Don't Let Your Customers Be Fuelish

Mopar has all the maintenance products you need to help your customers ease the pain at the pump.

It’s becoming painfully obvious that high gasoline prices—running about $4.00 a gallon in most parts of the country—are here to stay for the foreseeable future. While the politicians and pundits bicker about what to do, Americans in every corner of the country are feeling the pain at the pump.

As a professional technician, you have the opportunity to help your Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge customers maximize their fuel economy. See page 54 for a list of ideas and tips you can pass along to your customers to help them get the most of every gallon.

You can also help by making sure your customers’ vehicles are properly maintained. In your workaday world, it’s often a challenge to get vehicles into your bays, get the required repairs completed and back to your customers. But you can build customer loyalty and boost your profits by taking a few moments to perform a quick vehicle inspection on every Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle that comes into your shop.

Your Mopar Magazine dealer offers a full range of authentic Mopar maintenance products that will help you quickly and conveniently keep your customers’ vehicles operating at peak efficiency and performance.

• Air Filters—Make sure your customers are aware that their owner’s manual specifies recommended air filter replacement intervals. Replacing a clogged or dirty air filter can improve mileage by up to 10 percent.
• Spark Plugs—As spark plugs age, they become pitted and the gap often is out of O.E. spec. Carbon deposits can foul electrodes and insulators can split. The result is inefficient combustion, poor performance, and decreased fuel mileage.
• 02 Sensors—All new cars built after 1980 have 02 sensors. The sensor is primarily part of the emission control system and feeds data to the ECM. The goal of the sensor is to reduce emissions and help the engine run as efficiently as possible. Replacing a faulty 02 sensor can improve mileage by an astonishing 40 percent.
• EGR Valves—EGR valves, also primarily an emissions system component, can affect fuel mileage as well. If the valve is stuck open, it can create a vacuum leak that leads to rough idle and hesitation. If the valve is stuck closed, it can cause combustion temperatures to rise and lead to detonation. Neither condition is conducive to good fuel economy.
• Fuel Filters—Gasoline is extremely clean today, but it still contains some dirt and deposits that over time will begin to impede the flow of fuel. The result is poor performance and reduced mileage.
• Engine Oil/Oil Filters—Clean engine oil reduces friction between metal parts and allows engines to run more efficiently. Likewise, dirty or contaminated oil filters can reduce fuel economy.
• Tune-Up Parts—Even in today’s advanced vehicles, a good old tune up, which includes many of the parts listed above, will work wonders at improving fuel economy. Many motorists today think their vehicles are essentially “maintenance free.” Emphasize the importance of regular tune ups to your customers.
• Tires—Tires that are underinflated by just two pounds per square inch (psi) can adversely affect fuel economy.

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. You can take a proactive role in helping your Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge customers get the most out of every gallon of gasoline. And your Mopar Magazine dealer can help with a full line of authentic Mopar maintenance products. See your dealer today.