Not a Speck of Dirt: Conserving Fuel with Well-Maintained Cars

As a car owner, you must know a thing or two about keeping your vehicle clean at all times. In many ways, having a functional vehicle that has well-maintained components and a presentable exterior is just common road courtesy. But if you want a logical reason to bring your car to the car wash every now and then, it is to get the layer of grime off the body, as grime forces the car to consume more gas.

This unlikely finding was made by an engineer who took his car to the car wash one day. In his article, the engineer claimed that his car consumed 7% less fuel on a 1,600-mile road trip. This finding was corroborated by another experiment that dispelled the myth that keeping grime and dirt on cars saves more fuel. The test also calculated fuel efficiency of clean vehicles at 10%.

Both studies have verified that dirt and grime on a car increases air resistance. With a higher drag, the car needs to exert more energy to maintain its cruising speed; thus, requiring more fuel to produce more energy. This explanation is opposed to the myth that the dirt in the car improves the car's aerodynamics. While 10% may not seem significant to some, consider the high prices of gas today.

Washing the body alone is enough to maximize fuel efficiency, removing layers of dirt and grime from the body of a used car Calgary residents' drive. Waxing can be optional, but it can help improve the car's aerodynamics by making the body smooth. Lessening the drag will make the driver ease off of the gas pedal, consuming less gas. For every ten gallons of gas your clean car consumes, you can probably save as much as a gallon.

Another cleaning tip to consider is to do some cleaning under the hood, in this case, the engine. Have the engine of the used car Calgary residents drive cleaned periodically to improve fuel economy. The presence of soot or particulates in the engine can affect overall performance, forcing the vehicle to consume more fuel in order to get the desired performance. Cleaning the interior is just as important as cleaning the exterior.

Whether you are driving a Porsche Calgary residents' own, or any other car model, a clean car definitely saves fuel. Spending at least twenty to thirty dollars for a full body wash is better compared with gassing up frequently. Not only will you get a great looking car, you can save precious natural resources too.