Even if you’re driving a luxury BMW, you care just as much about improving your gas mileage as people driving other vehicles. Thankfully, there are things that you can do to make your BMW more fuel-efficient and therefore reduce your gas costs. Most are covered in regular maintenance. It’s fairly straightforward: the better each part of your vehicle is running, the more efficiently they can work together. Inefficiencies and problems caused by missing maintenance can significantly impact your gas mileage, making your vehicle waste a lot of fuel to make up for the problems.
Below, we’ll discuss both how regular maintenance will improve your gas mileage and other benefits that you can get from following through on your regular maintenance appointments at the auto shop.
How Regular Maintenance Improve Gas Mileage
When your vehicle leaves the lot, it’s running at the efficiency that the manufacturer built it for. Every part is working correctly and in line with one another, so there is no room for inefficiencies. But wear and tear and other issues will start to get in the way. Here are several of the potential vehicle problems that can significantly reduce your fuel efficiency and make you spend more on gas:
- Missed oil change: Poor oil viscosity increases friction throughout the vehicle and reduces efficiency significantly.
- Full air filters: If your air filter is clogged or overfull, it reduces airflow in your vehicle. This reduces your gas mileage.
- Loose gas cap: Without a proper seal, gas will evaporate instead of being used by the vehicle.
- Underinflated tires: When tires are not properly full of air, they create friction that reduces the efficiency of your vehicle.
- Unaligned wheels: If your tires are moving out of sync with one another, they create friction and drag that will force your vehicle to consume more fuel.
Longer Service Life
When you keep your vehicle in good working order, it will last longer. Every part will experience less damage and wear-and-tear, which means the vehicle as a whole will hold up. Small issues will be corrected by maintenance before they get serious. This should extend your vehicle’s lifespan. And if you want to keep driving your BMW for as long as possible, that extended life may be very valuable to you.
Maintain the Value of Your Vehicle
Are you considering selling your vehicle, trading it in, or maybe just passing it down to one of your children one day? Then keeping up with that regular maintenance is essential. The better your vehicle has been maintained, the more favorably a buyer will look at it, and the more they will be willing to pay. Sheer mileage isn’t the only thing that will determine your vehicle’s worth, condition matters too. If you can demonstrate that you’ve followed manufacturer recommendations for major maintenance items, you may be able to get a larger price for your vehicle.
And if you’re not selling, but gifting, you can know your child is getting the most value out of your vehicle that they can.
Have a Safer Vehicle
Safety may be the most important thing to any driver. You want a reliable vehicle that will act the way it is supposed to, in order to prevent accidents. You also want a vehicle that will react properly in accidents, to minimize the damage to you and your family. Keeping your vehicle in good condition is the best way to ensure that it is safe to drive.
Cut Down on Repair Costs
No one likes driving to the auto shop only to discover that their vehicle needs a ton of expensive repairs. Unfortunately, this situation becomes a lot more common if you haven’t kept up with your vehicle’s routine maintenance needs. Those small issues that your mechanic could fix quickly will soon get out of hand, and even begin to impact other parts of the vehicle, significantly increasing your repair costs. Keep your repairs under control with regular maintenance from well-trained professionals.
Reduce the Risk of Major Breakdowns
Sometimes major breakdowns happen out of nowhere. But, more often, they are the result of months of years of missed maintenance that eventually take their toll on the vehicle. Major breakdowns are expensive and inconvenient, so keeping up with maintenance to avoid them is essential.
It’s not just about fuel efficiency. Safety, value, and repair costs all hinge on the condition of your vehicle. Keeping up with routine maintenance is the best thing you can do for your vehicle. Schedule your appointment for routine maintenance today!