deserves.
Save on Gas with Regular Car Maintenance
For most Americans, their car is either their biggest or second biggest investment, so why not get the most return on your investment by taking care of it? According to The Car Care Council, regular maintenance on the following can increase your fuel efficiency and save you money on gas.
1) Change Your Oil – You can improve your fuel economy by one mile per gallon by regularly replacing your oil.
2) Change Your Oil Filter – You can improve your fuel economy by up to ten percent by changing out a clogged oil filter.
3) Replace Spark Plugs – You can save up to two miles per gallon by changing out dirty spark plugs.
4) Replace Air Filters – By replacing a clogged air filter you can increase fuel efficiency by ten percent.
5) Check Tire Pressure – Keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure and you can increase your fuel economy by 3.3 percent.
Now bear in mind, the definition of “regularly” varies by your car’s age and by the car manufacturer. For instance, many sites suggest that all vehicles should get their oil changed every 3,000 miles or three months, whereas, many new cars will really only require oil to be changed every 5,000-10,000 miles or once/year due to advanced technology. We strongly recommend you follow the maintenance schedule that is determined by your car’s manufacturer and found in its Maintenance Booklet.Free Maintenance Offers on New Cars
If you’re buying or leasing a new car, you should be aware that some car makers offer free maintenance programs, sometimes on all their vehicles, sometimes for particular vehicles. Some of these include BMW, which offers free maintenance for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, Mini Cooper and Jaguar offer the same; Volkswagen, Volvo and Saab (2011 models) offer three years or 36,000 miles; Toyota offers two years or 25,000 miles; Land Rover offers a complimentary first scheduled maintenance; while Hyundai offers free five years or 60,000 miles on the Equus.
Be sure to do all your vehicle research before you set foot in the dealership. As part of your research, you will want to visit the Military.com Car Buying Center for pricing information on new cars. TrueCar shows you what other people actually paid for a new car in the last 30 days (not just MSRP), then gets you an even better price from a TrueCar Certified Dealer in your area.
