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Now that you have found the leak, no cause for alarm here are some suggestions on how to fix an engine vacuum leak:

* Leaky vacuum hoses Replace them. If the end of a hose is loose or cracked, cutting it off and sticking it back on may temporarily eliminate the leak. But if the hose is rotten or age hardened, it needs to be replaced. Shortening hoses may also create additional problems. The hose may chaff

or rub against other components, or pull loose as a result of engine motion and vibration. Use the correct type of replacement hose (PVC hose or vacuum hose capable of withstanding fuel vapors and vacuum without collapsing). Also, be sure the replacement hose is the same diameter and length as the original.

* Carburetor or throttle body base gasket vacuum leaks Try tightening down the carburetor or throttle body mounting bolts. If that doesn’t stop the leak, replace the gasket under the carburetor or throttle body. If there is a heat insulator or adapter plate under the unit, it may also have to be replaced depending on its condition. While the carburetor or throttle body is off, use a straightedge to check the base for flatness (and the manifold, too). Warped surfaces can prevent a tight seal, so if you find any it calls for resurfacing or component replacement.

* Carburetor or throttle body throttle shaft vacuum leaks Wear here can only be repaired by resleeving the throttle shaft, which for all practical purposes means replacing the carburetor or throttle body with a new or re-manufactured unit.
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* Intake manifold gasket vacuum leaks Try re-torquing the intake manifold bolts, working from the center out in the recommended tightening sequence. If that fails, the intake manifold will have to be removed and the intake gaskets replaced. Sometimes the mating surface of the intake manifold or the heads will not be flat (check both with a straightedge). If warped, the intake manifold and/or heads will have to be resurfaced on a milling machine. Another problem to watch out for here are heads that have been milled or resurfaced to raise compression. To maintain proper alignment between the manifold and heads, metal also needs to be machined off the bottom of the manifold where it mates with the block, otherwise it will sit to high and the ports and bolt holes won’t align.

*exhaust gas recirculation valve leaks If the valve isn’t closing all the way due to carbon deposits on the stem or valve seat, cleaning may be all that is needed to cure the problem. Otherwise, the engine will need a new EGR valve.

* Leaky power brake booster Replace it. But first make sure it is the booster and not just the hose or check valve that is leaking.

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In the previous article, I discussed how low coolant level can lead to overheating. In this article, I’m going to be discussing overheating only while the air conditioner is on. This is one of the many overheating issues that motorists face nowadays. You would usually hear something like, ”whenever I put on my air conditioner, the temperature gauge starts rising to the red zone. ”Or “my car overheats any time I put my AC on.” When diagnosing a case of overheating like this, it is necessary to take into consideration the fact that there are two systems involved and both systems should be thoroughly examined.
We already know what overheating is and we also know that it’s a symptom of a faulty cooling system, so what we should be doing right now is looking at how the air conditioner can affect the cooling system. I won’t really go in to details about how the air conditioning system works but then what we need to know is that anytime the AC goes on an additional load is added to the engine.
There are 3 vital components that one should be looking at when it comes to an issue like this-AC condenser, AC fan, Radiator.
• AC CONDENSER- The condenser is a radiator-like object usually in the front of the radiator. Its job is to turn the high pressure, high temperature vapor (refrigerant) into a high pressure liquid by the removal of heat to the surrounding. If the surface of the condenser is clogged then you will have a case of excess heat buildup which will eventually transfer to the radiator and you can already guess the end result. An easy solution to this will be to have your condenser surface flushed or cleaned to remove any dirt on it and this should be done at regular intervals(especially during the rainy season).
• AC FAN- the AC fan, also called the condenser fan, is the one saddled with the job of blowing the heat away from the condenser. If the fan is not blowing at the right speed or not working at all, you will have a case of not enough air to blow the heat from the condenser. If the fan has been fixed in the wrong direction you will end up having a case of the fan blowing air away from the condenser instead of blowing air towards it and this will lead to overheating only when the AC is on.
• RADIATOR- the radiator is part of the cooling system and sometimes you could have internal rust buildup which will in turn reduce the water holding capacity of the radiator and this will lead to overheating when the AC is on. The reason for this is simple- whenever the AC is put on, the load on the engine increases which will also increase the rate at which heat is generated in the engine. A leaky radiator will become more prominent when the AC is put on and this will also lead to overheating.
Now that you know what could be the cause of your vehicle overheating whenever the AC is put on, you will be able to troubleshoot or advise your mechanic when next that needle starts going to the red zone.

