Little Things to Do for Big Gas Mileage

The numbers add up! And you know that with today's gas prices (and Heaven only knows what they'll be tomorrow) every little thing we can do to make that gas go further is a big help. Not only to our pocketbooks but to our little whirling blue and green planet.

These are ideas that I've gleaned from www.climateprotect.org/:

1. Keep your tires on your vehicles at their proper pressure. Do you know where to find those pressures? Do you know when to measure those pressures? Mushy tires make a car run as if on square wheels. Proper pressure will not only give 4% better gas mileage but will make your tires last 25% longer. Considering what you paid for those tires......

2. Keeping your vehicle well tuned is worth another 4% better gas mileage.

3. Changing out that dirty oil regularly for clean oil is worth another 2%. If you use the "energy conserving" oil give yourself another 2%.

(already you've gained 12%!)

4. Check the gas cap. 1 in 6 cars in the US has a cracked, loose or missing gas cap. Costly pollution!

5. Loaded roofracks and/or boxes in the back of pickups can reduce mileage by 5%. If you don't need it 24/7, put it in the garage. The wind resistance it provides generates "drag".

6. Unload it. Every 100 pounds your car lugs around reduces another 1-2% mileage. But if that 100 pounds is Grandma, don't leave her on the side of the road or with strangers, please.

7. Chill out and be patient. Accelerating and braking gently can save you 33%. Wow! And really bad for your engine is to gun it out of the driveway right after you've started it in the morning.

8. Find someone with whom to commute to and from work or shopping.

9. Keep your spare tire properly pressurized. If your tire blows and your spare is "square", you've lost so much of all you've done to save yourself money.