Don’t Get Grinched At The Pump

On my way to work this morning I noticed varying gas prices from $2.66 to $2.79 for regular.

Here in Colorado we have some of the lowest prices for gas in the country, with some areas over $3.00 a gallon. The Car Care Council has come up with some tips to help you get the most miles for your bucks.

- Keep your car properly tuned to improve gas mileage by an average of 4%.
- Keep tires properly inflated and improve gas mileage by 3%.
- Replace dirty or clogged air filters on older vehicles to improve gas mileage by as much as 14%.
- Replace dirty spark plugs, which can reduce mileage by two miles per gallon.
- Change oil regularly and gain another mile per gallon.

"Driving behavior also impacts fuel efficiency. The council offers these gas-saving driving tips:"

- Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 mph.
- Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Warming up the vehicle for one or two minutes is sufficient.
- Avoid quick starts and stops. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 33% on the highway and 5% in the city.
- Consolidate trips. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much gas as one longer multi-purpose trip.
- Don’t haul unneeded items in the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1 to 2%.

If you're interested you can get a free copy of the Car Care Council's guide.