Save Gas With a Tune Up

Written by nickel - 8 Comments

This article is a guest blogger submission written by Andy Hough of Bank Bonuses.

With the recent rise in gas prices there have been many blog posts about ways to save on gas. I decided to test how well one of these tips would actually work.

Many posts suggested that keeping your car tuned up would help your gas mileage. Since my car needed a tune-up, I decided to see what the difference in my miles per gallon actually was.

Before the tune-up I was getting about 25.5 MPG. After the tune-up I managed 34.5 MPG, 9 more miles per gallon. That is 90 extra miles per 10 gallon fill-up. With a gas price of $3 a gallon it would have cost me $10.59 more to drive those 90 extra miles before the tune-up. The cost of the tune-up was $60 so I will more than make up for its cost in 6 fill-ups. Of course your vehicle might not need a tune-up as badly as mine needed one so your savings will vary. It is clear though that getting a tune-up when your vehicle needs one is maintenance that pays for itself.

Published on June 29th, 2006 - 8 Comments
Filed under: Automotive, Energy
email this article email this article - digg this - stumble it - save to del.icio.us

Related articles...

     » From the Archives (June 24th - June 30th)
     » From the Archives (June 8th - July 5th)
     » Super Bowl Ad Prices
     » Talk About an Allowance!
     » The Danger of No-Interest, Same-as-Cash Purchases
     » Eco-Friendly Energy Savings
     » Dealing With a Fender Bender
     » Final Walkthrough Today

Comments (scroll down to add your own):

  1. So, what did this $60 tune-up consist of?

    Comment by Anon — Jun 29th 2006 @ 1:16 pm
  2. This tune-up was simply replacing the spark plugs. The price also included a state inspection so the cost of the “tune-up” was actually less than $60. Different shops include different services in their tune-ups and you need to compare prices with that in mind.

    I know I could have saved even more money by changing the spark plugs myself but that is something I will have to learn in the future.

    Comment by Andy — Jun 29th 2006 @ 2:00 pm
  3. The link to my site in the post seems broken. It should be bankbonuses.blogspot.com. Thanks.

    Comment by Andy — Jun 29th 2006 @ 7:24 pm
  4. And how long does this improvement last? If this keeps fuel efficiency up for 6 months or between tune-ups, then its great. But if after the first month the efficiency drops….

    Comment by Charles — Jun 29th 2006 @ 9:37 pm
  5. Fixed the link. Sorry for the glitch.

    Comment by nickel — Jun 29th 2006 @ 11:47 pm
  6. You know, it also would help if you did routine maintenance, especially if you are about to take on a road trip this summer. It also saves you from extra expenses because of car breakdowns.

    Comment by Mark Clarkson — Jul 3rd 2006 @ 11:58 pm

Leave a comment

Subscribe without commenting

Subscribe for free updates...


Search this site...

Sponsors...

Great deals...

Readers’ choice...

Recent articles...

Recent comments...

  • Stacy: We live 40 minutes south of Boston & use 3 different girls in our...
  • MM: We have a single 2-year-old and when we go out on our own, we pay our...
  • Sue Grubbs: I got a card in my mail change of address book for a 10% off...
  • Chelsey: As a 22-year-old frequent babysitter, I get paid around $10/hr,...
  • DavidC: I checked at the Costco price. Even the fact that it is cheaper,...
  • Mike: We pay $10 for two kids (4 and 18 months). Our sitter is a school...
  • owen: I’ve been using zecco almost a year now. I am up 23% this year...
  • JackandJillsMoneyBlog: Great article. One additional tip for selling items on...

Most talked about...

Disclaimer...

    The terms of third-party offers referenced on this website are subject to change without notice. While we strive to maintain timely and accurate information, offer details may be out of date. Visitors should thus verify the terms of any such offers prior to participating in them. Please see our terms of service for additional details.