Can you really buy horsepower in a can? Do gas additives really work? The jury still seems to be out on whether, or not fuel additives are worth the money. We know some products for cleaning the carbon from your engine will work, that in and of itself will increase your performance, but is there a magic solution that will rev your engine a little more? The answer is, sadly, probably not.
As I said before, everyone has their own opinion about the products they put in their car to enhance performance. Here’s one:
The best way to keep your car performing like new is to simply take care of it. Adhere to a regularly scheduled maintenance program. Change your oil and the rest of your fluids regularly as well. This isn’t really a recommendation, it’s mandatory. The longer you own a vehicle, the more attention you are going to have to give it. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean relying on mystical fuel additives that promise to roll back the wear and tear on your average engine.
If you have any questions on how you can get the most out of your engine, call or visit any Superior Automotive location.
Having a bad fuel pump will obviously be a catastrophic failure for your car. Your car simply will not run without your fuel pump delivering fuel to your engine. OK, now that we pointed out the obvious, the question is, “Why is you car not starting?” It could be a number of things that has nothing to do with your fuel pump, but for this blog, let’s assume that you’ve ruled out all other issues like your battery or a bad starter. Let’s say you are convinced that it is your fuel pump, but how can you be sure?
First, we’ve established that your car has a “no-start” condition” that is to say, your engine might be cycling, but not catching. The steps for diagnosing a fuel pump failure are fairly simple.
1. When you turn your car’s ignition, you should hear a buzz as your battery delivers power to your fuel pump. When you turn the key and you don’t hear the buzz of the fuel pump running, you’ll want to check the second source of issue which is the fuse.
2. Find the fuse box and pull the fuse or your fuel pump. Your owner’s manual should have a fuse diagram. Pull the fuse and examine it. It shouldn’t look burned out. If your fuse looks good, you want to move to the fuel pump relay and check that. It’s also located in the fuse box area.
3. The relay will make a click if it is operational when you turn the key over. You can also feel the click. IF you hear or feel the click, then your relay is okay.
4. Your last step is to check the pressure being emitted by the fuel pump. If you have mechanical knowledge of the inner workings of your engine you can check the pressure of your fuel pump your self with a gauge. At this point, you may want to have it brought into your Cincinnati car mechanics. Chances are if everything looks okay then your culprit is going to be a lack of pressure being emitted to your fuel pump.
Check out the video below for some more explanation.
If you’ve found that you have a bad fuel pump, it might be more difficult to replace than you are capable of. Many times the gas tank itself has to be removed to access your pump. This is something that we don’t recommend you do yourself. Your best bet is to bring it into any Superior Automotive location and let our Certified mechanics take a close look at it.
In today’s world the cost of gas fluctuates from what we now considerable affordable and what is highway robbery. In doing research on my own to figure out how I could conserve on gas I found roughly 5 solid driving tips to help save gas, and these are tips that could help everyone. They way I look at is is, regardless if you’re driving a new car or a used car, saving gas is saving money.
Drive Sensibly – This one is a no-brainer. Rapid acceleration, quick excessive braking, speeding, and aggressive driving wastes gas. Driving conservatively and sensibly can even lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent when driving in town.
Observe The Speed Limit – Each vehicle new, or old reaches their optimal fuel economy at different speeds. It is said that gas mileage can decrease rapidly at speeds over 60 mph. At that pace you can assume that for each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph its like paying .24 cents more per gallon. That can add up really quickly if you’re blazing the roads all over town.
Avoid Excessive Idling – When you’re idling you are getting 0 miles per gallon. Cars waste gas when they idle, cars with larger engines typically will waste even more gas than cars with smaller engines. Why take the risk? When you’re not driving you should just turn your engine off. Not only will it save on gas but its good for the environment too and we should all be thinking about the environment.
Use Cruise Control – Now obviously this is not something you can do when sitting in traffic but using cruise control on the highway can help reduce your gas waste by maintaining a constant speed and not overworking your engine.
