Cost Saving Tips

The goal at Garlisch Automotive Services Inc is to save you money when you need automotive services. One of the ways we do this is to provide you with tips from the Car Care Council. You can always call us at (815) 242-6331 for any type of automotive advice.

Know What the Statistics Are for Auto Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 13,000 Americans die in auto accidents between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day. The reason? Required vehicle maintenance that was never performed.

2,600 deaths, about 100,000 disabling injuries, and more than $2 billion in lost wages, hospital expenses, and property damage occur annually due to neglected auto maintenance (the reason why most mechanical failures occur).

A report from the U. S. Department of Transportation states that the #1 cause of mechanical breakdowns is due to overheating (which is an easily avoidable issue), and this is almost always because of loose belts, low antifreeze, and busted hoses.

It costs the driver nothing to check if the tires are properly inflated and then fill the tire with air if needed, but more than 20% of the cars or trucks inspected in check lanes during National Car Care Month have tires that are underinflated. The risk of a blowout is significantly higher under these circumstances, and this can easily lead to a serious accident.

Here are some additional tips the Car Care Council offers to save you money in the long haul:

• Gas caps – About 147 million gallons of gas evaporate into the atmosphere annually all because 17% of the vehicles on the road have loose, missing, or damaged gas caps.
• Tires with low pressure – Driving with tires that aren’t properly inflated is the equivalent of driving with the parking brake on. This alone will cost you about one to two miles per gallon.
• Dirty or worn-out spark plugs – Your car or truck has four, six, or eight spark plugs (depending on the number of cylinders in your engine). Every 1,000 miles, the spark plugs fire about three million times. This, of course, will lead to heat, electrical, and chemical erosion. Defective spark plugs result in misfiring, and this will waste fuel. Always replace spark plugs at the times recommended in your driver’s manual. 
• Clogged air filters – When an air filter in a car or truck is dirty, it constricts the airflow which thus results in a rich mixture of fuel and oxygen. This will cause too much fuel to be burned and will cause the engine to lose power. You can improve gas mileage by up to 10% (about $0.20 per gallon) by replacing the air filter.
• Avoid offensive driving – Gas mileage can be lowered to almost 33% on the highway and nearly 5% in the city if you drive aggressively. This costs you $0.10 to $0.66 per gallon.
• Avoid excessive idling – You only need to let your car or truck warm up for one to two minutes. Idling wastes fuel, so idle sparingly.
• Don’t exceed the speed limit – When you drive over 55 mph, you use more fuel. It’ll cost you $0.10 more per gallon. Use cruise control for a constant speed.
• Replace your windshield wipers twice a year – 21% of the participants’ vehicles in the 2001 National Car Care Month check lanes had damaged, worn, smeared, or streaked wipers. We realize that different effects will take place on the wipers due to your climate, but they should be replaced every six months. Always keep plenty of wiper fluid in the reservoir and test the wipers every now and then for functionality.
• Check your vehicle’s lights – When it comes to lighting, vehicle check lanes indicated an overall failure rate of over 25%. You need to check your lights every month, and you should also turn them on during the day and night to determine your vehicle’s position on the highway as well as the distance from the other vehicles. If your turn signal or brake lights are defective or burned out, other motorists won’t know if you’re turning or stopping which could result in an accident.

10 Minute Pre-Trip Checkup

The Car Care Council has put together a 10-minute pre-trip checklist that consists of three suggestions:

• Check all fluids (and look for leaks) – Make sure the oil, antifreeze, steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and wiper fluid are not leaking and are filled to the correct level in their respective reservoirs.
• Check the hoses and belts – When a belt breaks, this will affect either the electrical, AC, heating, steering, or engine cooling system. The hoses for the cooling system may have deteriorated from the inside, so replace any and all hoses or clamps that are in a compromised position.
• Check your vehicle’s tires – Inspect the inflation level, and look for uneven wear, bulges, bald spots, and cracks.

Pre-trip inspections reduce the odds of costly and hazardous road problems, and they also give you the opportunity to repair the vehicle at home if an automotive technician lives nearby. You can never guarantee that an accident will be avoided when you’re driving after a simple inspection, but when precautions are taken, it’ll give you peace of mind.

"While a last-minute checkup is better than no checkup, motorists should plan ahead to allow time to perform necessary maintenance themselves or at the local service facility. A properly maintained vehicle is safer and more dependable and will even save a few dollars at the gas pumps."

Rich White

The Car Care Council

Executive Director