12:45 PM CST on Tuesday, March 9, 2004

From 11 News Staff Reports

IRVINE Calif. -- Gas prices in the U.S. are climbing steadily with drivers in many cities paying well above $2 a gallon.

AP

You may feel helpless shelling out more and more money at the pump, but experts say there are ways to cope.

The following tips can help you save money by getting better mileage:

• If your vehicle does "not" require premium grade gas but you use it anyway, it is ok to change to a lower grade to save a few dollars. In fact, you may find that you get better fuel economy with a lower grade of gasoline. Try two tanks of each of the lower grades and see for yourself. (If your vehicle requires premium grade gasoline, stay with a premium grade.)

• Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel can rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.

• Use alternate roads when safer, shorter, straighter. Compare traveling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping require extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight.

• Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces transmission strain and allows transmission to cool.

• Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse gear maneuvers to save gas.

• Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds.

• Remove vinyl tops because they cause air drag. Rough surfaces disturb otherwise smooth air flow around a car's body.

• Remove excess weight from trunk or inside of car - extra tires, back seats, unnecessary heavy parts. Extra weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up inclines.

• Gasoline with "Techron," as well as most professional grade cleaners, can clean your fuel injectors Clean injectors will help your vehicle get up to 5 percent better gas mileage.

• Turn off your air conditioning, but don't roll down your windows. Both create drag on your car, requiring more gas to keep up your speed. It takes about 5 - 8 horsepower to run the air conditioning. Running your air conditioning on a lower setting or using the recirculation feature may help.

• Check your vehicle's air filter and tire pressure. A clogged or dirty air-filter can slow your vehicle down and use more gasoline. A clean filter will promote less gas waste. Under-inflated tires could also cause excessive drag, slowing the vehicle down and use more gas as well as be a safety hazard.

• Accelerate normally from a fully stopped position and avoid flooring or stabbing the gas pedal. The flooring or stabbing action pushes more fuel to the engine than is needed to move forward.

Sources: Kelley Blue Book and stretcher.com