September 2, 2018
There is no escaping it: things work better when you take care of them. Something most of us in Lockport can relate to is our computers. You've probably noticed how they get slower and slower over time. It takes longer to start up and programs take forever to load. Eventually, many of us just get a new computer at our nearest Lockport computer store. But computer experts know that there are things you can do to delay the need for a new computer purchase. You can run utilities that clean off temporary files and clean your memory registry. You can optimize your hard drive and a number of other things.
What you're doing is maintaining your computer to make it efficient. It's the same thing with your vehicle. You maintain it to make it more efficient. It works the way it was designed to and that means it uses less fuel while you drive around Lockport. And you save money.
To help organize our discussion, let's think of things that rob us of fuel economy in two ways: increased friction and inefficient fuel combustion.
Friction. Anything that increases friction increases drag or load on the vehicle engine. It has to work harder to overcome the drag – and that takes more fuel. The first thing that comes to mind is engine oil. Low oil means there's not enough to fully lubricate the engine so there's more friction. Dirty oil won't lubricate as well as clean oil. The same principles apply to transmission fluid. Getting your oil changed and transmission serviced on schedule at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Lockport will reduce friction and help you get better fuel economy.
Another friction related problem is underinflated tires. When your vehicle tires are low on air, it's like driving on Illinois highways through sand – your vehicle has to work harder to move every mile. Check your tire pressure at least once a month.
Wheels out of alignment and dragging brakes also increase friction. And your tires and brake pads will wear out much sooner as well. At Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Lockport, we provide quality brake and wheel alignment services.
Let's move on to Fuel. You have to get the right amount of clean fuel to the combustion chamber at precisely the right time. A dirty fuel system has varnish and gum interfering, and the fuel injectors may be unable to deliver the correct amount of fuel at the right pressure — and in the spray pattern — that the engineers intended. A vehicle fuel system cleaning at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Lockport will get all of that working right and really improve fuel economy.
Replacing your fuel filter on schedule will help keep your fuel clean. Replacing a sticky PCV valve will allow unburned fuel from the engine to be returned to the intake system to be used. Replacing worn spark plugs will burn your fuel as efficiently as possible.
All of these things can help you save money on gas at Lockport pumps.
Give us a call.
Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Lockport
600 E 9th Street
Lockport, Illinois 60441
815-838-3700

November 30, 2025
Think about this the next time youre driving. Your front wheels can steer your vehicle and, at the same time, the wheels can move, even with all the irregularities in the road moving them up, down and in different directions. Pretty amazing engineering, wouldnt you say? What allows that are part... More

November 23, 2025
If youve ever driven a bicycle with hand brakes, youll probably understand how the brake pads on your vehicle work. Bicycle brakes use a system that squeezes the bike wheels rim with a pair of cushioned pads activated by your hand squeezing the hand brakes on your handlebars. The friction of tho... More

November 16, 2025
If you drive a newer vehicle, chances are it has disc brakes, and one of the components of that type of brake is called a brake caliper. The caliper allows the pressure from your foot on the brake pedal to eventually move brake pads against discs in your wheels, which then slow and stop your veh... More