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Have you ever tried to tune an engine only to find it won’t idle or run right? Or have you ever been confronted with an engine that just doesn’t seem to run right no matter what you’ve done or replaced? You may be dealing with an engine vacuum leak.

Sometimes an engine vacuum leak will whistle or hiss and make itself obvious. But oftentimes, a vacuum leak will disguise itself as an ignition or fuel problem that defies diagnosis. Either way, an engine vacuum leak is bad news because allows “unmetered” air to enter the engine and upset the air/fuel ratio.

So how do you know when an engine vacuum leak is causing a problem? If the engine is experiencing any of the following symptoms, a vacuum leak is probably responsible:

*Too fast an idle speed: If an engine without computerized idle speed control is idling too fast and refuses to come down to a normal idle speed despite your best efforts to back off the carburetor idle speed screw or air bypass adjustment screw (fuel injection), air is getting past the throttle somewhere. Common leak paths include the carburetor and throttle body gaskets, carburetor insulator spacers, intake manifold gaskets, and of course, any of the engine’s vacuum fittings, hoses and accessories. It is even possible that leaky O-rings around the fuel injectors are allowing air to leak past the seals. Another overlooked item can be a worn throttle shaft.
*A rough idle or stalling: A performance cam with lots of valve overlap can give an engine a lopping idle, but so can a vacuum leak. A really serious leak can lean the air/fuel mixture out to such an extent that an engine won’t idle at all. An EGR (Exhaust gas recirculation) valve that is stuck open at idle can have the same effect as a vacuum leak. So too can the wrong PCV(an automotive-emission control valve that recirculates gases (as from blow-by) through the combustion chambers to permit more complete combustion) valve (one that flows too much air for the application), or a loose PCV hose. The rough idle in these cases is caused by “lean misfire.” The fuel mixture is too lean to ignite reliably so it often misfires and fails to ignite at all. Lean misfire will show up as elevated hydrocarbon (HC) readings in the exhaust, enough, in fact, to cause a vehicle to fail an emissions test.
*Hesitation or misfiring when accelerating: This may be due to a vacuum leak, but it can also be caused by a weak or inoperative accelerator pump in a carburetor, dirty injectors, or even ignition problems such as a cracked coil, worn spark plugs or incorrectly gap plugs.
*An idle mixture that defies adjustment: When setting the idle mixture adjustment screws on a carburetor, the idle speed should start to falter as the adjustment screws are turned in to lean out the mixture. If the screws seem to have little or no effect on idle, you have either got a carburetor problem or a vacuum leak.

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Watch this educative video clip from Automedics Limited on why you should never allow a mechanic coax you into removing your car's thermostat.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J6T1UloM3E

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Shrewdly following the maintenance schedule provided in your car’s owner’s manual can prevent lengthy or more expensive visits to the service shop.

Compared to the old generation cars , modern cars require about as much maintenance as a toaster. This is might mean a real liberation from the oil, lube and tune merry-go-round that ruled not so long ago.

Curiously, many people haven’t adjusted their thinking to keep pace with new car maintenance schedules. The preoccupied still run their daily drivers without service until the dash warning lights burn out, while over-achievers fret about running synthetic oil more than 2,500 miles without a change.

Although maintenance intervals are now more widely spaced, even the newest cars require scheduled service to live long, productive lives. Whether yours is the latest model or you paid it off years ago, the trick is giving your car the maintenance it was designed to receive.

Surprisingly, the answer to what maintenance is required is hiding no farther away than the glove box. Every car is supplied with a maintenance schedule — in the owner’s manual or in a separate maintenance log book — that details that vehicle’s needs. A few minutes assimilating these requirements will help you avoid the following common car-maintenance pitfalls.

Proper Tire Inflation and Rotation
Tires leak naturally and need the occasional check. Figuratively speaking, underinflated tires suck up gasoline. Under- or overinflated tires wear out sooner, and deliver the same emergency maneuver handling as marshmallows. You probably aren’t going to check tire pressures monthly, but how about twice a year?

Furthermore, front and rear tires wear differently and should be rotated to even that wear. Your owner’s manual will have a recommendation on both pressure and rotation periods.

Wiper Tales
Here’s a news flash: It’s much easier to avoid hitting things you can see. Simple as it is, that’s the concept behind replacing your windshield wipers before they fossilize into noisy uselessness.

