Gas prices may have gone down a little bit recently (still over $4 here in LA though!), but did you know that your car might actually be costing you more in gas than you should be spending? Here are some simple things that you should get checked on your car, and fixed, to improve your gas mileage.

1. Inflate your Tires! Most of us don’t bother to get our tires air pressure checked out on our cars. But did you know that running on low air actually decreases gas mileage? Experts have shown that you can gain 3% increase in gas mileage just by inflating your tires to the correct levels. And the best news is, air is free whenever you buy gas at a gas station!
2. Change your oil filter now! If you are like me, you probably don’t get your oil filter changed when supposed to (every 3000 miles or 6 months). You might think that its saving you money, but its not in terms of gas - running low on oil reduces your gas mileage. In particular, make sure to look for the ‘energing conserving’ label on oil, and make sure its the correct type for your car. Putting the wrong one in can reduce your gas mileage by up to 2% percent.
3. Get your engine tuned up, especially every 30,000 miles. Doing this, according to mechanics, can increase your gas mileage by 4%. Plus, it also saves on wear and tear, and expensive break down repairs. And 4% increase in gas mileage a year saves you at least $100 based on $4 a gallon.
4. Rotate and align your tires. This is a fairly standard procedure that many of us don’t do anywhere near enough. Doing both of these to your tires, not only increases the life span of your tires (saving you money), but also increases your gas mileage by 3-4%.
5. Lastly, but providing you the most impact, get your air filter changed. Who ever thinks to get this done? Well, you should, because a good new air filter (like K&N filters) can increase your gas mileage by up to 10%. Thats the equivalent of saving 40 cents a gallon right now! I did this on my car last year, and noticed a big difference, plus you get the get the extra benefit of a few more horsepower. Vroom!

So try doing all these things to your car, and should be pleasantly surprised to see that your gas lasts longer in your car than usual! More tips coming soon!

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