Your sedan requires plenty of clean fuel to run. When your fuel isn’t clean, your fuel injectors can start to become clogged up. When this happens, your sedan engine may not get the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure to run efficiently. This hurts fuel economy and performance as you drive around Casselberry. It can also lead to the buildup of harmful deposits on valves and in the combustion chamber.
That’s why all vehicles, including sedans, come equipped with a fuel filter somewhere between the engine and the fuel tank. The job of the filter is to clean out little pieces of dirt and contamination. The filter captures the contaminants and holds them out of the fuel stream. Of course, the filter will eventually get clogged up and need to be replaced at Calderon Automotive Repair Services.
If your fuel filter is clogged, the sedan engine can’t get all the fuel it needs, and it may sputter at high speeds or quick acceleration. Many fuel filters have a bypass valve that will allow unfiltered fuel through when they are clogged. This keeps your engine running, but doesn’t protect it from contaminated fuel.
You may find that you need to change your fuel filter at Calderon Automotive Repair Services more frequently as your sedan ages. Over the years, additional sediment and rust accumulates in the fuel tank and can be drawn into the fuel system. Your fuel filter stands guard at the gates to your engine to protect expensive parts and to maintain performance and fuel economy.
Most of our Casselberry clients want to save on gas and seek our advice on improving fuel economy. At Calderon Automotive Repair Services, we are frequently asked, however, just how much money Casselberry motorists can actually save.
Well the US government has a website dedicated to helping us use less fuel. It presents the cost savings in a way Casselberry car owners can relate to and is relevant for all vehicles. Let me give you an example: Having your sedan engine properly tuned, can save up to 4%. If you’re paying three-fifty for a gallon of gas, you could save fourteen cents a gallon.
In today’s Calderon Automotive Repair Services post, we’re going to talk about several things you can do to improve your sedanfuel economy driving around Casselberry. We’ll tell you the potential savings per gallon of gas at three dollars and fifty cents, and we’ll show a graphic that also shows the savings at three and four dollars.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.00
$3.50
$4.00
TUNE UP 4%
.12
.14
.16
The next item is replacing a clogged engine air filter. Your engine needs enough air to burn fuel efficiently for the best economy. A clean air filter means you get plenty of air. The fact that the air’s clean protects your engine. That can save you up to ten percent or thirty-five cents a gallon.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.OO
$3.50
$4.00
AIR FILTER 10%
.30
.35
.40
Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve economy by up to forty percent. That’s a whopping dollar forty in savings per gallon. Bring your car to Calderon Automotive Repair Services and we’ll check your oxygen sensor.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.00
$3.50
$4.00
FAULTY O2 SENSOR 40%
1.20
1.40
1.60
Chances are that if your oxygen sensor is kaput your check engine light will come on. Now, there’s any number of things that could cause your check engine light to come on besides oxygen sensor problems. But if it’s on, get it checked out as soon as you can at Calderon Automotive Repair Services.
Here’s an easy one. Inflate your tires to the recommended pressure. That could save you three percent or eleven cents a gallon. Even a little drop in pressure will cost you at the pump so check your tires every week.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.00
$3.50
$4.00
TIRE INFLATION 3%
.09
.11
.12
Your sedan manufacturer has recommended a specific weight of motor oil. The recommendation is based on engine design and will give you the best protection. Using a heavier weight could cost one to two percent in reduced fuel economy, or up to seven cents a gallon.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.00
$3.50
$4.00
RIGHT GRADE MOTOR OIL 2%
.06
.07
.08
Here’s one that’s free: Take it easy when you drive. Aggressive driving (we’ve all seen this on Casselberry roads), rocketing away from stop lights, standing on the brakes, punching it for lane changes – really takes a toll on your fuel economy.
Cutting out aggressive driving around Casselberry can save five percent or eighteen cents a gallon. Now on the highway it gets really costly: thirty three percent or a buck sixteen a gallon. Think about that.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.00
$3.50
$4.00
DRIVE AGRESSIVELY – MIN. 5%
.15
.18
.20
DRIVE AGGRESSIVELY – MAX. 33$
.99
1.16
1.32
A related item is exceeding the speed limit. For example, if the speed limit is sixty miles per hour an additional five miles will cost seven percent or twenty-five cents a gallon. Fifteen miles per hour will cost you upwards of eighty cents a gallon.
DOLLARS PER GALLON
$3.00
$3.50
$4.00
SPEED LIMIT – MIN. 7%
.21
.25
.28
SPEED LIMIT – MAX. 23%
.69
.81
.92
The last thing we’ll talk about is excess weight. Our sedans tend to accumulate a lot of things and the weight adds up. Clear out the trunk and only haul stuff when you really need it. For every one hundred pounds you can save two percent or seven cents a gallon.
Sorry honey, your brother can’t come with. It’d cost an extra thirty cents a gallon.
In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your sedan engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute in every single fuel-injected car driving down Longwood, Altamonte, and Winter Park roads.
Most fuel injectors for gas engines are known in the Orlando auto industry as port fuel injectors because they deliver the fuel to a port just outside the cylinder. The fuel pump provides pressure needed to squirt the right amount of fuel into the engine.
