Vikram Singh KhalsaThe Sikh Magician, Inventor and Artist

Apr 11th Randomness #2: 10 Ways to save gas and money

Saw this article on MSN, and thought it would be nice to share it with others.

Want to save 20 percent or more on fuel costs? Follow these 10 simple tips from the Consumer Federation of America.

Check Your Air Filter

A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, and nearly one in four cars needs an air filter replacement.

Cost Savings: 28 cents a gallon.

Straighten Up

Poor alignment not only causes tires to wear out more quickly, but also forces your engine to work harder, which can reduce fuel economy by as much as 10 percent.

Cost Savings: 28 cents a gallon.

Tune Up

A properly tuned engine can improve mileage by 4 percent.

Cost Savings: 11 cents a gallon.

Pump ’em Up

More than one quarter of vehicles have improperly inflated tires. The average under-inflation of 7.5 pounds causes a loss of 2.8 percent in fuel efficiency.

Cost Savings: 8 cents a gallon.

Check Your Cap

It is estimated that nearly 17 percent of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps, which not only reduces gas mileage but may harm the environment.

Cost Savings: 2 cents per gallon.

Slow Down

For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7 percent.

Cost Savings: 19 cents, by reducing speed from 70 mph to 65 mph.

Drive More Smoothly

The more smoothly you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage, with potential gas savings of 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent around town.

Cost Savings: 48 cents a gallon.

Lighten Up

For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1 to 2 percent in fuel efficiency.

Cost Savings: 4 cents a gallon, per 100 pounds of weight removed.

Don’t Be Idle

Besides causing pollution, idling wastes gas. If stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine, and don’t bother to “warm up” your car before driving — it is not necessary.

Cost Savings: 1 cent a gallon, for every two minutes you avoid idling.

http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=192&GT1=45002

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