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FUEL SAVINGS TIPS AS GAS PRICES SOAR

Gas prices are on the rise again, and who knows how high they're going to go? It's putting a crimp in everyone's budget. To help you get the most out of your gas tank, here are some fuel savings tips from the Car Car Council:

Check vehicle gas caps - About 17% of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or are missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.

Make sure tires are properly inflated - When tires aren't inflated properly, it's like driving with the parking brake on and can cost a mile or two per gallon.

Replace spark plugs regularly - A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as three million times every 1,000 miles. That results in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly.

Replace dirty air filters - An air filter that is clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the air and creates a "rich" mixture-too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.

Don't be an aggressive driver - Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33% on the highway and 5% on city streets.

Avoid excessive idling - Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon. Letting the vehicle warm up for one to two minutes is sufficient.

Observe the speed limit - Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each mile driven over 60 will result in an additional 10 to 34 cents per gallon. To maintain a constant speed on the highway, cruise control is recommended.

Some of the statistics were gathered from a U.S. Department of Energy website: www.fueleconomy.gov