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Tips on how to conserve fuel and save $$$ at the pumps As the production of oil decreases and consumption increases, gas prices are expected to rise in the coming months. With that in mind, you may be looking for ways to conserve fuel and save money at the pump. Here are some tips. Every year drivers waste millions of dollars in gas by failing to maintain their vehicles. These are some of the more common areas you should maintain to conserve fuel: · Air filters. Clogged air filters choke off air and burn gas, reducing gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. · Engine oil. Dirty or poor-quality engine oil increases friction and decreases gas mileage. · Gas caps. Damaged, loose or missing gas caps allow fuel to evaporate, wasting gallons of gas. · Tires. Underinflated tires create drag, cutting gas mileage. · Spark plugs. Dirty spark plugs result in inefficient combustion and waste gas. Drivers also waste gas by careless driving. These are some of the more common mistakes you should avoid to conserve fuel: · Aggressive driving. Driving aggressively reduces gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and five percent in the city. Avoid heavy braking and try to drive as smoothly as possible. · Excessive idling. Letting a vehicle idle guarantees fuel loss. Don't let the vehicle warm up longer than a couple of minutes and turn off the engine whenever possible, such as in traffic jams. · Overloading. The heavier the load, the more gas consumed. Pack light and carry only what you need at any given time. · Speeding. Going over 60 miles per hour costs an additional 10 to 34 cents per gallon. Stay within the speed limits and use cruise control. · Using air conditioning. Although it's a blessing on hot days, air conditioning in general burns up the gas. Use it sparingly. Learning how to conserve gas is easy; making yourself do it may be difficult. Begin practicing now and you'll be an expert when gas prices really start to soar. --By Tresa Erickson, special