Remember four-dollar-plus gas prices? Gas may have come down, but in most places it’s currently hovering around three dollars per gallon. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee it won’t continue to go up again. Well, here are six steps you can take to keep a little more of your money in your wallet and away from the pump.
1. Check your tire pressure. Tires that are under-inflated are “soft” and require more work – and more gas – in order to spin. Have your tires checked whenever you fill up, it doesn’t cost you anything.
2. Check tire alignment. Tires that aren’t in alignment make your engine work harder, which means burning more gas. Check your tires alignment every 6 to 9 months.
3. Check your brakes. You should have your brakes aligned and checked. Poorly aligned brakes mean you have to brake harder, and you lose or bleed off kinetic energy, resulting in lower gas mileage.
4. Have your engine tuned. If your engine isn’t properly tuned, it runs less efficiently. Have your engine timing checked, and replace dirty or worn spark plugs.
5. Don’t idle more than necessary. Idling gives you exactly zero miles per gallon. Though it takes more gas when your engine turns over, if you are going to be idling for 30 seconds or more, it pays to turn off your engine.
6. Improve your driving habits. Learn to accelerate less, do your errands during off-peak times when there is less traffic, think ahead and combine trips whenever possible. Avoid congestion, and especially stop and go traffic.
These are some of the ways to improve gas mileage. Websites like gasforlessmoney.com list many more easy and practical gas-saving tips. Keep in mind that gas mileage improvement of 10% becomes a savings of $5-$10 when you fill up!
The author is currently enrolled in an LPN Nursing Class.
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