A few auto makers have recently introduced gas direct injection systems on some engines. They are now available at some Orlando dealerships. These systems inject the gas directly into the cylinders under very high pressure – many times the pressure of port injection systems.
Although more complicated, direct injection technology promises greater power with improved fuel economy for gas-poor Longwood, Altamonte, and Winter Park commuters. FL motorists can expect to see more of it in the future. High temperatures under your sedan hood and variations in Orlando gas quality cause fuel injectors to be fouled with wax, dirt, water, additives and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure.
When injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn’t burn as efficiently resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it’s important for Casselberry drivers keep their fuel injectors clean.
Your Casselberry Calderon Automotive Repair Services service center can perform a fuel system service for you in which the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time.
Proper maintenance of your sedan fuel system means that you will spend less on gas, enjoy strong performance and prevent costly Orlando repair bills down the road.
Have you ever gone to Orlando to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That’s why they tune up together.
Now this is no surprise; I’m going to relate the orchestra to your car. Your engine has many component systems that each need to be working properly. And the components need to be working in sync, all timed up together in order for the engine to work efficiently.
We call this, (ta-da) a tune-up. When an orchestra’s out of tune you get a bad concert. When your vehicle’s out of tune you get bad performance and bad fuel economy.
So check your owner’s manual for recommended tune-up intervals. Or ask your Casselberry service advisor at Calderon Automotive Repair Services what he thinks.
…Just be careful not to say you want to make beautiful music together – that kinda makes us uncomfortable.
This fuel saving tip is so simple, no one from here to Altamonte will believe it. It has to do with your gas cap.
The first thing is to make sure it’s screwed on tight. If it’s loose, gas vapor will be constantly leaking out; wasted gas.
And air will get in and that can cause your oxygen sensor to read incorrectly and the oxygen sensor will tell the engine management computer to adjust the fuel-air mix and, well, you get the picture; you’ll be burning more gas around Altamonte than you need to.
This could cause the check engine light to come on as well.
A worn gas cap can have the same effect. If you constantly smell gas when you walk by your tank, you might need a new gas cap.
So, twist your cap until it clicks three times – that means it’s on tight. Have your Altamonte area service advisor at Calderon Automotive Repair Services inspect the cap to see if it needs to be replaced.
See, I told you it was simple.
Don’t forget to call Calderon Automotive Repair Services at 407-265-2277 for an appointment to optimize your sedan for better fuel economy. Ask us about transmission & coolant service, tune-ups, synthetic oil c.
No matter how well they’re made, cars in Casselberry FL will have design or manufacturing problems.
And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in Casselberry FL, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in Casselberry FL who owns that type of car to get the recall work done.
These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously. It’s easy to see if a vehicle’s being recalled.
The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links.
There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There’s CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV.
Recalls are serious, but not all that common. But sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that tells service centers like Calderon Automotive Repair Services how to repair a frequent or difficult problem.
The pros get updated information through subscription plans, also available in consumer versions for a reasonable cost.
So when vehicle recalls occur, get the work done, and keep you and yours safe.
Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from here to Winter Park knows this makes sense.
Some of us in the Winter Park area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I’m not talkin’ what you see in the mirror.
Guys; sports equipment and tools. Ladies; well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about forty-five pounds of French fries on the floor.
All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and Winter Park, and everywhere else.
Lose the junk and save some money.
…And you really only need one of those spare tires.
If you’re a quart low in your sedan, there isn’t enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you’re driving around the Orlando area.
The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn’t reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local Orlando gas pump rolling higher and higher.
The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it’s in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down.
So keep it clean and give yourself a fighting chance.
A question for our Casselberry FL motorists: How long have you been enjoying the romantic glow of your check engine light?
Hey, it’s not there to create ambiance; it’s a warning that something’s wrong. When your check engine light comes on get it checked at a capable Casselberry FL service station.
Many conditions that cause the check engine light to come on affect fuel economy. Some very dramatically.
Always make sure you tighten your gas cap until it clicks. A loose gas cap can cause a false sensor reading that’ll make the check engine light come on.
If your date’s eyes are smoldering in the reflected glow of the check engine light, try to think of all the gas money you’ll save by getting it fixed. Give us a call when you are ready: 407-265-2277
Let’s start at the tank. The gas tank gathers dirt, rust and sediment over the years. That’s why there’s a fuel filter to clean the fuel after it leaves the tank. A dirty filter will rob the engine of the clean gas it needs to run efficiently.
The fuel intake components get coated with gum and varnish over time. This results in fuel being delivered inefficiently and some of that gunk getting into the engine. A fuel system service at Calderon Automotive Repair Services will leave your intake as clean as a whistle.
The big fuel thief is dirty fuel injectors. They deliver fuel to the engine at a specified pressure and in a particular spray pattern. When they’re clogged, the fuel doesn’t get atomized the way it’s supposed to and doesn’t get burned as efficiently.
See your owner’s manual or ask your Altamonte service advisor at Calderon Automotive Repair Services when a fuel system cleaning is recommended.