Remove Excess Weight – If you’re like me you’ve got junk in your trunk. I’ve got lawn chairs, blankets and the like just sitting back there. Partly because I’m too lazy to take it up stairs and partly because you never know when you might need to use them. Once I found out I could save gas by taking that stuff out, I quickly moved them back to the garage. According to an independent study by the US government, “An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car’s fuel economy by 1-2%.” As you can see it’s time to dump that junk in your trunk and start saving gas.
As gas prices keep rising, and the money in your wallet keeps dwindling. There are ways you can save on gas and reduce your overall fuel consumption. I hope these tips will help you in your quest to saving gas and if nothing else gets you thinking about other ways we can help the environment.
Did you know that soot and carbon build up over time and can seriously affect the fuel efficiency of your Cincinnati cars? At the end of the day, we all just want to spend less at the pump, right? So, when you have, for lack of a better word, “junk” blocking your injector nozzle, then you start getting an irregular spray pattern. This irregularity actually causes you to use more fuel to create the same combustion in your engine that your injectors would normally produce.
He’s basically how your fuel injector works:
What does a bad fuel injector sound like?
So, you can see how important it is to keep your fuel injectors clean. The proper amount of fuel must be delivered to the engine. Now, there are additives and cleaners out there that make cleaning your fuel injectors a “do it yourself-er”. If you’d rather not go through the hassle of buying cleaner, learning how to apply it and wondering if you’ve even done it right, then just give your car service professionals at and Superior Automotive location a call. You’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your injectors will be almost as good as new.
With the weekend here, there is little doubt that you will be wrangling the family and hitting the road for some much deserved vacation time. There is also little doubt that the high gas prices will be on your mind, especially when you gas up before you head out to your weekend destination. The Superior Automotive Group can’t control the gas prices in Cincinnati, but you can control how much gas you use when you are driving. I know this may seem redundant, but you’re driving habits affect how much gas you use. For example, jack rabbit starts and exceeding the speed limit are great gas wasters.
I know you’ve heard it all before, but it is really easy to slip back into our old driving habits when we forget how much fuel is costing the average American driver. If you you need a refresher course and more tips for saving gas money, keep reading.
This first tip might seem obvious, but whenever possible, combine your errands and trips. Try to make one trip to run errands, rather than several shorter tips. Less miles traveled means less gas used. It’s a simple equation that will always come out in your favor.
Next, be conservative with your air conditioning setting. Your A/C’s gas sucking ability may have been exaggerated, but there are still studies out there that claim that using your A/C at its highest can reduce your fuel efficiency when compared to if you didn’t use it. Opening a window, or two while on the highway can actually make your gas mileage worse than using your A/C, so you may as well use it.
Third, use your cruise control whenever possible. Maintaining a consistent speed when driving on the highway, will help you cut fuel costs. Also, make sure not to start and stop suddenly.
Fourth, avoid carrying extra weight in your trunk or on your vehicle’s roof. You might forget that you put all the kids’ sports equipment in the trunk and drive around with it for months, but if you remove an extra 100 pounds from your trunk, you can save up to 12 gallons of gas each year. These days, every dollar counts!
This last one is easy. Simply select the right vehicle from your Cincinnati Car Dealer. When you’re in the market for a new car or SUV, you can look at fueleconomy.gov to learn that vehicle’s average gas mileage. Determine how miles you drive each month and calculate how much gas you’ll be spending. The best part is that The Superior Automotive Group has multiple manufacturers for you to compare and choose from. Cincinnati Hyundais, Acuras, Kias and Hondas are all designed to be more fuel efficient and gentler on the wallet.
