Get Ready for Summer Travel - Tune Up Your Car
Advance Auto Parts Offers Tune-Up Tips to Save Money and Improve Gas Mileage
ROANOKE, Va., April 30 -- Warmer weather means vacation travel, and a simple car tune-up can eliminate gas-guzzling gremlins so vacationers spend more money having fun and less at the pump.
Advance Auto Parts has developed a tune-up checklist, available in all stores and on-line, to save money and improve gas mileage.
These guidelines, along with regular maintenance schedules for your car, should increase engine performance and actual gas mileage.
Tune-up Tips Gas-Guzzling Gremlins What To Do Under-inflated tires can Tire Pressure: Check tires reduce gas mileage up to 10 regularly. percent. A dirty air filter increases Air Filter: Change air engine wear and reduces gas filters according to owner's mileage up to 20%. manual recommendations and change more often in dusty conditions. Worn or fouled spark plugs Spark Plugs and Spark Plug cause engines to perform Wires: Replace plugs every poorly and reduces gas 50,000 to 60,000 miles for mileage as much as 12%. optimal performance and change wires along with the plugs. A worn or cracked distributor Distributor Cap: Inspect cap or rotor reduces engine during tune up and replace if performance and wastes gas. corroded or worn. A faulty oxygen sensor causes Oxygen Sensor: It is the a drop in fuel economy of 10- brain that tells the computer 15%. how much fuel to send to your engine. Have oxygen sensor checked during tune up. Clogged or restricted fuel Fuel Filter: Most filters not only reduce manufacturers recommend engine performance, but can replacement every 3 years or allow dirt to contaminate the 36,000 miles. fuel system and cause engine wear. Dirty fuel injectors cause Fuel-Injector Cleaner: Add hesitation and lack of fuel-injector cleaner to the power. gas tank every 5,000 miles. Clean fuel injectors perform better and make your engine more efficient. A clogged intake system Air Intake Cleaner: Make inhibits additional burning sure the throttle body is of exhaust gases. clean with no build up. On engines equipped with a carburetor, make sure the choke linkage is clean and operating properly. Malfunctioning PCV valves or PCV Valve: Check your owner's dirty breather filters manual for PCV maintenance prohibit your engine from intervals and replace the breathing properly and hinder valve as recommended. Oil engine performance. leaks are one clue of a faulty PCV system. Dirty motor oil increases Oil Change: Clean motor oil your exhaust emissions and protects your engine and causes your engine to operate should be changed every 3,000 less efficiently. miles or every three months.
Additional fuel-saving tips are available on Advance Auto Parts' website at www.advanceautoparts.com.
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is based in Roanoke, Va., and is the second largest auto parts chain in the nation. With 2,435 stores, as of December 28, 2002, in 38 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the company serves both the do-it-yourself and professional installer markets. Additional information about the company, employment opportunities, services, as well as on-line purchase of parts and accessories can be found on the company's web site at www.advanceautoparts.com.