Does your car get crummy gas mileage? There might be an easy fix for that.
Jerry Wientjes owns McCarran Auto Body in Sparks and also started a reality TV show about life in the shop which airs right after Channel 2 News at 11 on Saturday nights.
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Wientjes says checking your tire pressure is important. Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored causes of crummy gas mileage. Under-inflated tires have more rolling resistance, which means your engine has to work harder to keep your car moving. Buy a reliable tire gauge and check your tires at least once a month. Be sure to check them when they are cold, since driving the car warms up the tires - which then warms up the air inside - and that can lead to a falsely high reading. Â
Jerry also encourages you to stay on top of car maintenance. Proper maintenance is a must, which includes changing your spark plugs when needed, replacing your air filter often and checking your oil regularly. Slowing down your driving can also save gas and money. A study by Edmunds shows that drivers who slowed down more gradually when approaching stop lights and signs and sped up more slowly after leaving them got up to 35% better fuel economy than drivers who didn't. Â
