Gas Saving Tips

There are a few things you can do yourself to get better mileage out of your vehicle.
The most common overlooked item is the tire pressure. Make sure, on a weekly basis, that all 4 of your tires are inflated to the correct tire pressure. The correct tire pressure for your vehicle should be listed on a sticker or small metal plate located on the driver side door, inside by the latch.
Even 3 or 4 lbs under pressure will have a reduced effect on your mileage and most likely you will not be able to notice, by sight, a tire that is even 10 lbs under pressure.
Don't trust the pressure gage on the air pump being used to inflate your tires to give the correct pressure. They can be off by as much as 5 lbs over or under. The best method to check tire pressure is with a dial type air gauge, purchased at most auto parts stores. Some dept. stores will have them also in their auto dept. It looks like the dial gauge you would see on a water well pump tank or air compressor with a needle pointing to the numbers on the dial. These are much more accurate.

Change your air filter.
If you haven't had a new one put in within the past year, it is advisable to take it out and check it. If you can not clearly see visible light coming through the filter when held up to the sky, replace it with a new one.

If you have never replaced one yourself, it's quite easy to do. Most are located in one or two places on all vehicles. Some of the older vehicles will have the filter on top of the engine. look for a round, oval, rectangle or square box, usually black with a air hose of least 2 inches in diameter attached to it. The hose will look kind of like the hose on a shop vac vacuum. Most filter holder on these vehicles will be held in place by wing nuts. Twist them off to remove the top and get to the filter
On new vehicles the top is held in place withs bolts or screws, and the only time you may see a wing nut is when the occasional odd neighbor or in law stops in for a visit.

On most newer vehicles the air filter will located on the driver side of the vehicle up near the front. It will most often be rectangle or square and also have a black cover.

Use caution when undoing your filter holder, if your air hose has any electrical wires leading to object attached to the air hose. These objects are part of your computer controlled engine system and can be quite expensive to replace if you damage them.

Change your spark plugs.
A bit more difficult to do on a lot of the newer vehicles and some can not be changed without placing the vehicle on a lift to gain access to the plugs behind the engine, up against the firewall. However, if you can see and access all of the spark plugs, remove and inspect them. If the electrode point in the center of the plug is worn, or the gap is too large, replace with new ones. The electrode in the center should have sharp crisp edges. If they are rounded, the electrode is worn. Most plugs will last for about 30,000 miles, less if you do mostly stop and go city driving.