A car that is performing at it's peak will get the optimum fuel economy. If conditions of the engine deteriorate, it will loose peak performance which will then cause you to use more gas and spend more money. Oil is critical in preventing engine deterioration. Good fuel economy and proper management of the oil in your engine go hand in hand.

You need to make scheduled oil changes a priority in maintaining your car. Following the auto producers oil change recommendations is a major component of keeping your car running at its peak and keeping your gasoline economy at its best.

The purpose of the oil in your vehicle is to prevent metal- to-metal contact of engine parts by lubricating its moving parts, thereby minimizing friction and carrying away excess heat. All of those attributes create better gasoline efficiency.

Motor oil also removes dirt, metal shavings and other impurities from the engine and captures them in the oil filter. You can pay a severe penalty for neglecting engine oil, possibly even needing to replace the engine itself. Keeping track of your last oil change will save you money at the gas pump and decrease your fuel consumption.

You should follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule for oil changes. If the manufacturer says to change the oil every three thousand miles or every three months, do it. If oil is not replaced at the proper time it becomes saturated with impurities it is supposed to remove from the engine. If it becomes saturated with these impurities, sometimes called dirty oil, it will be less efficient in doing its job. That will cause the engine performance to decline and your fuel economy will decline with it.

Another factor in maintaining the best fuel economy is the proper grade of oil. Use the grade of oil recommended by your car maker. The efficiency of the engine can improve as much as 2 percent when using the correct grade of oil as opposed to using the wrong grade of oil. This becomes even more critical in cold weather.

Using the right grade of oil ensures that your car will run as smoothly as it should in all types of weather. The wrong grade can be too thick and heavy in cold weather. Oil that is too thick and heavy forces the engine to work harder to overcome the oil's resistance. The harder the engine works the more gas it uses. Using the wrong grade can decrease your engine's fuel efficiency between 1 and 2 percent.

As an illustration: using 10W-20 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage. Use only the oil recommended in the owner's manual for the best engine efficiency and the best fuel efficiency.

Many car owners make the mistake of neglecting to have the oil changed at the proper interval. The more you put off changing your oil the worse your gas economy will be. Changing the oil on time and using the proper grade will help you keep your gas costs down.