Automotive Specialties

Vehicle Maintenance

Proper vehicle maintenance is essential during winter. A well-maintained vehicle operates more efficiently (saving you money) and releases less pollution into the air.

Fluids

• Check fluids regularly (engine oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze and power steering fluid).
• Follow recommended maintenance schedules for fluid changes. Also check your owner's manual for appropriate weight and grade. Do not overfill fluids.
• Make sure the antifreeze/water mix in the radiator is sufficient to prevent the fluid from freezing when temperatures are well below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. A 50/50 mix normally provides the best protection.

Tires

Tires need special attention during the winter. Cold temperatures decrease the air pressure in tires, which just adds to the rolling resistance caused by snow and slush. Each tire that is under-inflated by 2 psi causes a one percent increase in fuel consumption. Check tire pressures regularly, especially after there has been a sharp drop in temperature.

Before adding air to your tires, let some air out of each valve and blow some air out of the hose. This prevents moisture from gathering in the tire valve, where it can freeze and cause the valve to leak. Make sure you use your own tire pressure gauge, since the gauges built into air pumps at service stations are often inaccurate or missing.

For most drivers, all-season radial tires are sufficient for winter driving. City and suburban dwellers do not need snow tires, which have a heavy tread that increases rolling resistance and fuel consumption.

On the other hand, if you live in an area where roads are regularly snow-covered, snow tires will improve traction, reduce tire slippage, improve safety and save fuel. For the best results, use snow tires on all four wheels. All-season tires do not provide the same grip at temperatures below 5 degrees. Rotate tires regularly, and check the vehicle's wheel alignment. Proper alignment improves fuel economy and ensures long tire life.

Check Engine Light

If the check engine light is on, have a technician look at the vehicle. This light is the vehicle's way of letting you know something may be wrong with the engine's fuel, ignition or emissions system.

Battery

Remember, winter mornings can wreak havoc on an older battery. The average life of a battery is 3 1/2 years. If your battery is older than that, check the battery and cables to ensure your car starts quickly and reliably.

Oxygen Sensor

Vehicles made in 1988 or after should have the oxygen sensor checked regularly every 30,000 or 40,000 miles. When this sensor malfunctions, the computer could increase the fuel ratio to burn more fuel and thus increase emissions.

Fuel Economy

Goal - Save $$$, Prevent Pollution

Did you know? Fuel consumption soars in cold weather - sometimes by as much as 50 percent. That means you're spending more - and potentially polluting more - than you do in the summer.

Fuel consumption and pollution output are much higher in the first minute or two after a cold start than when the engine has achieved normal operating temperatures. One reason is that when your engine starts up, it has to pump oil throughout the block to lubricate moving parts.

In a cold engine, the oil is thick and resists flow, which means the engine has to work harder to overcome internal friction. Thick oil also takes longer to circulate, which allows metal-to-metal contact and increases engine wear.

Fuel combustion is also much less efficient in a cold engine, and the air-fuel mixture is richer (i.e., more fuel, less air). The combined effect is a sharp increase in pollutants. To make matters worse, the catalytic converter doesn't work when it is cold. Until the converter warms up, all of the engine's emissions pass through the exhaust untreated.

Driving Smarter

Winter driving presents its own set of challenges. But there are things you can do to make life little easier and our air a little cleaner.

Extra weight increases fuel consumption. As snow builds up in wheel wells and under bumpers, it adds weight and rubs against tires, further increasing rolling resistance. Snow piled on top of the vehicle increases aerodynamic drag, as well as vehicle weight. For safety as well as fuel economy, clear snow off your vehicle before you drive away.

Helpful Hint: Clear snow from the air intake on top of the hood. Otherwise, the defroster will draw moisture into the system and fog the windshield.

How warm should your vehicle be before you drive it? Hint: The warmth of your interior heater does not directly correspond with your vehicle's readiness to drive. In fact, if you wait to be toasty warm on the inside, you're causing excess pollution on the outside!

Once a vehicle is running, the best way to warm it up is to drive it. Driving cuts warm-up times in half. With computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away. Older cars should only warm for a couple of minutes. Anything more simply wastes fuel and increases emissions.

More than the engine needs to be warmed up - so do the wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires, all of which can be done only when the vehicle is moving. Avoid high speeds and rapid acceleration for the first three miles or so. The goal is to bring the whole vehicle up to peak operating temperature as quickly as possible while maximizing fuel economy.

Trip planning is particularly important in the winter: the fewer cold starts you make, the better. Instead of several quick trips, combine all your errands into one run and select your route carefully. Chances are the engine will stay relatively warm while you are out of the vehicle, which will minimize fuel consumption and pollution levels when you restart it. Avoid up-hill parking so that it will be easier to pull away when it's time to leave.

One last tip for winter driving - take it easy. The more your vehicle slips and slides and spins its wheels, the more fuel you waste and the chance of an accident is increased. You will also need more room to stop in winter conditions, so increase the distance between you and the vehicle in front.

More About Idling

Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. If you're stopping for more than 10 seconds - except in traffic - turn off the engine.

In winter conditions, emissions from an idling vehicle are more than double the normal level immediately after a "cold start." A poorly tuned engine uses up to 15 percent more energy when idling than a well-tuned vehicle.

Restarting a car many times has little impact on engine components such as the battery and the starter motor. The wear on parts that restarting the engine causes adds about $10 a year to the cost of driving - money that you'll likely recover several times over in fuel savings.

Excessive idling can be hard on your engine. Because the engine isn't working at peak operating temperature, fuel doesn't undergo complete combustion. This leaves fuel residues that contaminate engine oil and make spark plugs dirty.

The catalytic converter - the device that cleans pollutants from the vehicle's exhaust - doesn't function at its peak until it reaches between 750°F and 1000°F. The best way to warm the converter is to drive the vehicle. Idling emits more pollution if the vehicle's catalytic converter isn't working properly. Ask your technician to check the system the next time your car is being serviced.

If your vehicle has a diesel engine, idling actually lowers the coolant temperature faster than shutting off the engine. In other words, switching off the engine keeps the engine warm longer.