AUTONET TV

How Do You Save Gas in Venice, FL?

No one in Venice, FL, likes to spend a chunk of change at the gas pump. Rising FL fuel prices, however, have spurred Venice drivers to focus on how to improve their fuel economy. North Americans literally drive billions of miles/kilometers less each month during times of high fuel prices. But we still need to drive (we love our vehicles, after all!), so it makes sense to try and increase our fuel economy however we can.

Let's look at a real life example. This man has one of those really big SUVs. Lots of kids and horses to haul around, you know. His family was planning a four day camping trip. Here's what he did to cut his fuel costs:

First, he installed a new, high flow engine air filter. Then he had his service center change his oil, flush his cooling system and service his front and rear differentials along with the transfer case. He also had a fuel system cleaning, replaced his PCV valve and breather element. He also made sure his tires were up to the recommended pressure.

Now this cost several hundred dollars. But keep in mind, it all needed to be done anyway – it was all scheduled, and some of the work was overdue.

So he headed out, loaded with nine people and pulling a trailer with everything needed for four days of camping. When the trip was over, he tallied his costs.  Turns out, he got the best fuel economy on that vehicle up to that point. It had improved 25 percent! He saved $48.00 on that trip alone. And the savings keep on coming every day.

Here's a quick summary of what you can do to save fuel in Venice, FL. First get caught up on your routine maintenance. Nearly every scheduled service item can boost fuel efficiency. If it's time for a tune-up, git'er done at Car Doc On The Island. That's a big item.

If your Check Engine light is on, have your service advisor at Car Doc On The Island figure out why and fix it. Check Engine problems can be real gas wasters.

Proper tire pressure and wheel alignment can really help Venice drivers as well. Try not to carry around a bunch of stuff. An extra 100 pounds can cost a mile per gallon.

Now you may not want to hear this, but the single biggest fuel waster for most Venice folks is their right foot. Zooming away from stop lights and hot rod lane changes really waste fuel. Take it easy on FL roads and Venice streets: don't speed, and plan ahead.

Finally, you may have noticed that we haven't mentioned any magic pills or devices that will double your mileage. That's because there aren't any. Some may help a bit, but there are a lot of "miracle fuel saver" scams in FL. Don't shell out any to swindlers; you need it to buy gas!

Do some research and check with your service advisor at Car Doc On The Island in Venice before spending your hard earned cash.

Car Doc On The Island
419 South Tamiami Trail
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 786-1595
www.cardocontheisland.com

Fuel Saving Tip: Dirty Oil in Your Venice Vehicle

If you're a quart low in your vehicle, 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 Venice 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 Venice 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 at Car Doc On The Island  and give yourself a fighting chance.

Car Doc On The Island
419 South Tamiami Trail
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 786-1595
www.cardocontheisland.com

Coolant Service at Car Doc On The Island

Venice residents' vehicles have to operate in a wide range of FL temperatures which requires the engine coolant to be able to perform 'no matter what.' Think for a moment about the environment where the coolant does its thing. Very hot, high pressure, corrosive...

And all the while, it has to protect the components of the cooling system from corrosion. These components are made from steel and aluminum, plastics and rubber. The coolant has to be formulated to protect against corrosion for all of these different materials. That's why vehicle manufacturer’s recommend different types of anti-freeze for our Venice, FL, vehicles.

There are several different 'families' of anti-freeze available to us here in Venice. Your owner's manual will tell you what kind you should use. Of course, the automotive professionals at Car Doc On The Island will know the right kind for your vehicle.

It's important to stay on top of this because coolant system failure is the most common mechanical problem people have here in Venice, FL. Regular service needs to be done at Car Doc On The Island to avoid failures and also to keep your warranty in place.

While the specifics of the service required may vary from vehicle to vehicle, your friendly and knowledgeable Car Doc On The Island service advisor will know what to do. You'll be advised to replace the coolant at specified intervals.

Some recommend periodic coolant system flushes. A flush adds a cleaning step to the fluid replacement process. Again, check to see what your owner’s manual recommends.

Car Doc On The Island
419 South Tamiami Trail
Venice, FL 34285
(941) 786-1595
www.cardocontheisland.com

The Car Doc On The Island Guide to Vehicle Diagnosis

Modern Venice vehicles have several computers on board that control all kinds of things like engine functions, transmission shifts, traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control, emissions – and on some vehicles, even steering, braking and the throttle.

Think about that for a minute – things that used to be controlled by simple mechanical connections now have electronic controls that rely on computers, software and sensors. It's no wonder that when something goes wrong with their vehicle it can be pretty complicated for Venice drivers to track down the source of the problem.

To help your service advisor at Car Doc On The Island figure out what's wrong, your vehicle is equipped with on-board diagnostics. The Check Engine light comes on to tell you there's a problem and the engine management computer stores a trouble code. Your friendly and knowledgeable Car Doc On The Island technician connects a scan tool to your vehicle's diagnostic port and retrieves the trouble codes as well as other important data.

Trouble codes are like clues for the technician to follow as he diagnoses what's wrong with your vehicle. In a way, it's like going to your Venice doctor with a problem. She'll run some additional tests and gather the information she needs to make a diagnosis and form a treatment plan. How much a vehicle diagnosis costs at Car Doc On The Island in Venice depends on how much time it takes to sort out the symptoms and find the underlying problem.

Give us a call.

Car Doc On The Island
(941) 786-1595
419 South Tamiami Trail
Venice, FL 34285
www.cardocontheisland.com