MPG Tip

Valvoline Launches Full Synthetic High Mileage Oil

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Every gear head knows that synthetic motor oils deliver a higher level of protection than conventional oils, but the high-tech slippery stuff has a downside when it comes to older engines. Quite simply, it’s just too slippery. A well-worn engine will burn more full synthetic oil due to leaks. That’s why the oil manufacturers initially used conventional oil or synthetic blends in high mileage products, including Quaker State Defy and Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic Blend.

There’s a trend underway to replace the blends with specially formulated full synthetic oils, like Mobil 1 High Mileage and Royal Purple HMX. Valvoline has entered the fray with their new Fuel Synthetic with MaxLife Technology.

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How Much is My Junk Car Worth?

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If you’ve never had the need to get rid of a junk car, count yourself lucky. Dumping a clunker can be a real hassle. The trick is to minimize your financial loss without spending a huge amount of time, effort and expense. I’ve had to unload more than a few junkers over the years and it’s never been fun.

For most consumers, junking a car is a losing proposition. But for entrepreneurs, there’s plenty of money to be made. Think about all of the print, TV, and radio advertisements you’ve endured for WeBuyAnyCar, for example. Their pervasive jingle is a highly-effective earworm. If they weren’t making a pile of money off the transactions, they wouldn’t be able to drop so much on advertising. For WeBuyAnyCar and similar firms, junk cars can be gold.

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Why Am I Getting Bad Gas Mileage?

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Have you noticed a recent drop in your vehicle’s fuel economy? Does it seem like you’re filling up at the gas station more frequently? Has the cost of your weekly commute begun to eat into your budget for other essentials? We’re here to help! This article takes a look at a wide range of factors that may be effecting your car’s average gas mileage. These factors can be divided into three basic categories: driving conditions, environmental conditions, and vehicle condition.

Your fuel economy is a result of many elements on any given day. A change in traffic, the route that you follow, weather (whether inclement or not), and your vehicle’s state of tune can have a significant effect on the amount of cash you drop at the pump each month.

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Why Do I Get Less MPGs on the Way to Work?

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One of the most important steps in MPG enlightenment* is measuring your efficiency over routes you travel most frequently while keeping a running record. You don’t have to go all out and pencil every segment into a notebook (or your smartphone). All it takes to get started is a mental note to your self that says, “hey, I just scored 35.3 MPG on the way to work.” When you travel that same route the next day, try to improve your results. If you do better, you reset the bar. If you fall short, the bar remains in place.

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How to Read OBDII Codes with an iPhone

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Do check engine lights freak you out? Want to know what’s going on before you bring you car into the shop?

Some folks get extremely upset when the Check Engine light comes on in their car. Sometimes it’s a big deal. Sometimes it’s not. What gets people riled up is that they think they have to go back to the dealer to get those codes read. And you know what? That’s not true anymore.

If your car is getting lousy gas mileage and there’s an engine light lit up on the dashboard, take note. Your car may be trying to tell you something. A quick scan can tell you exactly what’s wrong.

Reading error codes is no big deal these days, thankfully. Every vehicle manufactured after 1998 has an On Board Diagnostic (OBD) port under the dash. Anyone can access their vehicle’s OBDII port with the right gear. There’s no need to rely on the dealer or repair shop for a quick scan.

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