12 Easy Ways to Improve Your Car's Gas Mileage

With fuel heading for over $4 or more per gallon, the following tips can help you reduce your car's fuel consumption by 20 percent or more.

1.) Lose the weight. Extra weight unnecessarily carried in your car will reduce gas mileage. Books, golf clubs, clothes, etc. can reduce mileage by as much as 10 percent. If you don't need it or don't plan to use it, take it out.

2.) Split your fuel load. To save gas, consider filling your fuel tank only half way. Fuel weighs six pounds per gallon. Eight gallons of fuel weighs 48 pounds, which can reduce fuel consumption by five percent per tank full.

3.) Proper tire inflation. Making sure that your tires are properly inflated according to the car and tire maker's inflation instructions will help improve overall mileage and tire wear. Remember, when the weather changes from hot to cold or vice versa, your tire's inflation requirements will change too.

4.) Clean and wax your car. I'll bet your thinking this one is ridiculous. However, tests done on a small, private aircraft found that after an airplane was washed and waxed, it attained higher in-flight cruise speeds-due mostly to the improved air flow over its surfaces.

5.) Keep your engine tuned. This one should be obvious-a properly tuned car simply runs better and more efficiently. Here again, follow your car's owner's manual for proper maintenance intervals.

6.) Change your oil regularly. A properly lubricated engine will operate with less effort, hence, it will use less fuel. Be sure and change your car's oil and oil filters at the intervals recommended in its manufacturer's operating manual.

7.) Keep engine air filters clean. A car engine is nothing but a big air pump. Clogged or dirty air filters restrict smooth air flow and cause your car's engine to run less efficiently, thereby increasing fuel consumption.

8.) Avoid jack rabbit starts. Slamming the accelerator into the floorboards wastes fuel and is rough on your engine. Use gentle starts and accelerate slowly to your target speed.

9.) Drive slower. If you're an habitually fast driver, consider slowing down. Driving your car at lower speeds will help reduce fuel consumption.

10.) Use only the gas octane rating recommended by your owner's manual. Buying gas that has a higher octane rating than the manufacturer recommends is simply a waste of money. Most modern cars run just fine on "Regular" gas.

11.) If you car has overdrive, use it whenever appropriate. Overdrive reduces the stress on your car's engine and will reduce fuel consumption.

12.) Use your speed control-if you have it. Keeping your engine at smooth and constant revolutions per minute (RPM) will help consume less gas when doing highway travel.

These common sense suggestions could help you make a fairly significant reduction in your annual fuel consumption. Not only will following these suggestions help your wallet, but the environment too!