Fall is the ideal wiper replacement time: after the blade-baking summer and before the fall and winter nastiness. Depending on location, wiper replacement may be an annual affair in the Southwest to a biannual chore in northern climes.

Tune-Up Anachronism
There are no more “tune-ups.” Valves no longer need adjusting, ignition timing is computer controlled and there are no carburetors to fiddle with. About all that’s left of the old tune-up drill are the spark plugs. These are often good for 100,000 miles, so don’t change parts just to change parts. Instead, save up for those big 60,000- and 120,000-mile services when the timing belt, spark plug wires and coolant are due for replacement.

Octane Overdose
“If some is good, more is better” thinking does not apply to octane. Here the rule is to supply whatever octane the engine is rated for and call it done. Higher-than-required octane does not yield more power or mileage, only oil company profits.

Some engines are rated for premium 91 octane fuel but can burn 87 octane regular, thanks to the magic of knock sensors. In that case, run regular gas if puttering around surface streets, and premium fuel if full-throttle driving is part of your daily repertoire.

Oil Change Timing
Oil changes every 3,000 miles used to be required jobs, just like cleaning the accumulated fuzz from record player needles or defrosting freezers. Today, advances in engine design and lubricants make oil changes something to be done when the schedule calls for it, not when granddad says it’s time. Some cars call for 5,000-mile change intervals, some up to 15,000-mile stints. Others have a variable timer. Follow the schedule and use the oil called for by the manufacturer.

Tired Tires
Tires wear out, but they also time out. The tire industry says tires are toast after five years, but they’re selling tires. It all depends on heat, sunlight and ozone conditions. There’s little argument from any pundits that after seven years those black donuts are dried and better off holding down a farmer’s tarp than carrying your family around. If you’re not sure how old your tires are, a tire shop can read the date code stamped into the sidewall.

Dirty Air Filter
Semi-clogged air filters hurt fuel economy for the same reason you don’t like to run with a potato in your mouth. The question is, when is your filter dirty? If you go near dirt, the air filter may need changing twice as often as the schedule calls for.

Ignoring Your Brakes
Note to the Wandering Unconscious: If you notice anything different about your brakes — sound, feel or response — they are telling you to visit a mechanic. Now.

Tighten Your Gas Cap
Is the Check Engine light on? Then make sure the gas cap is on tightly before calling the dealer. No joke, this is one of the most common ways of setting off your car’s diagnostic system, since a loose gas cap defeats the fuel system’s venting arrangement.
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CONGRATULATIONS! Now that the Tokunbo vehicle you are expecting (or that you have just bought) is in your garage, there are some essential service or must-do maintenance before you put the mechanical beast on the road to enable you to have a pleasant motoring experience.

One, if you vehicle has a timing belt engine, your mechanic must check its condition. And if he has to change the timing belt, use must emphasize that he uses the vehicle’s maintenance and repair manufacturer’s manual to guide himself through the task. This is because it can be tricky getting the settings of some timing belts right; and if it’s not properly set, the engine will be working rough with many other inherent discomfiting troubles.

Two, check the condition of the brake pads and the entire brake system. This is very important because the previous user, perhaps knowing that he will sell the vehicle anyway, might not have changed a pair of worn brake pads. And the quality of your brake defines the quality of your life behind the steering, or inside your car.

Three, make sure that he checks the coolant and fuel hoses. Long period of non-use before shipment and the corrosive effect of salty sea breeze and water on rubber and metals make this examination very compulsory.
Four, make sure that the under-body, the metal components, which are susceptible to salt/breeze-precipitated rust, is also diligently examined.

Five, let him also check for oil leaks across the engine and transmission systems.

Six, a careful examination of the wiring insulations must be done for broken or stressed condition.

Seven, the clutch system of a manual-geared vehicle must also be checked for leaks and its pressure plates’ condition.

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What are the symptoms of brake failure? They can differ, depending on the type of brake system you have. As you read them, understand that you don’t win a prize if you wait until your brakes display all the signs of failure before you do something about them. Get them at least properly checked when you see the first symptom.

