Despite the proliferation of signs in various repair shops urging customers to have their engines cleaned, the practice can actually leave car owners in hot water, said Jeffrey Boone, approved auto repair specialist, Towson office of AAA Mid-Atlantic, headquartered in Wilmington, Del.“That can be very dangerous,” Boone said. “There are certain places in a car engine that will let water in but it won’t let it out.”It’s also not a good practice to attempt a do-it-yourself engine cleaning. Most engines don’t need to be cleaned, Boone said. As most people know, modern cars are controlled mainly by computers within their engines. The computers can be damaged by water.“If somebody doesn’t know what they are doing [when cleaning an engine”>, that can be very dangerous,” Boone’s colleague Ed Kriston said.However, there are some situations in which cleaning an auto engine is a good idea. One is when an engine has a leak that allowed oil and dust to cake on. Cleaning the engine will allow it to run cooler, Kriston said.But again, it’s foolhardy for laypeople to attempt to clean the engine themselves. Certified technicians who properly clean engines use special cleaners and generally rinse the car’s engine with a gentle spray. Another reason to use a qualified technician for such cleaning is to protect the environment. Not only will the wash consist of mainly recycled water, which has been filtered, but it also will keep oil in a separate canister for proper disposal News source: Examiner

Pulling into the gas station, you feel a little pang in your stomach – this fill-up is gonna cost about $40.With gas prices staying above $2.50 per gallon, a lot of drivers are looking for ways to squeeze every last cent out of each gallon of gas they buy. These tips from Miami Valley mechanics and fueleconomy.org will help:1. Check your tire pressure. “Tire inflation is critical,” said David Schnieder, owner of Dare Automotive Specialists in Dayton. “Inflate the tires to 10 percent below the maximum air pressure given on the side of the tire.” For example, if the maximum pressure on the side of the tire says 44, the air pressure should be 40.2. Check filters and systems. “A fuel system cleaning will clear up the fuel passages and gets carbon buildup out. This lets fuel burn cleaner and easier,” said Alan Tackett, part-owner of Preferred Car Care in Springfield.3. Think aerodynamically. “When you have the air on, keep the windows up because of the aerodynamics of the car,” Schnieder said. The car was designed to have the air travel around it and having the windows down creates a pull and slows down your car.4. Condense your trips. Try combining as many trips as you can, according to fueleconomy.gov. Visit the grocery, mall and gym in one trip. You’ll save gas and time.5. Keep your car tuned-up. Keeping your vehicle in top condition – changing the spark plugs, air filters and other parts when recommended – will make your car run better, Brooks said. “When everything is working right, that is when your car is at its top performance, and that is when it gets better gas mileage.”6. Buy a new car. If you are in the market for a new car, go for a fuel-efficient model.If you’re in the market for a new car, look for one that gets good gas mileage in a brand that you like, Neely said.Hybrid cars will save you gas, but may not save you much money, Neely said. “They are nice and get better gas mileage, but they are expensive.” If you drive a lot, you’ll most likely benefit from the hybrid, but if your driving habits are typical, then the extra cost of the car won’t payoff in the long run, he said.7. Use good gas. “Stay away from fuel containing any alcohol. It takes twice as much alcohol as gas to run a car,” Schnieder said.”Run the right gas. If you need octane 89, use octane 89. Just go by what the manufacturer says,” Brooks said.”Another thing that will help is using quality Fuel,” said Greg Reffitt, owner of Reffitt’s Auto Repair in Hamilton. “You may pay a bit more for it, but you will save money by getting better gas mileage.”8. Don’t speed. According to fueleconomy.gov, following the speed limit will increase your gas mileage. Each vehicle reaches its best fuel economy at different speeds, but the average is 55-60 mph. Going over that will decrease your gas mileage. For example, every five miles over 60 mph you go adds about 20 cents to the price of a gallon of gas.Also, be a more careful, less aggressive driver. Speeding, braking quickly and rapid acceleration will waste gas. You can lose up to 33 percent of the gas mileage at highway speeds and about 5 percent of the mileage in town.9. Lighten the load. Any extra weight will reduce your gas mileage, according to fueleconomy.gov. For every 100 pounds of extra weight in your vehicle, your gas mileage is reduced by about 2 percent. This affects smaller cars more than larger vehicles, but any extra weight can change the mileage.10. Watch the idling. Whether or not it wastes gas to idle your car depends on if it is fuel injected or carbureted, Coldwell said. The newer cars are fuel injected so shutting off the car and starting the car doesn’t waste much gas because it’s pulled directly from the tank. When the car is in idle you are using gas but getting zero miles to the gallon – therefore wasting gas. Drivers with fuel-injected cars should shut their car off instead of idling.However, carbureted cars are different. If you are just going to be sitting for a short time, then it’s OK to leave the car on, because more gas would be wasted by turning it on and off, Coldwell said. News source: Dayton Daily News

DETROIT – General Motors Corp. says it is testing a new combustion process that could increase fuel economy in conventional engines by up to 15 percent.The announcement comes as fuel economy has become a increasingly important issue as Fuel prices have risen. Foreign automakers have captured a bigger share of the U.S. market in part by emphasizing fuel efficiency.The process GM is testing, called homogeneous charge compression ignition, approaches the fuel efficiency of a diesel engine without the need for advanced pollution controls, the company said in a statement.It is being tested in two drivable concept vehicles, a Saturn Aura and an Opel Vectra, and was to be shown to reporters Friday at GM’s proving ground in Milford.The process ignites an air-fuel mixture in the cylinders by compressing it, producing a low-temperature, flameless energy release in the combustion chamber, the company said. Since all the fuel in the combustion chamber is burned at the same time, the engine uses less fuel to produce power that is similar to conventional engines.The company gave no estimate of when the technology might come to market, but said it still needs to work on controlling the combustion process.”Additional development costs, including research and testing programs, are required to make the technology ready for the great variety of driving conditions that customers experience,” Uwe Grebe, executive director for GM’s powertrain advanced engineering, said in a statement. News source: Forbes