EXPERTEC TSB (11-90-027)

EXPERTEC TSB

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

10 WAYS TO SAVE FUEL - (SECTION NO. 6C)

Model(s): All Oldsmobile Models (Section No. 6C)

Bulletin No.: Oldsmobile 11-90-027

Date: 11/30/1990

SERVICE INFORMATION

Because of the rising price of gasoline due to the conflict in the Middle East, GM listed, in a press release, 10 ways for its customers to save money and fuel.

Most drivers know that driving too fast and jackrabbit starts are major contributors to poor gas mileage. However, other poor driving habits use gasoline also.

If a customer feels that his/her vehicle should be getting better gas mileage, and the vehicle is operating normally, suggest the following to the customer:

• Don't buy high-octane gasoline unless the owner's manual specifies it. Most GM products - excluding Cadillacs and high -output engines - are designed for 87 octane, or regular unleaded gasolines.
• Keep the tires inflated to recommended pressures. Soft tires cause vehicle drag and decreases gas mileage
• Turn off the engine when sitting at idle for more than a few minutes.
• Drive at a steady speed as much as possible. Avoid sudden stops and jackrabbit starts.
• Don't pump the accelerator.
• Don't ride the brakes. This puts drag on the forward motion of the car. Any additional drag may cause the engine to work harder. Ideally, the car should coast down, then have the brakes applied.
• Drive at posted highway speeds.
• Use the air conditioner for freeway driving, but shut it off and open the windows at lower speeds. The fuel economy trade-off between the drag of open windows vs. using the air conditioner are even at about 50 mph.
• As the windows are rolled down, the coefficient of drag (the ease that the car moves through the air with the least resistance) increases. The coefficient does not create much of a problem at low speeds. As speed increases, rolling the windows down may put as much of a drag on your engine as running the air conditioning.
• Follow the maintenance schedule for tune-ups.
• Plan travel routes to minimize distance and time.