No doubt you’ve seen the multiple brands of fuel additives that you can buy at your local automotive shop. They come with the promise of more power, better acceleration, and better gas mileage, but is it a significant amount and does it warrant the extra cost? It is no secret, that in the past, some companies that produce these products have been in and out of the courts over law suits filed claiming that it is false advertising, however, those same companies point to their data saying that they work. So, who do you believe? Do you trust that it will be money well spent? The Superior Automotive Group has the same question, and while we already know the answer, I still wanted to try to find some additional proof as to the validity of loading your fuel tank with an additive that claims to boost your efficiency.
The video below was produced in England and put the claims about power boosting additives to the test, and the results are rather surprising.
As we suspected, you just can’t buy more horsepower out of a few ounces of liquid. Now keep in mind that while these tests point to a net loss in power, they actually didn’t test any of the gas saving additives that are on the market. So, I guess we are back where we started, still a little in the dark. If you feel that you are getting the added horsepower or fuel efficiency that you expect, then more power (pun intended) to you. However, Superior STRONGLY advises that you do your research before you put additives in your vehicle. The best way to get better mileage and more power would be to buy a higher grade of gasoline. Of course you can always “buy” more horsepower by purchasing a new vehicle. Swing by Superior Cars and give some of our vehicles a test drive and really increase your power..
The safety, security, and performance of your new car Superior Auto Group car is crucial if you desire to travel without fault. In order to ensure that each of these elements are at their highest quality you must ensure that you are constantly maintaining every element of your new car or truck.
The problem is that many people will neglect to follow up on common vehicle problems unless these problems hinder the operation of their vehicle. This is the worse thing you can do. A problem which may seem small right now could erupt into an even larger scale problem that could ultimately cost you a great deal more money than if you would have corrected the issue when it first was revealed.
One problem that many people attempt to avoid dealing with is issues with their vehicles air intake system. If you remember one thing about this article it should be this:
“The air intake mechanism in your vehicle can’t be ignored! Ignoring this element could cause additional damage to your vehicle and could also render it useless.”
What Can Happen If I Don’t Repair Or Replace My Damaged Air Intake System?
Deposits can accumulate on air intake valves, fuel injectors, and combustion chambers. When this happens, your vehicle could lose power and be rendered useless. You could also experience a misfire, knocking, or a rough idle. Finally, you may have avery hard time starting your car.
What Do I Do If I Am Experiencing Issues With My Air Intake System?
If you are experiencing issues with your vehicles air intake system you should immediately stop driving the vehicle and should immediately correct the issue. You can attempt to clean the air intake mechanism on your own or you can take your vehicle to a trained specialist who can repair and clean or replace your vehicles air intake mechanism for you.
The good news is that a new air intake system is inexpensive and can generally be replaced with little effort. Even if you choose to carry out this task on your own, you will quickly discover that it is a very simplistic process. Additionally, you will quickly be pleased with the manner in which your vehicle will operate once you have cleaned, repaired, or replaced your damage system.
Here’s a fun little video to show you how easy it is to clean your new car’s air intake system: (Yes, I know the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car.)
If you have any more questions or need a little assistance, just see any Superior Auto Group location.
Gas prices are continuing to fluctuate, but unfortunately, it’s looking like they are going to stay on the high side for quite a bit longer. At this point, most people are taking every precaution they possibly can to save when it comes to saving money on gas… even if the tip happens to just be a myth. This CincinnatiCar Dealer wants to give some real tips that will actually stretch your dollar at the pump.
The other day, I received a forwarded email from a friend of a friend. I’m not normally one for reading forwarded emails, but the title of this one, Tips on Pumping Gas, caught my eye. It was written by a man who works at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline in California. Since he’s worked in the industry for more than 30 years, you might say he’s an expert on the subject.
Check out his suggestions on ways to save at the pump.
1. When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the fastest mode. If you look you will notice that the trigger has 3 stages: low, middle and high. You should be pumping on low mode, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fastest rate, some of the liquid that goes into your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked back into the underground storage tank so you are actually getting less than your money’s worth.
