Summertime is great for vacations and family trips. It’s also good for your Long Island vehicle because it doesn’t have to fight cold winter temperatures. But the trade-off is the need to run air conditioning (AC) when the weather gets too hot, and summertime traffic can be heavy at times due to all the vacation travel. There are some things you can do to help your fuel efficiency during summer months.
Check your gas cap — An old gas cap or one not secured correctly can cause gas to evaporate from the gas tank. Make sure the cap is secured each time you fill up, and if you smell gas at the fuel tank have your dealer replace the cap with a new one.
Park in the shade — You can help your AC system by parking in the shade whenever you can. This will keep the interior of the car much cooler and allow the air conditioning to work more efficiently.
Open the windows when you start driving — When the car has been sitting and the interior is hot, start your trip with the windows down for a few minutes before starting the air conditioner. This will reduce the interior heat significantly and allow the AC to catch up faster.
Leave the windows down at lower speeds — Research has shown that running the air conditioner at highway speeds will improve fuel efficiency because having the windows closed creates less wind drag. However, at lower speeds it can be more efficient to leave the windows open.
Don’t idle the vehicle with the AC on to cool the car — Your car will cool faster when the car is moving, so don’t leave the car running at idle in an attempt to cool it. Open the windows, start your drive, then turn on the AC. The car will be comfortable much faster that way.
Something else you can do is bring your car to NY Autobrokers service department and let us give your car a much-needed tuneup. A properly tuned car will use much less fuel and save you money over the long run. Of course, we want you to consider NY Autobrokers for your next car, so stop by and tell us what car or SUV you need and we will find it for you. And don’t panic if you have little or no credit; we can get your car financed when you deal with NY Autobrokers.