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A tuned engine is an efficient engine
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An important factor to consider in hypermiling — perhaps the most important factor — is the condition of your vehicle. As a hypermiler you're doing what you can to increase the fuel efficiency of your vehicle; an engine that is not running properly or is running poorly is taking miles out of your gas tank (and money out of your pocket) before you even have the chance to save it!
Tune-up
When your engine is running poorly, it's usually something you can't miss. You can often feel a vibration or hear a noise that you've not experienced before, or your car seems sluggish. But other times the symptoms can be subtle, something only a diagnostic test done by a licensed mechanic can find. Since the former is so noticeable and the more likely you will take to get fixed, the latter can be the bigger waste of fuel and money: you don't know anything is wrong.
As you begin to adopt hypermiling habits, be sure to take your vehicle in for a check-up and — if needed — a tune-up. An engine running properly not only helps you save money when hypermiling, but it also runs more cleanly and pollutes less.
Find a good mechanic
Finding an auto service shop that does excellent work and which you trust can be difficult and frustrating — not to mention expensive. For fear of straying too far off topic, I won't dwell here. In addition to some clues I will mention, I encourage readers to make suggestions in the comments section of this article as to how they found their trusted mechanic, and even to recommend mechanics who deserve to be busy, and why. Share with us your experiences.
One of the indicators I have found of a good auto service shop is to take note on a typical weekday of how many cars are parked outside the shop "waiting" to be serviced. If a shop is busy all the time, it means they have a lot of repeat- and referral business.
Customer service is another indicator. We all can sense if someone seems to care about us or how much we have to pay to have something done. A reputable and popular shop will work to keep your costs down rather than try to find more ways to take money out of your wallet.
Do they get it right, and if not, how do they rectify it? A shop can't be expected to have a 100% accurate diagnosis record. One symptom could be an indicator of any number of problems, and sometimes the mechanic misses the real problem. Ideally, you want a shop that will take responsibility for their mistakes or misdiagnoses. Sometimes that responsibility will take the form of a reduced or waived labor charge to make the subsequent repair of the real problem, rather than seeing your return as another opportunity to take a bite out of your budget. If it's your first time there, ask how they'll treat such a situation. If you don't like the answer — or the attitude — you probably won't like their work.
Word-of-mouth is usually the best way to find an auto service shop. Ask a friend, a neighbor, a family member, anyone you trust, where they take their car for service, and if they're happy with their work.
A great resource for finding a reputable service shop — as well as hundreds of other services and contractors — in your area is Angie's List. There is a fee involved to use the service, as it is member-driven and not advertiser-supported. Angie's List members review companies or contractors with whom they've done business, and can give you a good indication of whom to trust or not.
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