Back to all

Gas Savings in Lake In The Hills: Sharpen Your Pencil

September 15, 2019

High gas prices in Lake In The Hills increase the cost of living for Illinois drivers. You've probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related expenses. Increased fuel costs now consume a larger portion of our incomes, causing some Lake In The Hills vehicle owners to skimp in other areas – like scheduled maintenance.

According to Illinois news reports and automotive industry studies, this is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, nine out of ten personal vehicles on the road have at least one maintenance or repair item that hasn't been done. Some of these items pose serious safety risks. Others are just more likely to make it more expensive to drive.

In this area, we can take a lesson from professional Lake In The Hills vehicle owners. I'm talking about fleet owners and operators. You know, Lake In The Hills folks like the trucking companies and delivery services. Because their livelihood depends on it, they have gotten scheduled maintenance down to a science. And the last thing they skimp on is regular maintenance.

Why is that? Well, for one thing they know that routine maintenance prevents expensive repairs and costly breakdowns. They also know that a well-maintained vehicle uses less fuel. For them, even a small decrease in fuel efficiency may put their Lake In The Hills business in the red.

So what does this mean to Lake In The Hills drivers? Well, there's a 90 percent chance that you're missing some service that would improve your fuel economy. Here's a quick reminder list:

Fuel system cleaning, transmission service, differential service, engine air filter, wheel alignment, oil change, tune up.
Ring any bells? Can most Lake In The Hills vehicle owners honestly say that there isn't at least one thing on the list that hasn't been done?

Let's suppose you chose to spend $150 and get caught up on some of these services at Tuffy Lake In The Hills. Figure that they combine to improve your fuel efficiency by 15 percent. What would that mean to your pocketbook?

Well, the average personal vehicle in Lake In The Hills is driven about 12,000 a year. If you get 20 miles per gallon in your vehicle, over the course of one year you would pay for the $150 worth of service and save an additional $165 dollars if gas is at t$3.50. If gas is $4.50, you would save $255. And you'd rack up savings of $345 dollars with gas at $5.50.

GAS PRICE
$3.50
$4.50
$5.50

20 MPG
$165
$255
$345

From this you can see that the more fuel costs, the more it pays to keep up on scheduled maintenance. Some of us drive trucks in Lake In The Hills for work or recreation – or want a large SUV for family needs. A 15 percent improvement in fuel economy can generate huge savings – $650 a year if gas is $4.50 a gallon in Lake In The Hills. Take a look at this table to see where your savings could lie.

 

GAS PRICE

A) $3.50, B) $4.50, C) $5.50

10 MPG: A) $480, B) $660, C) $840

20 MPG: A) $165, B) $255, C) $345

30 MPG: A) $60, B) $120, C) $180

 

So catch up on those services you've been neglecting at Tuffy Lake In The Hills. Get a couple done now and a couple next time. Chances are you'll save a lot of money at Lake In The Hills gas pumps this year – and a lot more on repairs in years to come.

Tuffy Lake In The Hills
59 West Acorn Lane
Lake In The Hills, Illinois 60156
847-854-9850

 

More articles from Tuffy Lake in the Hills

The ?Man-Made? Engine Oil (Synthetic Oil Change)

June 9, 2025

If you own a newer vehicle, your vehicles manufacturer may require that it use synthetic oil instead of conventional oil. Synthetic oils are more stable, dont break down as easily, and provide better engine protection than conventional oil. All those things can prolong the life of your engine an... More

Steering You Right (Tie Rod End Replacement)

June 2, 2025

For drivers, S stands for safety. And there are three other words that start with S that are all equally important: starting, stopping and steering. For your vehicle to be at its safest, all three functions must be in top shape. Steering is one of those things we take for granted. After all, y... More

Smooth Operator (Shocks and Struts)

May 25, 2025

Few of us ever drive somewhere without encountering some pretty rough roads, and it's amazing how well our vehicles are able to smooth out the ride. Thank your shocks and struts. The two parts are similar. Some cars have shocks in the rear, and struts in the front. Others have struts all around... More