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Car maintenance is expensive and draining the funds available for car maintenance and related costs is the rising cost of gasoline in the U.S.

Contributing to poor fuel economy are missing or loose gas caps, worn spark plugs, under inflated tires, and dirty air filters and this is according to Rich White, the executive director of the Car Care Council.

Even as the prices continue to climb, here are tips you can follow in order to save money on gasoline.

Don’t drive aggressively. Gas mileage can be lowered up to 33% on the highway and 5% on city streets because of this, which results to 7 to 49 cents per gallon.

You need to take care of your tires. This is a smart tip because it can cost you a mile for each gallon if you drive with an under inflated tire which is also like driving with the parking break on.

You need to watch out for worn spark plugs. Chemical, heat, and electrical erosion is created because vehicles have 4, 6, or 8 spark plugs that fire 3 million times on every thousand miles. Replace your spark plug regularly for proper care maintenance, and gas conservation as well.

You also need to change your dirty air filter. Cutting off the air and resulting in more gas than necessary to burn are air filters clogged with dirt, bugs, or dust. This wastes gas, and causes the engine to lose power as well.

You need to watch those gas caps. Each year, about 147 million gallons of gas vaporize because according to the CCC, about 17% of vehicles have gas caps that are missing, loose, or damaged.

Don’t idle excessively. When you idle, you get zero miles to the gallon and you only need one or two minutes to warm up your vehicle.

Watching that speed. Each mph over 60 results in an additional ten cents per gallon cost and as the speed of your car increases, the gas mileage decreases.

Lose some weight. You could reduce the weight by 100 pounds if you remove unnecessary items from your vehicle and your MPG will also be reduced to 2% based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight.

Proper car maintenance is the best way to get the most out of your car, and to make sure that it remains fuel efficient. You shouldn’t skip the regular visits to the auto mechanic because your car’s health would depend on them.

When you’re looking for local auto repair shops Apex North Carolina, try Vital Automotive. We offer the best in automotive repair and diagnostics. Our rates are competitive, with no hidden fees.