When to service your car

There is a manual in your glove compartment you need to look at. 

It will tell you when to get tune ups, when to flush your transmission and other useful information like that. 

There is a newer motor oil that you can use in your car that will last for five months or 5000 miles rather than the old 3 months or 3000 miles. 

Ya, it is more expensive, but it will save you hassle and money in the long run.

Keep the gas in your tank

Some tricks to saving gas.

1. Try not to use the AC.

2. Keep your tires inflated at 32-35 pounds of pressure. Your car has exact specifications on the door to your gas tank or the lid to the gas tank.

3. Keep the car tuned up. Read your manual and it will tell you the frequency of tune ups and oil changes and other necessary maintenance.

4. Try to drive the car at about 2 RPM's. This is more difficult to gauge on an automatic transmission but if you listen to the pitch of the engine you can get an idea. If she is squealing like you are pushing her, you are probably going too fast and using up more gas.

5. Go the speed limit.

6. If you have a manual transmission, let it coast in neutral when you can. Just to be on the safe side, don't go into neutral when you are using an automatic transmission. If you accidentally put the car in reverse you will end up having transmission problems. My husband is an excellent driver and he won't even take that chance. On the other hand, if you are sitting in line at McDonalds, neutral is good.  

7. Don't keep your life in the back of your car. Obviously, extra weight is going to make the engine work harder and use up more gas.

Hopefully these things help. People tend to freak out a little when gas prices go up, but even when they are down, save yourself some money and trouble by using these tricks to keep your gas tank filled.

What Do You Feed Your Car?

You are driving along and you notice that it is time to fill up the gas tank in your stupid car. 

On one corner is an Arco and on the other, a Chevron. The Arco is a whole 6 cents cheaper so the obvious choice is Arco, right? 

Maybe not. 

Some cars don't care what kind of junk you put into the engine, they will perform the same whether the gas in them is high quality or low quality. (My 1995 Ford Contour is a good example of a car that doesn't care.) On the other hand, 

some cars need to be cleaned out every once in awhile and Chevron and Shell gas has an additive that is similar to a detergent that cleans out the nasty carbon build up in your engine. 

There is a very real possibility that your car is the one that likes high quality fuel and if that's the case, you will notice your baby underperforming and she might even need a pricey trip to the mechanic to make it all better. 

Your car can probably handle cheap gas from Costco or Arco, but make sure you give it a special treat by fueling up at a Chevron or a Shell occasionally.