Gas Saving Tips 6 - Use Less Gas And Save Money
by Doug Smith

You have probably heard theses gas saving tips from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and whoever taught you to drive. Yet very few people actually bother to implement them.

Why is that? Are people tired of hearing them? Have these gas saving tips been said so many times that people tune them out? Well, you are going to hear them again in this series of articles, along with the reasons why they DO work!


Gas Saving Tip #11: Use Proper Tire Inflation

The engine has to overcome many forces to move your car forward. Some of it comes from friction between the tire and the road.

Tires are designed to be driven at a given inflation pressure in pounds per square inch (psi). Underinflated tires have more tire tread touching the road, increasing friction and wasting gas. Overinflated tires have less tread touching the road, which is an extreme safety hazard.

Use the recommended inflation pressure for your tires. Always measure the tire pressure under the conditions in the owner's manual. Some tire pressures should be measured when the car has not been driven for a while. Others require the tires to be warmed up after a short drive. Find out which type you have and keep them filled properly.


Gas Saving Tip #12: Keep Your Wheels Aligned

It makes sense that your engine will be most fuel efficient when all four tires are all pointing in the correct direction and properly aligned with the car. Here's an example to which everyone can relate.

Have you ever gone to the grocery story and got the shopping cart with the wheel that won't go straight? That seems to happen every time! You know how hard it is to get it started, and to keep it going in a straight line. That's how your car acts when the wheels are not properly aligned. The engine has to push harder and wastes gas.

It has been estimated that proper tire inflation and alignment can increase gas mileage by up to 3%.


Gas Saving Tip #13: Change The Oil Frequently

Improve your gas mileage and save gas by changing the engine oil at the recommended interval, usually given in months or miles driven. Use the recommended type of oil. Motor oils labeled as "energy conserving" can save gas further.

Motor oil keeps the engine running smoothly. Dirty oil contains metal particles, dust, or other grit that causes engine parts to grate against each other. The engine has to work harder, and use more gas, to do the same work with dirty oil.

Don't rely on your oil filter to catch all that dirt and grit. Change it whenever you change the oil.

As gas prices go higher, the need to save gas and save money on fuel is greater than ever. More gas saving tips can be found at the website below.

Doug Smith invites you to find more free information on Save Money On Gas and other gas saving tips at http://gascreditcards.findcarsforhire.com .

©2006 by Doug Smith. This article may be freely reprinted as long as this copyright notice and the author's resource statement above remain attached, the article is unchanged, and all hyperlinks remain clickable.