A question for our Pella Iowa motorists: How long have you been enjoying the romantic glow of your check engine light?
Hey, it’s not there to create ambiance; it’s a warning that something’s wrong. When your check engine light comes on get it checked at a capable Pella Iowa service station.
Many conditions that cause the check engine light to come on affect fuel economy. Some very dramatically.
Always make sure you tighten your gas cap until it clicks. A loose gas cap can cause a false sensor reading that’ll make the check engine light come on.
If your date’s eyes are smoldering in the reflected glow of the check engine light, try to think of all the gas money you’ll save by getting it fixed. Give us a call when you are ready: 641-628-9223
The function of the fuel filter is pretty self-explanatory. It filters your fuel. The fuel filter is in the fuel line somewhere in between the fuel tank and the engine. Both gas and diesel vehicles around Pella Iowa use fuel filters.
For more information about your fuel filter, visit Pella Car Care or come by our shop located at 90 Truman Road in Pella, Iowa 50219.
Please call 641-628-9223 to make an appointment.
Generally speaking there’s not a lot of dirt in our fuel supply, but there is enough that you want to screen it out. The problem actually gets worse the older your vehicle becomes. That’s because dirt, rust and other contaminants will settle out of the fuel and onto the bottom of the fuel tank. After your vehicle is five years or older, it can actually have a fair amount of sediment built up.
That just means that the fuel filter has to work harder as your vehicle ages. It’ll get clogged sooner and need to be replaced more often.
A symptom of a clogged fuel filter is that the engine sputters at highway speeds or under hard acceleration. That’s because enough fuel is getting through around town, but when you need more fuel for speed, enough just can’t get through the filter. Obviously, that could be dangerous if your car or truck can’t get enough power to get you out of harm’s way.
For just that reason, fuel filters have a bypass valve. When the filter is severely clogged, some fuel can bypass the filter all together. Of course that means that dirty, unfiltered fuel is getting through to be burned in the engine.
This dirt can then clog and damage your fuel injectors. Now injectors are not cheap to replace, so you don’t want to cause them damage just because you didn’t spend a few bucks to replace a fuel filter.
You know, in a way, the fuel filter can be the poster child for preventive maintenance. It’s a little part, it’s simple and it’s cheap to take care of. But if it’s neglected, it could lead to thousands of dollars of repair bills.
Those auto service schedules in your owner’s manual are there for a reason. If ever you don’t understand a recommended service, just ask your service advisor at Pella Car Care. We’ll be happy to explain.
This fuel saving tip is so simple, no one will believe it. It has to do with your gas cap.
The first thing is to make sure it’s screwed on tight. If it’s loose, gas vapor will be constantly leaking out; wasted gas.
And air will get in and that can cause your oxygen sensor to read incorrectly and the oxygen sensor will tell the engine management computer to adjust the fuel-air mix and, well, you get the picture; you’ll be burning more gas than you need to.
This could cause the check engine light to come on as well.
A worn gas cap can have the same effect. If you constantly smell gas when you walk by your tank, you might need a new gas cap.
So, twist your cap until it clicks three times – that means it’s on tight. Have your service advisor at Pella Car Care inspect the cap to see if it needs to be replaced.
See, I told you it was simple.
Don’t forget to call Pella Car Care at 641-628-9223 for an appointment to optimize your SUV for better fuel economy. Ask us about Diagnostics.
In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your SUV engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute in every single fuel-injected car driving down the roads.
Most fuel injectors for gas engines are known in the auto industry as port fuel injectors because they deliver the fuel to a port just outside the cylinder. The fuel pump provides pressure needed to squirt the right amount of fuel into the engine.
A few auto makers have recently introduced gas direct injection systems on some engines. They are now available at some Pella dealerships. These systems inject the gas directly into the cylinders under very high pressure – many times the pressure of port injection systems.
Although more complicated, direct injection technology promises greater power with improved fuel economy for gas-poor commuters. Iowa motorists can expect to see more of it in the future.
High temperatures under your SUV hood and variations in gas quality cause fuel injectors to be fouled with wax, dirt, water, additives and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure.
When injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn’t burn as efficiently resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it’s important for Pella drivers keep their fuel injectors clean.
Your Pella Car Care service center can perform a fuel system service for you in which the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time.
Proper maintenance of your fuel system means that you will spend less on gas, enjoy strong performance and prevent costly repair bills down the road.
There’s not much we can do about the price of gas in Pella Iowa, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we’re driving.
Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.
The first thing we can do is watch the ‘go-pedal’. Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don’t need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Go a little slower on the freeway. Once you’re going more than sixty-five miles an hour your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don’t need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend – steady speed uses less gas.
Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands.
Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot.
Pella Car Care
90 Truman Road
Pella, Iowa 50219 641-628-9223
Let’s start at the tank. The gas tank gathers dirt, rust and sediment over the years. That’s why there’s a fuel filter to clean the fuel after it leaves the tank. A dirty filter will rob the engine of the clean gas it needs to run efficiently.
The fuel intake components get coated with gum and varnish over time. This results in fuel being delivered inefficiently and some of that gunk getting into the engine. A fuel system service at Pella Car Care will leave your intake as clean as a whistle.
The big fuel thief is dirty fuel injectors. They deliver fuel to the engine at a specified pressure and in a particular spray pattern. When they’re clogged, the fuel doesn’t get atomized the way it’s supposed to and doesn’t get burned as efficiently.
See your owner’s manual or ask your Marion County service advisor at Pella Car Care when a fuel system cleaning is recommended.
With high fuel prices comes lots of gas saving advice. Some of it, like what you hear on AutoNetTV, is really great. Some is myth. And some is just designed to prey on people desperate to save some money on gas.
When you get one of those e-mails that’s going around telling you how to save gas, try to think it through.
Does it really make sense? Does it defy the laws of physics?
There aren’t any magic pills you can drop in your gas tank and the government hasn’t suppressed a device you can clamp on your fuel line to make your car run on air. Not even in Pella!
So next time you get one of those e-mails, check it out with an automotive professional. You’ll get more bang for your buck with an oil change or an engine air filter replacement.
We’re Pella Car Care, give us a call at 641-628-9223 for good honest advice about your car.
If you’re a quart low in your SUV, there isn’t enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you’re driving around the Pella area.
The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn’t reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local Pella gas pump rolling higher and higher.
The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it’s in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down.
So keep it clean and give yourself a fighting chance.
Pella Car Care
90 Truman Road
Pella, Iowa 50219 641-628-9223
Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone knows this makes sense.
Some of us carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I’m not talkin’ what you see in the mirror.
Guys; sports equipment and tools. Ladies; well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about forty-five pounds of French fries on the floor.
All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive.
Lose the junk and save some money.
…And you really only need one of those spare tires.
No matter how well they’re made, cars will have design or manufacturing problems.
And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone who owns that type of car to get the recall work done.
These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously. It’s easy to see if a vehicle’s being recalled.
The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links.
There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There’s CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV.
Recalls are serious, but not all that common. But sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that tells service centers like Pella Car Care how to repair a frequent or difficult problem.
The pros get updated information through subscription plans, also available in consumer versions for a reasonable cost.
So when vehicle recalls occur, get the work done, and keep you and yours safe.
Many conditions that cause the check engine light to come on affect fuel economy. Some very dramatically.
