Saving gas is one of the most important things you can do as you establish a greener lifestyle. To save more gas, keeping your car properly maintained is crucial. Here are five car maintenance tips that will save you gas and money.

1. Replace Your Old Air Filter

Studies have suggested that about one out of four cars on the road today is in need of an air filter replacement. A clean air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%. This is an inexpensive way to save gas.

Cost: About $10-20.

Cost Savings: 30 cents a gallon

2. Keep Your Car in Tune

Make sure your car has had regular tune-ups. A properly maintained engine can improve your mileage by up to 4%.

Cost: 5 quarts of oil and spark plugs if you do it yourself. About $100 at a shop such as Pep Boys, which includes tire rotation.

Cost Savings: 12 cents a gallon, which adds up to about $100 over the course of a year

3. Make Sure the Wheels Are Aligned

Poor wheel alignment not only will cause your tires to wear out more quickly, but also will force your engine to work harder than it otherwise should. Get your wheels aligned. This simple step can improve your miles per gallon up to 10%. Having the wheels in alignment also improves the safety of your vehicle., so there is a triple bonus here: use less gas, save money, and be safer.

Cost: Probably about $60-70 at a service shop such as Pep Boys

Cost Savings: 30 cents per gallon

4. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated

The President has gotten a few pokes in the press since he suggested this to help bring down gas prices, but he had a point. It is estimated that more than one-quarter of vehicles are driving around on under-inflated tires. An under-inflation of 7.5 pounds of pressure will result in a loss in fuel efficiency of 2.8%.

Cost: Maybe a quarter or two for a coin operated air pump at a gas station

Cost Savings: 8 cents per gallon

5. Check Your Gas Cap

This one is a surprise to me. Believe it or not, it has been estimated that nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps. What's the big deal? Escaping fumes depress fuel economy by allowing some of your precious gasoline to evaporate. But that's not all. Evaporating gasoline also released smog-causing pollutants into the air. Improving fuel mileage and reducing air pollution and is as easy as replacing a bad gas cap.

Cost: Nothing-as long as you have a gas cap in the first place!

Cost Savings: 1 cent per gallon

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