Ed Whitehead's Tire Country

In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your sedan engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much fuel to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute in every single fuel-injected car driving down Yuma, Casa Grande, and Wellton roads.

Most fuel injectors for gas engines are known in the Yuma auto industry as port fuel injectors because they deliver the fuel to a port just outside the cylinder. The fuel pump provides pressure needed to squirt the right amount of fuel into the engine.

A few auto makers have recently introduced gas direct injection systems on some engines. They are now available at some Yuma dealerships. These systems inject the gas directly into the cylinders under very high pressure – many times the pressure of port injection systems.

Although more complicated, direct injection technology promises greater power with improved fuel economy for gas-poor Yuma, Casa Grande, and Wellton commuters. Arizona motorists can expect to see more of it in the future.

High temperatures under your sedan hood and variations in Yuma gas quality cause fuel injectors to be fouled with wax, dirt, water, additives and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure.

When injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn’t burn as efficiently resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it’s important for Yuma drivers keep their fuel injectors clean.

Your Yuma Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country service center can perform a fuel system service for you in which the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time.

Proper maintenance of your sedan fuel system means that you will spend less on gas, enjoy strong performance and prevent costly Yuma repair bills down the road.

If you’re a quart low in your sedan, there isn’t enough motor oil to lubricate your engine properly. The extra friction causes drag that reduces fuel economy while you’re driving around the Yuma area.

The same goes for dirty oil; it doesn’t reduce friction properly. The result is you get to watch those numbers at your local Yuma gas pump rolling higher and higher.

The transmission also needs the proper amount of clean fluid to do its work. When it’s in need of service, the transmission drags your fuel economy down.

So keep it clean and give yourself a fighting chance.

Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country
965 S. 4th Ave
Yuma, Arizona 85364
928.782.1868

A lot of gas is wasted in the Casa Grande area by dirty fuel delivery systems.

Let’s start at the tank. The gas tank gathers dirt, rust and sediment over the years. That’s why there’s a fuel filter to clean the fuel after it leaves the tank. A dirty filter will rob the engine of the clean gas it needs to run efficiently.

The fuel intake components get coated with gum and varnish over time. This results in fuel being delivered inefficiently and some of that gunk getting into the engine. A fuel system service at Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country will leave your intake as clean as a whistle.

The big fuel thief is dirty fuel injectors. They deliver fuel to the engine at a specified pressure and in a particular spray pattern. When they’re clogged, the fuel doesn’t get atomized the way it’s supposed to and doesn’t get burned as efficiently.

See your owner’s manual or ask your Casa Grande service advisor at Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country when a fuel system cleaning is recommended.

There’s not much we can do about the price of gas in Yuma Arizona, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we’re driving on our Yuma streets.

Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.

The first thing we can do is watch the ‘go-pedal’. Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don’t need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Go a little slower on the freeway to Yuma. Once you’re going more than sixty-five miles an hour your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don’t need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend – steady speed uses less gas.

Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands.

Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot.

Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country
965 S. 4th Ave
Yuma, Arizona 85364
928.782.1868

This fuel saving tip is so simple, no one from here to Casa Grande will believe it. It has to do with your gas cap.

The first thing is to make sure it’s screwed on tight. If it’s loose, gas vapor will be constantly leaking out; wasted gas.

And air will get in and that can cause your oxygen sensor to read incorrectly and the oxygen sensor will tell the engine management computer to adjust the fuel-air mix and, well, you get the picture; you’ll be burning more gas around Casa Grande than you need to.

This could cause the check engine light to come on as well.

A worn gas cap can have the same effect. If you constantly smell gas when you walk by your tank, you might need a new gas cap.

So, twist your cap until it clicks three times – that means it’s on tight. Have your Casa Grande area service advisor at Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country inspect the cap to see if it needs to be replaced.

See, I told you it was simple.

Don’t forget to call Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country at 928.782.1868 for an appointment to optimize your sedan for better fuel economy. Ask us about brake service.

A question for our Yuma Arizona motorists: How long have you been enjoying the romantic glow of your check engine light?

Hey, it’s not there to create ambiance; it’s a warning that something’s wrong. When your check engine light comes on get it checked at a capable Yuma Arizona service station.

Many conditions that cause the check engine light to come on affect fuel economy. Some very dramatically.

Always make sure you tighten your gas cap until it clicks. A loose gas cap can cause a false sensor reading that’ll make the check engine light come on.

If your date’s eyes are smoldering in the reflected glow of the check engine light, try to think of all the gas money you’ll save by getting it fixed. Give us a call when you are ready: 928.782.1868

Weight is the enemy of fuel economy. Everyone from here to Wellton knows this makes sense.

Some of us in the Wellton area carry a bunch of unnecessary weight, and I’m not talkin’ what you see in the mirror.

Guys; sports equipment and tools. Ladies; well, just take a look around the passenger compartment and trunk. I think my car has about forty-five pounds of French fries on the floor.

All that extra weight wastes gas as you drive between here and Wellton, and everywhere else.

Lose the junk and save some money.

…And you really only need one of those spare tires.

With high fuel prices in Yuma Arizona comes lots of gas saving advice. Some of it, like what you hear on AutoNetTV, is really great. Some is myth. And some is just designed to prey on Yuma Arizona people desperate to save some money on gas.

When you get one of those e-mails that’s going around telling you how to save gas, try to think it through.

Does it really make sense? Does it defy the laws of physics?

Do some research on the internet or ask your Yuma Arizona service advisor at Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country.

There aren’t any magic pills you can drop in your gas tank and the government hasn’t suppressed a device you can clamp on your fuel line to make your car run on air. Not even in Yuma!

So next time you get one of those e-mails, check it out with an automotive professional. You’ll get more bang for your buck with an oil change or an engine air filter replacement.

We’re Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country, give us a call at 928.782.1868 for good honest advice about your car.

No matter how well they’re made, cars in Yuma Arizona will have design or manufacturing problems.

And when the government thinks a problem is really serious for people in Yuma Arizona, they require the manufacturer to issue a recall notice and fix the car free of charge. The manufacturer then tries to contact everyone in Yuma Arizona who owns that type of car to get the recall work done.

These recalls always affect safety, so take them seriously. It’s easy to see if a vehicle’s being recalled.

The government has links on its websites, or just visit AutoNetTV for links.

There are many websites with free recall information and searches. There’s CarFax, AutoByTel and the DMV.

Recalls are serious, but not all that common. But sometimes there are less significant issues, and for these, manufacturers issue a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that tells service centers like Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country how to repair a frequent or difficult problem.

The pros get updated information through subscription plans, also available in consumer versions for a reasonable cost.

So when vehicle recalls occur, get the work done, and keep you and yours safe.

Have you ever gone to Yuma to listen to an orchestra? The musicians take the stage early and tune their instruments. Each individual instrument must be in tune, but the critical thing is for the entire orchestra to be in tune with each other. That’s why they tune up together.

Now this is no surprise; I’m going to relate the orchestra to your car. Your engine has many component systems that each need to be working properly. And the components need to be working in sync, all timed up together in order for the engine to work efficiently.

We call this, (ta-da) a tune-up. When an orchestra’s out of tune you get a bad concert. When your vehicle’s out of tune you get bad performance and bad fuel economy.

So check your owner’s manual for recommended tune-up intervals. Or ask your Yuma service advisor at Ed Whitehead’s Tire Country what he thinks.

…Just be careful not to say you want to make beautiful music together – that kinda makes us uncomfortable.