Put The Brakes On Soaring Gas Prices (NAPSA)—You can put the brakes on skyrocketing gas prices by taking control of your vehicle’s unnecessary fuel consumption. “Most motorists don’t realize thatit’s the little things that don’t take a lot of time or cost much that can really make a difference when it comes to saving money at the pump,” said Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “Loose or missing gas caps, under- inflated tires, worn spark plugs and dirty air filters all contribute to poor fuel economy.” The Car Care Council offers some gas-saving maintenance and driving tips that really work: * Vehicle gas caps—About 17 percent of the vehicles on the road have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or are missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year. e Underinflated tires— When tires aren’t inflated properly, it’s like driving with the parking brake on and can cost a mile or twopergallon. Worn spark plugs—A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly. * Dirty air filters—An air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a “rich” mixture—too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a cloggedairfil- ter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent, saving about 15 cents a gallon. Fuel-saving driving tips include: * Don’t be an aggressive driver—Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 It’s no hot air—driving with underinflated tires can costa mile or two per gallon. @ percent on city streets, which results in 7 to 49 cents per gallon. Avoid excessive idling— Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon. Letting the vehicle warm up for one to two minutesis sufficient. * Observe the speed limit—Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each mpg driven over 60 will result in an additional 10 cents per gallon. To maintain a constant speed on the highway, cruise control is recommended. Combine errands into one trip to save gas and time— Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance. Avoid carrying unneeded heavy items in the trunk—An extra 100 poundscan cut fuelefficiency by a percent or two. The Car Care Council is the source of information for the consumer education campaign, which promotes the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For more information, visit www.carcare.org.