Signs of auto brake problems include:

-the brake pedal just keeps dropping lower which is a good sign that there is less there to offer resistance
-the brake pedal feels very soft or spongy or requires you to pump it
-it takes longer to get a response from the brakes (a bad sign if there ever is one)
-serious noise when you apply your brakes
-perceptible vibration as you apply the brake pedal
-grabbing or pulling as you push the brake pedal

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you should get your car, truck, or SUV to a qualified garage or trusted independent mechanic as soon as possible. Do not delay this because none of these symptoms is apt to improve miraculously on their own. If anything, such problems will get worse; some of them will worsen quickly.

Yet none of these symptoms, either singly or in groups, necessarily means your complete brake system is about to fail. Instead, just one or two components within the brake system may need repair or replacement. This is something best evaluated by a professional mechanic rather than a weekend amateur.
Note: This piece was gleaned from Yahoo Voices and edited to make it more easy to read

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The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has said that obtaining a permit for the use of tinted vehicle glass does not attract any fees.

The police boss said this at a meeting with Assistant Inspector Generals of Police in charge of 12 zonal commands across the country on Friday.

While warning motorist not to succumb to the antics of some over zealous police officers who would want to use it to fleece them, the IG said,

“It (permit for tinted glasses) is free of charge; there is no amount of money written there for anybody. They (motorists) should not allow any policeman anywhere to subject them to paying fees that are not officially, legally and legitimately stated,” he said.

At the occasion, he aslo stated the reason why the police are bent on enforcing the ban of tinted glasses.

According to him, the law authorises only the IG to issue permits for tinted vehicle glasses without delegating such power to Commissioners of Police.
“Do you know that most criminals use tinted vehicles as cover to carry arms and ammunition, to carry EIDs, to throw bombs on innocent worshippers in churches and mosques and other places?
“We cannot continue to fold our arms and allow criminality to take place. Tell me, what a commercial vehicle is doing with tinted glass? Tell me what an ordinary Nigerian who has nothing to hide is doing with tinted glasses?” he asked.
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OVERHEATING, as most drivers in this part of the know is a psychologically disturbing and financially intrusive occurrence.

These are some of the likely scenarios through which overheating shows it ugly face.

Let’s try and quickly run through some of the factors which mainly trigger overheating and the common sense, nay scientific, way to fix them.

Blocked radiator or condenser or radiator grille and/or bumper: Any of these could be blocked and could be visually examined by a technically savvy or indeed, non-technical person.

Mixture of coolant fluid is a mistake that’s commonly made, mixing coolants causes serious overheating problems. The best coolant remains water! So if anybody wants to put any chemical-based products out there into his radiator, he should make sure that he, at no time, mistakenly mix the pinkish-coloured coolant with greenish-coloured one. These two substances don’t mix and they cause instant corrosion in the vehicle’s cooling system and engine immediately they’re erroneously mixed.

Overheating is also initiated when , in sheer ignorance, a motorist overfills the radiator water reservoir, usually a plastic water container near and connected by a small hose-link to the main radiator, above the line with the MAX sign. If you notice overheating and you see this mistake, find a way of quickly reducing the water to the MAX level.

One overlooked common cause of overheating is the defective radiator cap. It may, to an uninitiated pair of eyes, be looking good but the rubber inside the cap may likely not be holding the pressure for which it was originally designed; therefore, water will gradually leak out of the radiator without discernible traces to the untutored eyes. This can best be ascertained by using a coolant pressure tester.

The most easily identified cause of overheating is the situation of classic coolant leak; when water is seen leaking from the radiator or any other component of the cooling system.

The much maligned thermostat(which many roadside mechanic have wrongly pontificated not to be relevant in a car for this clime) can best be tested if it’s working well by touching the two arterial hoses taking water to and from the radiator, if it’s bad, the hoses will be very hot.

Blocked exhaust and badly working transmission can also cause overheating.

