In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the key myths out there regarding fuel economy in a vehicle. Many of these relate to misconceptions regarding fuel or additives, but there are also several that speak to basic vehicle operations and related themes.
At Auto Showcase of Tulsa, we’re happy to over mileage, fuel economy and any related factors for all of our quality used cars. In today’s part two of our series, we’ll go over a few additional areas of misinformation to be aware of when it comes to gas mileage and fuel economy, including several within the realm of basic operations and several misconceptions that have cropped up here.
“Topping Off” the Car
We’ve all had the experience: The automatic nozzle at the gas pump clicks off, but you try to squeeze just a little more gas into your tank before replacing it. Most assume this is the right move and will improve their fuel capacity in a small way.
Simply put, this is not true. This nozzle pump feature is designed to stop when the tank has reached true fullness – pushing more gas into it afterward actually pushes gas into the evaporation system, where both the gas itself and the system can be damage. This is the single top cause of canister failure in the evaporation system, which is often a high-cost repair.
Cruise Control Factors
This is an interesting area, because part of it is not a myth at all: For many longer drives, cruise control is an effective feature for maintaining good gas mileage. It helps stop you from accidentally accelerating too much or too little during flat sections.
However, for hilly areas, cruise control may actually worsen gas mileage. This is because it may accelerate or decelerate the vehicle in rapid ways that are not ideal for fuel economy, especially when trying to get up a steep hill. For this reason, we recommend turning off cruise control in hilly areas.
Size Myths
You might assume that the smaller and lighter a vehicle is, the better its fuel economy will be. But this really isn’t a major factor – there are incredibly efficient vehicles that are quite large, and smaller vehicles that are not efficient at all. What matters is the engine and various fuel economy features within it.
Fuel Efficiency Lifespan
Finally, there’s a common misconception out there that your car’s original gas mileage will maintain throughout its lifespan. But this isn’t the case – due to things like friction, engine wear and basic aging over time, fuel efficiency gets worse with time. Proper tune-ups and upkeep will limit this wear-down, but there will still be a point where gas mileage begins to trend downward.
For more on gas mileage myths debunked, or to learn about any of our auto dealership services, speak to the staff at Auto Showcase of Tulsa today.
