Washington, D.C. – As 31 million travelers take to the road this Memorial Day weekend, 40% said rising gas prices would impact their travel plans. To help cope with nearly $4 a gallon gas prices, here are CFA’s top ten gas-saving tips from Jack Gillis author of The Car Book and CFA’s Director of Public Affairs.  “We estimate that if Americans practiced these tips gas mileage could be improved in total by about 13%,” said Jack Gillis.  “With the Memorial Day kick-off of the summer driving season, there’s no reason consumer should pay for gas they don’t need,” said Gillis.

	Savings Per Gallon	If you do this:
1	39¢	Check Your Air Filter:  A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%, and nearly one in four cars needs an air filter replacement.  Changing a dirty air filter can save the equivalent of 39 cents a gallon or carry you 23 more miles on a typical tank of gas.
2	39¢	Straighten Out:  Poor alignment not only causes tires to wear out more quickly, but also forces your engine to work harder, which can reduce gas mileage by as much as 10%. Fixing improper alignment would be like saving 39 cents per gallon.
3	15¢	Tune Up:  A properly tuned engine can improve mileage by 4% which is like saving 15 cents a gallon.
4	11¢	Pump ’em Up:  More than one-quarter of vehicles have improperly inflated tires.  The average under-inflation of 7.5 lbs. causes a loss of 2.8% in fuel efficiency.  Properly inflating problem tires is like knocking 11 cents off a gallon of gas.
5	3¢	Check Your Cap:  It is estimated that nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps, which reduce gas mileage as well as possibly harming the environment.  Fixing or replacing a faulty gas cap is like saving 3 cents per gallon.
6	6¢	Lose Weight:  For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1-2% in fuel efficiency.  For every 100 lbs you unload, you’re saving the equivalent of 6 cents per gallon.
7	27¢	Don’t Speed:  For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7%.  If you typically drive 70 on the highway and slow down to 65, it’s the equivalent of saving 27 cents a gallon.
8	68¢	Drive Smoother:  The smoother you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage, with potential gas savings of 33% on the highway and 5% around town.  Consumers who currently drive erratically can pocket the equivalent 68 cents a gallon by driving more smoothly.
9	$1.35	Foot Off:  Riding with your foot on the brake not only wears out brakes but can also reduce gas consumption by as much as 35%.  If you kick the habit of driving with your foot on the brake, you’ll get the equivalent of $1.35 per gallon in savings.
10	1¢	Don’t Idle:  If stopped off the road for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine.  Don’t “warm up” your car before driving — it is not necessary.  For every two minutes that you don’t idle, you’ll save the equivalent of nearly 1 cent per gallon.

 

Savings based on May 2011 gas prices at $3.85.