2. Fill up when your gas tank is half full. The reason for this is because the more gas you have in your tank, the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof which serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere thus minimizing the evaporation.
3. If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks where you plan on stopping to get gas, DO NOT fill up there. Most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas in being delivered, and you could pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
You’ll probably hear all sorts of advice when it comes to saving at the pump, and no one blames you for trying all of it on your Cincinnati Car. With gas prices this high, what do we have to lose?
So what if you had the supply to cover the demand? Something that could be available on all manufacturers like Honda, Acura, Kia and Hyundai. You may or may not know that I’m all for alternate gas saving solutions, but things like hybrids are just band-aids to a bigger issue. What if we could use water to create fuel and convert water to hydroelectricity powerful enough to fuel our vehicles? If you’ve actually looked for conversion kits for “run your car on water” you will find many different products…but do these products work? So far, the general consensus is “No.”
Although, the technology is being worked on in earnest, I think It will be some time before we find a real way to convert water to hydrogen and ultimately have a fairly limitless supply of fuel.Check out the video below on how Hydrogen Fuel cells work.
…now the reality of the matter is contained in the video below:
There you have it, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t…at least not yet. If you have any questions or comments about the development of alternate fuels that can ease our burden at the pump, leave them below, or call your favorite Cincinnati car dealership.
There has been a recent study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center that is showing that an overwhelming majority (93 percent) of adult car owners want to see stricter fuel-economy standards. New car dealerships in Cincinnati are beginning to feel more of a drive moving towards greener cars by the general public than ever before.
Further, it is showing that:
more than 90 percent want automakers to offer a larger variety of fuel-efficient vehicles, and about two-thirds say they expect to purchase a vehicle with better fuel economy.
Some other interesting results of the survey show that eighty-three percent of survey respondents say they’d be willing to pay more for a fuel-efficient car.
A majority (56 percent) say they will consider an electric or hybrid for their next car.
Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) would consider buying some type of hybrid or electric car if they become more widely available over the next 15 years.
It was further reported that for respondents who drive less than 20 miles per day, environmental friendliness is a stronger motivator for saving gas than for those driving longer distances daily. Seventy-nine percent of those owners consider “greenness” as an important motivator versus 62 percent of those driving 50 miles or more per day. Interestingly, the green issue resonates a little more with women than men (75 vs. 70 percent), whereas men have a greater concern about the nation’s dependence on foreign oil (69 vs. 60 percent).
More education and exposure may lead to a shift in consumer consideration of electric vehicles. The drawbacks of today’s electric cars–range limitations, long charging times, and high purchase prices–are likely factors. However, over time, as vehicles improve, prices drop, and consumers become more familiar with engine-less cars, we expect interest in electric cars to rise.
Looking further down the road, when asked about both conventional gasoline and alternative-fuel powertrains that may be more widely available in the next 15 years. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they’d be interested in some form of electric alternative by then, such as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure-electric, or hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicle in the future.
More people said they would consider alternative-fuel options than conventional gasoline-fueled cars, further underscoring the concerns that drivers voiced for the environment and national petroleum consumption. Hybrids led the alternative-fuel options with 58 percent, but hydrogen-fuel-cell cars were cited by a hefty 43 percent. Diesels trailed with just 25 percent. The popularity of fuel-cell cars is a little surprising since they have an uncertain future, whereas fuel-efficient diesel cars are already here and supported by an existing infrastructure. Fuel-cell cars are also likely to be more expensive.
Bottom line
This survey reveals that consumers seek relief from today’s driving costs, though a significant percentage are looking beyond their own pain at the pump to consider larger issues, such as environmental protection, emissions, and dependence on foreign oil. And to achieve these goals, consumers are willing to pay extra for the cars and technology, while supporting the automaker and government actions necessary to make it happen.
These findings are based on a random, nationwide telephone survey of 1,008 adults, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center from October 28-31, 2011.
The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and any suggestions are always welcome at [email protected]
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