Besides having a source of free gas, or converting you car to run partially on water, there are some tips that can certainly help you in your fight at the pump. The following list of tips, if you follow them, will increase fuel economy. You just have to implement them.

1. Check your air filter

A clean air filter is the key to good fuel economy. A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. Air filters are easy to check and change; remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can’t see light coming through it, you need a new one. I use K&N filters which is cleaned rather than changed; they are much less restrictive (better air flow) than throw-away paper filters, plus they’re better for the environment.

2. Get back to nature

Consider shutting off the air conditioner, opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you’ll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.

3. Use the correct tires for your vehicle

New wheels and tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they’ll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep the old ones. For long road trips, the stock wheels give a smoother ride and better economy.

4. Drive only when you have to

Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you’ll save gas. Take the train, carpool, and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car, always ask yourself: “Is this trip really necessary?”

5. Avoid High Speeds

As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) Vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.

6. Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard

By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.

7. Use A/C Sparingly

When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.

8. Keep Windows Closed

Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.

9. Service Vehicle Regularly

Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.

10. Use Cruise Control.

Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas. It can save you up to 4 MPG.

11. Avoid Heavy Loads and get the junk out of your trunk.

Remove the sandbags (junk) from your trunk and pack lightly for long trips.

The rule of thumb is, for every extra 100 pounds you lose 1 mpg. Remove the weight and save gas.

12. Avoid Long Idles

If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.

Besides having a source of free gas, or converting you car to run partially on water, there are some tips that can certainly help you in your fight at the pump. The following list of tips, if you follow them, will increase fuel economy. You just have to implement them.

1. Check your air filter

A clean air filter is the key to good fuel economy. A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. Air filters are easy to check and change; remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can’t see light coming through it, you need a new one. I use K&N filters which is cleaned rather than changed; they are much less restrictive (better air flow) than throw-away paper filters, plus they’re better for the environment.

2. Get back to nature

Consider shutting off the air conditioner, opening the windows and enjoying the breeze. It may be a tad warmer, but at lower speeds you’ll save fuel. That said, at higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.

3. Use the correct tires for your vehicle

New wheels and tires may look cool, and they can certainly improve handling. But if they are wider than the stock tires, chances are they’ll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy. If you upgrade your wheels and tires, keep the old ones. For long road trips, the stock wheels give a smoother ride and better economy.

4. Drive only when you have to

Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you’ll save gas. Take the train, carpool, and consolidate your shopping trips. Walking or biking is good for your wallet and your health. And before you get in your car, always ask yourself: “Is this trip really necessary?”

5. Avoid High Speeds

As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) Vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.

6. Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard

By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.

7. Use A/C Sparingly

When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.

8. Keep Windows Closed

Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.

9. Service Vehicle Regularly

Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.

10. Use Cruise Control.

Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas. It can save you up to 4 MPG.

11. Avoid Heavy Loads and get the junk out of your trunk.

Remove the sandbags (junk) from your trunk and pack lightly for long trips.

The rule of thumb is, for every extra 100 pounds you lose 1 mpg. Remove the weight and save gas.

12. Avoid Long Idles

If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.

With oil prices reaching record prices, saving gas is now more important than ever before. You don’t have to throw away your car in favor of a bicycle if you follow these simple fuel saving tips to improve your gas mileage.

Keep That Tank Full:

Some people may wince at the idea of paying top dollar for a full tank of gas, but you actually save a lot more gasoline if you spare the extra money to load a full tank. A full tank means that you take less trips to a gas station. Many late-model cars also operate more efficiently with a full tank of gas. While you may end up saving pennies for every gas station trip, the value all adds up per gallon.

Maintain Your Engine:

Old and dirty engines use up more fuel than clean engines. A lot of fuel is lost and wasted because of the debris that clogs up the engine. Excess heat can also contribute to fuel inefficiency, because the substances in gasoline can decompose because of high temperatures. If your engine is caked with a lot of dirt and debris, you need to pour on some engine degreaser to loosen up and remove the dirt and debris baked into the engine block.

Don’t Floor The Pedal:

Having a heavy foot on the accelerator will waste a lot of fuel. Unless you drive an old car and you have to floor the gas pedal to get a response, it’s best to keep a light foot on the accelerator. There are times that you need to floor the gas pedal, especially if you’re moving out of a sharp curve. The trick is to keep very light pressure on the gas pedal, just enough to feed a steady amount of fuel to the engine. Only push the pedal to the metal when you need it.

Take Advantage of Water for Fuel Technology:

Using hybrid water technology is simply operating your vehicle using gas and water as a source of fuel. This can be done by using a device that coverts water to energy with the help of your car battery. The car battery acts as a conductor that electrolyze the water that produces a gas called “HHO” which then produces the energy to operate your car. You can improve fuel efficiency by 50% using this type of technology.

Here in the southern California area we are now paying over $4.00 per gallon for gas. I am making these tips available to help any and all save as much as possible at the pump.

13. Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle

When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicles rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission (if you can find one) will provide you with great fuel economy.

14. Don’t make jackrabbit starts.

It will take a couple extra minutes, but you’ll save another couple mpg.

In a comparison between jackrabbit vs. turtle accelerating. There turned out to be a two-mile per gallon difference in accelerating quickly vs. taking the slow and easy approach.

Result: 2-mpg savings being a turtle, not a jackrabbit.

15. If you want to buy the most gasoline for the buck buy it during the coolest time of the day. That is when gasoline is the densest. Gas is sold by volume, not density.

16. Don’t top off your tank.

When you hear that first click of the fuel nozzle it’s time to stop.

17. Travel at the speed limit and use cruise control whenever you can.

Cruise control is the best, but not practical in stop and go traffic. Stick with the speed limit and shift to the higher gear.

18. Look ahead.

If there is a hill coming up, accelerate on the downside, engaging the engine, instead of accelerating on the upswing.

19. Keep a steady speed in the city.

Most signal lights are set to the speed limit stated. If you stop and idle, put your automatic transmission in neutral. This will reduce the strain on the transmission and allow cooling.

20. Get regular tune-ups and make sure to change the air filter.

If your air filter is dirty it decreases your gas flow. Watch your wheel alignment as well; going in a straight line, instead of wobbling will save gas.

21. Going forward takes less gas than going in reverse. When parking in shopping lots, etc., take this into account.

22. Keep pace with the trucks.

Ever notice how, in bad traffic jams, cars seem to constantly speed up and slow down, while trucks tend to roll along at the same leisurely pace? A constant speed keeps shifting to a minimum — important to those who have to wrangle with those ten-speed truck transmissions — but it also aids economy, as it takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving. Rolling with the big rigs saves fuel.

23. Change your tires.

If you live in an area where you have to use snow tires. Also, check tour tires for maximum tire pressure every three months, as you get your oil changed perhaps. Spin and balance your tires and ask which tires are best fuel savers for your vehicle. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent. And under inflation is the leading cause of tire failures/blowouts.

24. Turn off what you can.

Anything you can turn off, do so. Radios, fans, all these new great technologies put a load on your engine, which decreases your gas mileage.