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By Jim Prahl
That question is perhaps the most frequently asked by
both listeners of the Auto Doctor program and by my
customers.
The answer is to make sure that the vehicle in question
is maintained and performing properly. If the vehicle is
serviced at regular intervals (15, 30, 45.000 miles,
etc.) then the vehicle is usually going to get good
mileage.
Computers on automobiles today make hundreds of
adjustments per second based on input from certain
sensors. If your vehicle has a plugged fuel filter, the
oxygen sensor senses a deduction of fuel system which
causes a reduction of not only gas mileage, but also
robs your vehicle of power (sluggishness).
The same is true of spark plugs or ignition cables that
are not replaced at proper intervals because the
computer is aware of the reduction of spark and making
necessary adjustments to compensate for improper tuning.
Since the computer is compensating for improper
maintenance, people are unaware there's a problem until
the problem gets so bad that eventually the computer
can't do anymore. By then, other damage can occur
(catalytic converter failure, ignition module or igniter
failures, etc.) and that gets costly.
Tune your vehicle every 25,000 to 30,000 miles (vehicles
designed for platinum plugs can go much longer), replace
ignition cables, distributor caps, distributor rotors
(if applicable) every 60,000 miles. Replace the fuel
filter every 15,000 miles and most of all realize that
some computer input or output sensors wear out and
should be replaced as necessary.
The oxygen sensor is a computer input sensor that can
waste 10% or more of your fuel economy in as short of
time as 50,000 miles and is recommended at 60,000 miles
by most manufacturers.
Don't forget, I mentioned just one computer component,
and there are many more on any vehicle made today such
as knock sensors, manifold absolute pressure sensors,
temperature sensors, and on and on. These sensors are
generally checked every time you get a tune up at a
reputable repair facility, and as mentioned before, they
can save you at the fuel pump or possibly from other
costly repairs, Happy Motoring!
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