If you’re like me, you may have a tendency to skip out on a few maintenance issues on your car, especially if its currently running well.  Over time, however, this can impact not only the ability of your car to run properly, but also your fuel economy.

Below are several maintenance tips from www.fueleconomy.gov that will help you keep your car properly maintained for optimal fuel economy.

Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned

Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated

You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.  The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver’s side door jamb or the glove box and in your owner’s manual. Do not use the maximum pressure printed on the tire’s sidewall.

Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

There you have it, three strategies that can save you a totla of up to 9% at the gas pump.  Don’t think that’s significant?  At current gas prices, that’s up to an $0.18 per gallon savings!

Photo credit:  radialmonster