Car maintenance can be expensive, and the rising cost of gasoline in the United States can really drain, so to speak, the funds available for car maintenance and related costs.
According to 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.

Here are some tips, courtesy of the Car Care Council, to help you save money on gasoline, even as the prices continue to climb.

Don’t drive aggressively. This can actually lower gas mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway and five percent on city streets, resulting in a cost of 7 to 49 cents per gallon.

Take care of your tires. A smart care maintenance tip in general, since driving with an under inflated tire is the equivalent of driving your car with the parking break on, and can cost you a mile for each gallon.

Watch out for worn spark plugs. Vehicles have four, six, or eight spark plugs, and these fire as much as three million times every on thousand miles, which creates heat, electrical, and chemical erosion. Replace your spark plug regularly for proper care maintenance, and gas conservation as well.

Change your dirty air filter. Air filters clogged with dust, dirt, and bugs cuts off the air and results in more gas than necessary being burned. This wastes gas, and causes the engine to lose power as well.

Watch those gas caps. Approximately 17 percent of vehicles, according to the CCC, have gas caps that are damaged, loose or missing, and this causes 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize each year.

Don’t idle excessively. Idling gets you zero miles to the gallon, and you really only need to warm up your vehicle for about one to two minutes.

Watch that speed. As your car’s speed increases, gas mileage decreases, and each mph over sixty results in an additional ten cents per gallon cost.

Lose some weight.  By simply removing unnecessary items from your vehicle, you could reduce the weight by 100 pounds, which in turn will reduce your MPG by up to 2%, based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the weight of the vehicle.

Proper car maintenance is the best way to get the most out of your car, and to make sure that it remains fuel efficient. Don’t skip regular visits to the auto mechanic—the health of your car depends on them.

Car care can be intimidating, often because people don’t know what to check on their vehicles – or when to check it – to keep them in good working condition.

A recent survey by the Car Care Council found that 38 percent of cars had low or dirty engine oil, more than 50 percent had low tire pressure and an alarming number of vehicles had not been properly maintained.

Being proactive about vehicle maintenance will not only keep your vehicle in good condition, but save you time and money as well. Here are some guidelines for what to check, and when, from the experts at Firestone Complete Auto Care:

* Every other fuel fill-up: engine oil and washer fluid.

* Every oil change: antifreeze, air filter and battery.

* Monthly: belts, brake fluid, hoses, power steering fluid, tire air pressure, tire tread depth and overall condition, and transmission fluid.

* Every six months: wiper blades.

* Annually: exhaust system.

* Replace when out or worn: lights, shock absorbers.

* Refer to vehicle owner′s manual: change oil, rotate tires.

Experts also recommend that drivers keep an emergency kit in their vehicles. This too can be confusing, as people don’t always know what to include in an emergency kit.

Here are a few items Firestone Complete Auto Care suggests you have to help prepare for unforeseen circumstances on the road:

* Jumper cables

* Flashlight and batteries

* Reflector

* Protective gloves

* Toolkit

* Flares and matches

* Gallon of water

* Nonperishable food

* Portable air compressor

* Auto Club membership card

* In the winter months: a shovel, bag of kitty litter or sand and a blanket.

With a basic car care checklist to help keep your vehicle running well and a comprehensive vehicle emergency kit, you can drive with confidence knowing that you’ll be prepared for any “bump in the road.”