Leahey.org

With gas prices in some parts of the country breaking (or expected to break) the $4 mark this year, and car repair costs having always been expensive, I thought it would be a good time to throw together a few tricks for saving.

Maintenance: If you talk to 5 different mechanics, you’ll likely get 5 different answers as to how often various things have to be changed, clean, or checked. In my experience, keeping to the following rules will save you money in the long run:

Spark plugs: A poorly firing spark plug will cause your car to run rough, and a loss in gas mileage due to more of your gas not igniting and escaping through the exhaust. I *highly* recommend using Bosch Platinum 4 plugs. They are a bit more expensive, but you’ll really see the difference in overall performance. I do not have any affiliations with Bosch, and do not make any money if you purchase them, the link goes to a Froogle search that I also make no money from.

Oil: I like to use a synthetic oil, and I change my oil every 1000 miles. Oil filter every 3000. I do not have a particuliar oil that I use, I usually just get what is cheapest. The oil filter is a totally different story, though, I never use anything but K&N. In my opinion there is just nothing else that compares. If you look at how they are constructed, you can see immediatelly how they are superior. Their filtering system is incredibly sophisticated, and if you weigh a used K&N vs any other brand, the K&N will always weight considerably more. This shows you how much more…well…crap is being removed from your oil.

Air filter: The same goes for the air filter as the oil. A good air filter will not restrict air flow in to the engine, but will still remove contaminants from the air before it reaches the intake. The only performance air filter I have experience with is K&N, but I can vouch for their quality. Again, holding a cheapo filter, and holding a K&N, you can see the difference. The cheapo usually either has thin paper, and is flimsy, or has paper that is too thick to allow sufficient air through. Go with the K&N, and search Google for your car model and “cold air intake”, and look in to purchasing one, if one is available. Cold air intakes take it one step further by relocating the intake from the engine compartment, or just behind the radiator, to a spot below the compartment where it can easily pull in cold air rather than hot.

Fluids: Check your fluids, check your fluids, check your fluids. Its so obvious, but people constantly neglect to check their transmission fluid (if you have an automatic), brake fluid and coolant levels. There is no better early-warning-system than fluid levels. Check them when you check your oil, which should be once a week with any kind of significant distances drove, by the way.
Tires: Its also obvious, its been said a thousand times, but still people don’t listen. Check your tire pressure. Check them before a long trip, check them when you return. Check them with a pressure meter once every 2 weeks, do a visual check every time you get in or out of the car. A tire inflated to the proper pressure will save you not only in gas, but can give you a few thousand extra miles on your tires, and a few hundred miles on your brake pads.

In conclusion, theres probably no better way to save money on your car than to just take care of it. Washing it and doing the above should save you a lot of headaches, and save your checkbook a few entries.

In part 2, I’ll cover my MPG-increasing tips.

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