Eleven Ways to Save Money at the Pump

1. Keep tires properly inflated. Improve gas mileage 3.3 percent by keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure.
2. Perform regular tune-ups. Regular vehicle maintenance improves gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent.
3. Replace air filters regularly. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
4. Replace oil regularly. Dirty or substandard oil can reduce fuel economy by one mile per gallon.
5. Replace spark plugs regularly. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring which wastes fuel, up to two miles per gallon.
6. Observe the speed limit and use cruise control while on the highway. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 miles per hour.
7. Combine trips. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multi-purpose trip covering the same distance.
8. Don’t haul unneeded items. An extra 100 lbs in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1-2 percent. Unused roof rack and accessories add weight and drag.
9. Avoid quick starts and stops. Aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.
10. Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon! Go inside instead of waiting in long lines at the drive-through window. Also, letting a vehicle warm up for one or two minutes is sufficient.
11. Check your vehicle gas cap. About 17 percent of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or are missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.