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There’s a growing anomaly in our auto sales market, new and used, that needs to be addressed urgently to save vehicle owners from avoidable misery. Let us give you a brief perspective before making the point every motorist should know. Modern automobiles’ keys are literally built on a transponder system (a device for receiving radio signal and automatically transmitting a different signal). This technology is still very fragile, especially when one factors in our general lifestyle disposition in this part of the world: It is not uncommon to see people packing or holding their mobile phones and vehicle keys together.
It is very dangerous because the microchip (a tiny wafer of semiconducting material used to make an integrated circuit) that powers the transponder’s technology can be damaged easily by the conflicting magnetic discharges from your mobile phone/s.
If that sounds a bit wacky, then let us further shock you: did you know that regurlarly leaving your vehicle’s key around your laptop or PC, which many of us do ignorantly, can damage it and make it not to be capable of turning the vehicle on any more?
Just as your mobile phones emit some magnetic signals that can mess up your vehicle’s key transponder, your laptop or PC or any computing device also emits magnetic signals that can make your car key go gaga.
It’s however, important at this juncture to emphasise some other seemingly innocuous occurrences that can make the keys of modern vehicles go bad:did you know that something as simple as the key dropping can make it not to turn on the vehicle anymore?
You may think it bears on sheer exaggeration to say that accidentally getting the keys of modern vehicles soaked in water can make them stop working. But then, it can. So avoid letting water or any liquid fall on, or soak, your car keys.
Having described the likely ordinary scenarios that can make the keys of modern automobiles stop working, it’s also important to accentuate the fact that it costs a lot to cut new keys and get them re-programmed to the level that the security-sensitive Electronic Control Unit(brain-box, as it’s commonly called) in today’s average mechatronics vehicle will accept.
This then brings one to the bad practice of people buying new or used vehicles and not being given spare keys. May we , without wanting to sound as an alarmist, let you know that if an average vehicle’s key goes bad from any of the circumstances painted above, you will not be able to move the vehicle an inch, except you have a spare key that the vehicle’s memory can recognize?
And quite ironically, all manufacturers sell vehicles with one spare key and one dummy one.
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Below are some tips that can make your car last longer and stop you from incurring unnecessary expenses.

-HAZARD! HAZARD!!: Filling your car's fuel tank to the brim is extremely dangerous, tell the filling station attendant to stop at the first snap of the nozzle, filling your car's tank to the brim can damage your Emission Control System and Charcoal Canister.

-Under inflating your car tyre leads to increased fuel consumption and loss of stability.

-Over inflating your car tyre reduces the stability of your car.

-Oxygen sensors measure the air and fuel that go into the combustion chamber,having a faulty O₂sensor will lead to increased fuel consumption.

-Changing of your radiator to double cell increases fuel consumption.

-Allowing your mechanic to remove the thermostat of your car causes more harm than good

-Running your radiator fan direct can also make your car fuel consumption high.

-Damage or clogged up catalytic converter leads to increased fuel consumption.

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Yes Automedics is finally on Nairaland and we will try as much as possible to post factual car care/repair tips daily, we will like to state that the write up Was written by Messer Kunle Shonaike of Automedics Limited, we at Automedics always acknowledge the rightful source of stories and give their due credit to them, so this particular piece does not belong to Yahoo but to Automedics. And most of the piece you will be reading here as a matter of fact will be ones the Automedics crew have put together. We will also like to state that we will only use our daily post as a source of enlightenment, so if you have questions please send us an email at :info@automedicsafrica.com or via our twitter handle@automedicsnig.

The following are the very important things that must be rigourously observed when you presumably an average person without any form of technical automotive knowledge wants to buy an automobile.

1.Don't let the aesthetic,that's the shimmering or sexy look of the car fool you. Usually, vehicles prepared for sale are deliberately burnished to glimmer.

2.Be very observant, immediately you turn the key on(just simply by turning the key one stroke, no cranking sound yet and the engine isn't working yet), make sure that all the images on the dashboard are lighted up. Why? Some Smart Alec car sellers sometimes remove or tape over the bulbs, inside the dashboard, of the warning signs.

3. As soon as the engine is cranked within a few seconds, it must not be up to a minute, the entire dashboard signs' lights must go off.

4. If you notice the CHECK ENGINE light going off simultaneously with the ALTERNATOR light and/or the OIL PRESSURE,then something is wrong.
5.Once the engine has been cranked and is running at idle, the person/s in the vehicle must not feel any discernible vibration. If you feel any form of vibration, it's either bad engine mounts/s, or bad transmission mount or the engine is misfiring.
6. If the vehicle has an automatic transmission system,simply engage the gear with your foot firmly on the brake pedal, you must not feel any sudden shudder or jerking. It should be a smooth engagement with the vehicle simply trying to move in the direction("" forward and "R" backward) of the gear engaged.
7. If all the above observations have been satisfactorily met, while the vehicle's still running smoothly in idle, put on the AC(air conditioner). The needle on (or counter of) the RPM guage must still remain at the same position, allowing for maximum of fifty, over or below(not up to a movement between two stroke marks of the RPM guage). This is a good load test on the engine.
8.Before you make any payment for, or on, the vehicle: look through the lower region of the automobile's windscreen, literally in front of the steering wheel, or on the door frame of the driver's side, for the 17-digit VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)log on to http://www.carfax.com/, to get the vehicle history( service,ownership;incident-like accident/s etc).
If you are happy with the report and all observational and physical test explained above, satisfied, you can then pay for the car.
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Reducing your vehicle’s fuel consumption is better for the environment and better for your pocket. In recessionary times such as these, retailers across the board are cutting prices in order to encourage consumers to buy. Not so with fuel prices. Petrol is not seen as a discretionary purchase and therefore price depends more on availability of the product than the availability of cash to the consumer. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount you spend on fuel and we have put together top 10 tips to help you achieve this after a careful research, and from famous sources too. You may be surprised at just how much you can save by implementing even some of the tips set out below.

