Hi there folks... Greg here... 

It's no secret that our area has some of the highest fuel prices in the country and we all share in this strain, so as fuel prices travel north of $4.00 per gallon, I figured I would share some ideas that might help you avoid wasting money. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family.

I hope this helps,

Greg Skolnik   

    Junk In My Trunk  - Remove any extra weight that you routinely  carry in the trunk, like sandbags, golf clubs, boxes of old textbooks, Mother-in-law, etc. Weight equals cost. 

   What a Drag it is - Anything that causes wind drag on the car, such as roof racks, bags, team flags, cost money. Think of air like water in the swimming pool... streamline the car as it moves along. At higher speeds, keep the windows closed or cracked as the car is more slippery in the air this way.

  Icemaker - Air Conditioning uses gas. You can reduce the amount it drinks by pushing the A/C button and turning off the compressor while keeping the blower fan on high. After a while, when you become uncomfortable...push it again until it cools a bit then, turn it off. In the city, you can open the windows but at high speeds with open windows the inside of the car acts like a parachute.

  It's only flat on the bottom - Tire pressures being low causes a huge increase in rolling resistance that will not only chew through your fuel but will trash the tires in short order costing you in rubber too. Vehicle manufacturers tend to be conservative with tire pressure recommendations which help the car ride softer. If you increase the pressures by 3 to 4 p.s.i. you will decrease the rolling resistance without hurting the tire life or the ride quality excessively. Don't overdo it here... more isn't necessarily better beyond a certain point.

  Straight On - If all of the wheels aren't going in exactly the same direction when rolling along, the drag against the pavement will chew through your wallet with gas and rubber. Have a proper, professional wheel alignment performed, especially after that last "off road" expedition or "curb incident"...ahem...

  Stop Dragging My Brakes Around- All brake systems drag a little, they're designed that way. However, if they don't release all the way because of a stuck caliper slide or the parking brake mechanism gets sticky, you'll definitely feel this at the pump. Have the brakes checked by a qualified technician at least twice per year. Oh yeah...don't rest that left foot on the brake pedal...just don't.

        Deep Breathing - You've heard this before...a dirty air filter can rob up to 20% of your fuel mileage. Usually their replacement is included in routine servicing. They're not that expensive and usually not complicated to replace.

          Zap! - Even with today's specialized engine controls, a worn set of spark plugs will cost upwards of 12% in fuel economy. Have your happy technician check yours to ensure they are in good condition and replaced on schedule with your factory scheduled maintenance service.

  Up, Up and Away - Gas vaporizes when out in the open. There is a huge amount of fuel that just evaporates right out of your tank through a leaky (or not tightened) fuel cap. Some cars might warn you with a "check engine" light but not always. It's like dollars floating right out of your car into the clouds. Terrible for the environment too.

  No Crisco - Proper oil type/weight. Regular oil changes reduce the amount of sludge buildup inside the engine. Keeping the proper type and weight of oil will help keep the engine operating more efficiently.

  A-B-Combine trips - You've heard this before but...I'll bet you haven't made a game out of it yet. With a little planning, you can make one trip instead of three or four. This saves HUGE.    

             Smooth Operator - Drive your car as if there was an egg under the gas pedal. Remember that smooth, consistent vehicle speed without rapid velocity changes is really efficient. Enjoy the Zen state you can get into...going with the flow... easy... easy... lowers the blood pressure too.

   The Right Stuff - If your car is supposed to use premium fuel, use premium fuel. Most modern cars can automatically adjust for regular gas if that's all that is available, however, the engine performance and fuel mileage will suffer. It's actually less expensive to pay for the higher cost premium than the increased fuel use with the lower cost regular fuel. It's also much better for the long term health of your engine.

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