High Gas Prices Hurting Your Pocket Book? Here Are 13 Ways To Save Money On Gasoline...

To perform at their peak, world-class athletes keep their bodies and minds in excellent shape. Similarly, if you want your vehicle to achieve the highest gas mileage possible, you need to keep the engine and all of its parts in great condition.nnHere Are 13 Maintenance Tips To HelpnYour Vehicle Perform At Its Optimal Level:nnTip #1: Maintain Your Tires At The Proper Pressure According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 30% of all vehicles had at least one tire that was 8 psi (pounds per square inch) or more under-inflated (below the manufacturer’s recommended level). Approximately 5% had all four tires severely under-inflated. Only 4% of the people surveyed said they checked tire pressure as a part of their routine maintenance. This means the other 96% did not. What about you? When was the last time you inspected your vehicle’s tire pressure? Before I started the research for this book, I didn’t realize over or under-inflated tires could affect gas mileage so drastically. After I found out, I immediately checked my tire pressure and was surprised to discover all four of them were under-inflated by about 3 psi. After driving my car with the tires inflated at the recommended pressure for two weeks, I noticed my gas mileage had increased by 6.1%, saving me seven cents per gallon. Though this may seem like a small amount, with the average national price for a gallon of regular gas close to the $3 mark, any mileage improvement helps keep more money in our pockets.nnExperts say under-inflated tires can reduce gas mileage by as much as 2% per pound of pressure below the recommended level. In addition, under-inflation causes tires to wear out faster and makes your vehicle less safe to drive. While over-inflated tires usually don’t affect gas mileage as much as under-inflated tires do, the former can lead to handling problems and uneven wear. If you haven’t checked your tire pressure in the last 30 days, I suggest you do it right after reading this chapter. Properly inflating your tires not only increases your fuel economy and makes your tires last longer, but it also can save your life. According to the Society of Automotive Engineers, low-tire pressure is the cause of about 260,000 accidents annually.nnWhy Do Tires Leak Air? Tires usually lose some air in day-to-day use. This is normal wear for the tires and isn’t a problem (unless they lose 3 or more psi in a day), so you may need to add a few pounds of air periodically. To find out what the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle is, check your owner’s manual or the label located on the edge of the driver’s door or door jam, the glove compartment, or the trunk. The capacity should also be embossed on the side-wall of the tire. If you can’t find it in any of these places, contact the manufacturer (or the service department of the dealership from which you bought your vehicle).nnTip #2: Get Your Wheels Aligned Uneven wear on your tires will decrease your vehicle’s gas mileage. A wheel alignment will save you fuel and extend the life of your tires. Badly worn tires may need to be replaced. Your mechanic can tell whether you need new tires or just a wheel alignment. Here’s another way to find out whether your vehicle requires a wheel alignment: On a flat, straight, and traffic-free stretch of road, place your hands lightly on the steering wheel and drive at a steady speed. If your vehicle pulls to one side, then your wheels might be misaligned. Have them inspected by a mechanic. nnTip #3: Use The Right Tires Remove snow tires during good-weather seasons. Driving on tires with deep tread makes your vehicle work harder and eat more gas. Also, when driving during the winter, avoid putting chains on your tires unless it’s absolutely necessary. Using radial tires will save gas because there’s less friction between the tire and the road. If your vehicle isn’t equipped with radial tires, consider getting them when your old tires need to be replaced. nnTip #4: Replace The Air Filter Your vehicle’s air filter prevents impurities in the air from harming the internal parts of your engine. Since a dirty filter diminishes air flow, it increases gas wastage. According to the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s website, www.fueleconomy.gov, replacing a clogged air filter can improve your gas mileage by as much as 10%, which is about 15 cents a gallon in gas savings, depending on current gas prices. To inspect an air filter, hold it up to a light. If you can see through it, it’s clean. If you can’t, it’s dirty, so replace it.nnTip #5: Change The Oil Clean oil reduces the wear and tear caused by friction between moving parts and also gets rid of harmful dirt and grit from your engine. Changing your oil (as recommended by the manufacturer) can increase your gas mileage by 1 or 2 mpg. Read your owner’s manual and follow the recommended oil-change schedule. nnTip #6: Tune Up Your Engine According to www.fueleconomy.gov, a tune-up can increase your vehicle’s gas mileage by an average of 4.1%. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended tune-up schedule for your vehicle. Whenever you see a malfunction indicator light (MIL) or a “check engine” light illuminate on your dashboard, have your vehicle inspected immediately. Here’s an interesting fact about engine tune-ups: Mechanics say there’s no such thing as a “tune-up” anymore. It’s actually preventive maintenance that involves changing the spark plugs, air and fuel filters, PCV valve (which re-circulates partially burned gases from the engine’s crankcase to the combustion chamber), and checking engine performance. Tune-ups are for older vehicles that use carburetors instead of fuel injection systems. Because modern vehicles have computers to control everything from idle speed to ignition timing, there’s nothing left to “tune” in the traditional sense, only basic engine maintenance is required. But since the public still associates the word “tune-up” with engine maintenance, most mechanics and service facilities continue to use it in advertising and promotions.nnTip #7: Check And Service Your Brakes Most brakes drag, but if you feel yours do so more than usual, have them checked out by a mechanic. Many brake and tire shops inspect brakes for free. Driving with dragging brakes will increase resistance, causing your vehicle to use more gas. Two of the most typical brake problems are: (1) calipers that are not fully retracting because they need to be replaced or rebuilt, and (2) drum brakes that are incorrectly adjusted. nnNot only will having good brakes save you money on gas, they can also save your life. To find out whether one brake lining may be more worn than the other, do this: On a flat, straight, and traffic-free stretch of road, place your hands lightly on the steering wheel and drive at a steady speed. After about 10 seconds, apply your brakes gradually. If your vehicle swerves to one side, then your brakes may need to be adjusted.nnTip #8: Service Your Transmission If your vehicle’s transmission is not working properly, such as not shifting into high gears, you’ll lose gas mileage. Have it inspected by a mechanic immediately.nnTip #9: Check The Oxygen Sensor If your vehicle is getting a much lower gas mileage than normal, it may have a faulty or failed oxygen sensor. Get a mechanic to inspect it. Replacing a faulty or failed sensor can increase your fuel economy by up to 40%. When an automotive technician tunes up on your vehicle, he or she should also examine your oxygen sensor.nnTip #10: Inspect Your Exhaust System Inspect your exhaust system regularly, according to the instructions in your owner’s manual. A partially plugged exhaust or catalytic converter can cause your vehicle to eat more gas. Leaks, in addition to being noisy and fuel inefficient, will also release more harmful emissions into the atmosphere than a properly working exhaust system. nnTip #11: Check Fluid Levels Check these fluid levels: oil, coolant, power steering, brake, and transmission. If you don’t know how, refer to the instructions in your owner’s manual or ask your mechanic (or a friend who knows how to do it.)nnTip #12: Wax Your Vehicle Airlines spend a lot of money waxing and polishing their big airplanes to reduce drag and increase gas mileage. If you wax and polish your vehicle regularly, you’ll also decrease air resistance and save gas. nnTip #13: Repair Body Damage If your vehicle has a crunched front fender, fix it right away, otherwise it will increase air resistance, causing your car to consume more fuel. By keeping your vehicle in good shape, in addition to conserving gas and making it safer to drive, you’re likely to get more money for it should you decide to sell it.