Tighten up! One of the simplest fuel saving tips is to ensure that the fuel cap on your car is fully tightened. This reduces possible evaporation of fuel caused by the outside air temperature and the heating of the vehicle itself. “Petrol", especially higher octane fuels, tends to vaporize and evaporate readily if exposed to the atmosphere. When securely in place, a gas cap helps keep the gas tank under pressure and reduce the evaporation process” [source: ehow]
On your mark! If you are one of those people who likes to be first out of the starting blocks at the traffic lights then it may be costing you. Speeding, accelerating and braking hard can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 33% (Environmental Protection Agency [source: fueleconomy.gov]). Where possible and practical, accelerate and brake gently, this will minimise the demands on the engine and therefore the fuel consumed.
Jettison the cargo! Weight is the single most important factor effecting fuel consumption and also one of the easiest to address. Regularly empty your car as most people carry a lot of excess cargo (golf clubs, kids strollers etc.) that will be costing them on fuel. “For every extra 100 pounds you carry in your vehicle, you reduce gas mileage and fuel economy by roughly 2%” [source:dailyfueleconomytip.com]
Tired tires? A significant amount of the energy required for propelling a car forward is used in overcoming the ‘rolling resistance’ of the tires. The resistance that occurs when a tyre moves forward is due mostly to the deformation of the object (the flattening effect at the bottom of the tyre where it has contact with the road). The recommended tyre pressure for your car will have been exactly calculated to take this into account and ensure the least ‘rolling resistance’ and therefore greatest fuel efficiency. Tyre pressure should be checked at least once a month and at the start of a journey, as the heating up of the tires will alter the pressure. “25% too low tyre pressure increases rolling resistance by 10% and fuel consumption by 2%” [source: ecodrive.org]
Slow down: Most drivers really don’t like to be told to slow down but aside from the safety aspect, adhering to the speed limit rather than exceeding it, will save you on fuel consumption “gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional N50 per gallon for gas.” [source:fueleconomy.gov]
Don’t be a drag! Any form of drag is going to increase your fuel consumption considerably. So anything from driving with a roof rack to driving at speed with windows open will have this effect. If you don’t need the roof rack for a journey – don’t use it. If you can open your window a little less then do so too. Using the example of a ski box on the roof of a car “at a speed of 120km/h, it can cause at least a 20% increase in the amount of fuel consumption”. [source: ecodrive.org]
Be smart with the air-con: Air conditioning (and in-car heaters) have a significant impact on fuel consumption, particularly if used when the vehicle is idling in traffic. This is probably when you most need to cool the air but try to resist and you can use your savings to buy a nice cold drink when you reach your destination! However, when driving on the open road using the air-con can be more efficient than opening a window, as an open window causes drag which may have an even greater impact on fuel consumption.
DIY fuel: There are kits you can buy which will enable you to process your own bio-diesel from waste vegetable or animal fat (even oil which has been used for frying food). You need to be fairly committed to go down this route as it can be time consuming but worth it financially if you think you can do it. When running a car on bio-diesel it will smell like the type of oil used to power it so prepare for some unusual fast-food cravings!
[b]Change your car: [/b]This may seem a bit excessive but if your car has very poor fuel economy the best thing for you to do in the long run is to upgrade. The long-term savings should outweigh the short-term cost.
Stay tuned: The more efficiently an engine runs, the less fuel it will consume. The larger the capacity of your engine, the more effective any tuning will be. “A poorly tuned engine can use up to 50% more fuel and produces up to 50% more emissions than one that is running properly” [source: eartheasy.com]

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