Price levels for oil are gliding up to unprecedented highs. This is caused fuel to increase to prices never seen before. The average level of fuel per gallon is in the $4 range now, and most folks are looking for alternatives to increase mileage. Thankfully, there are several ways to increase mileage without breaking the bank.

To start, lets discuss the basics of how the engine creates power. Small amounts of gas and air are introduced into the piston chamber. The piston then moves to compress and pressurize this mixture. Your spark plug then transfers a tiny spark of electricity into the chamber, combusting the gasoline and air.

The resulting combustion produces an expanded source of energy that is used to power the vehicle into motion. The process of doing this is repeated thousands of times each minute your engine is operating (this is also known as Revolutions Per Minute – or RPMs). Depending on your engine type, your vehicle either has 4, 5, 6 or 8 of these chambers (think V-6, V-8, 4-cylinder etc).

Making this process of energy transfer work better is a key to increase mileage. Lets discuss the role your spark plug plays specifically. The amount of spark the plug is able to send into the chamber is directly related to the quality of the plug itself. The more air tight the seals on the plug, and the higher the platinum level in the plug, the more efficient the charge sent will be. A more efficient charge means less additional charge is needed to get the same output level. Thus, less RPM’s and less fuel is used.

Using a high performance spark plug will make your engine operate better. In general, you can expect a 3% increase in mileage by using a high quality spark plug. The rate of return is very quick, as spark plugs cost about the same as one gallon of fuel at today’s prices.

Tags: Auto

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