Achieving vehicle fitness

Although a single change may not yield significant savings in your gas consumption, by keeping up on monthly and yearly car maintenance, you can decrease your fuel usage while extending the life of your vehicle and improving its safety. Saving your well-earned cash is reason enough to maintain your car, but scheduled checkups will also help the environment by reducing the use of natural resources and diminishing greenhouse gas emissions—major concerns for the global community.

Similarly, your tires should be checked for proper alignment twice a year. Periodic tire alignment will reduce friction and, therefore, decrease the wear on your tires and conserve gas usage. Although you may need a mechanic to perform this service, you should invest in a dial-model tire gauge with a bleeder valve, so you can check the tire pressure yourself. (It'll only take mere minutes of your time.) Improp-erly inflated tires drag and can increase your fuel consumption as much as 6%. Information about the proper pressure for your tires is easy to find in your owner's manual.

Changing your car's oil is another task you should be carrying out. It is important to use the appropriate grade of oil (as shown in your owner's man-ual), and change your oil every 3,000 miles or in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Regularly changing your oil can significantly reduce friction between moving parts, remove foreign substances from your engine, improve vehicle performance, and thus, lessen fuel use.

Did you know that a dirty air filter could decrease your fuel consumption up to 10%? Air filters take damaging impurities out of your engine components and are easily checked and quite inexpensive to change. Simply hold your old filter up to the light; if it looks dirty, it is time for a new one.

Spark plugs should also be checked and replaced as needed. Worn plugs can cause misfiring, which can trigger electrical and chemical erosion and waste precious fuel. And while engine coolant hoses and belts won't affect your gas mileage, it's always a good idea to have these items checked before heading out on a new assignment.

Employing smart driving practices

Now that your car is mechanically fit, you can employ additional, simple tips to save money once you hit the road. Need to fill up? You should head to the pumps early in the day before prices typically increase, and don't overfill your tank! Usually, regular octane is fine for most cars. Unless your engine is "knocking," higher-octane gas—which is more expensive—offers no additional benefit. Still, to make an informed decision, you should review your owner's manual for factory oc-tane recommendations.

Another big gas savings can be achieved simply by staying within posted speed limits. The faster you drive, the more gas your car uses. And gas mileage decreases quickly at speeds above 60 miles per hour. When taking long, highway drives, try using overdrive gears and cruise control to maintain a consistent speed, practices that often reduce gas usage. Avoiding unnecessary acceleration and braking can also improve fuel economy. By driving gently, anticipating traffic conditions, and not tailgating, you can increase gas mileage between 5 and 10%.