Car Talk

Yesterday was the first time I'd seen gas around here in the $4 range. Lucky for me it was for diesel fuel (my car takes regular), but I must tell you that it was heart stopping to see that price displayed for all the world to see. From what economists are forecasting, it's a price that we should all start getting used to seeing come summer.

I felt it was quite fortuitous that also yesterday, my friend Lauren Fix, aka The Car Coach, sent me her newsletter "Car Smart News," which included fuel-saving tips. I thought it was important to share some of Lauren's tips, along with my own contributions, so that if you happen to live someplace where gas already is $4 a gallon, you might find some relief.

* Keep your tires inflated.
Tires that are low on air make your car drive less efficiently. Think about a basketball that needs a good pumping up. How poorly does it perform on the court? Conversely, well-inflated tires can help up your gas mileage--Lauren says by as much as two miles per gallon!

* Have your engine filter changed regularly.
In my old house we had to replace the forced-air heating/cooling system's filter each month, because once it was filled with dust and dirt, it pretty much stopped working. You could feel a marked difference in the air that came through the vents before and after a filter change. Your engine's filter works the same may--and stops working when it gets all gunked up. Next time you're in for an oil change, ask about having the engine filter changed, too.

* Secure your gas cap.
One of my special talents (LOL) is snapping gas-cap tethers. I've managed to do it with each of the cars we've owned. Perhaps I'm too strong for my own good. Nonetheless, without the gas cap attached, I'll usually end up either driving away with the gas cap on the roof of the car (never to be seen again) or left behind at the gas station. The guys at Pep Boys know me well when I stop in for replacement caps. Lauren says that without a properly closed gas cap (or without one all together, as I've sometimes driven around), you can lose a lot of gas to evaporation. She says that last year Americans had 147 million gallons of perfectly good gas just disappear from their gas tanks.

* Create no idling zones.
I recently read about some schools in New Jersey that created "no idling zones" in the pick up line. That is, they've instructed buses and parents waiting for kids to turn their cars off. This helps them to reduce their gas consumption (as Lauren says, idling gets 0 mpg) and it reduces emissions, too. I wish my daughter's elementary school would institute a similar policy, if only for the good of the environment.

* Slow down for better gas mileage
Two things will ensure that you will have to fill up faster. One is driving fast (you get premium gas mileage around 55 to 60 mph) and the other is quick starts called jack-rabbiting. In these instances slow and steady will win the race at the gas pump.

Together these tips should help you get the most mileage from your full tank of gas and let you cut your emissions, too.

By the way, you can watch Lauren, who is an expert on all things auto, on ABC News' Program 20/20 this Friday night, April 18th. (She'll be discussing foul-weather driving.)