CHECK MOTOR OIL. Top off and change oil as necessary with manufacturer-recommended grade, "energy conserving" motor oils. Doing so can improve fuel economy by up to 2 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Replacing conventional oils with synthetics may offer even greater fuel economy benefits.

Recommended Motor Oil
Fuel Economy Benefit: Up to 1-2%
Gas Savings: Up to $0.05-0.08/gal
Annual Gas Savings: $28.30-44.48
Annual SUV Savings: $36.05-57.68


CHECK OIL AND AIR FILTERS. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Check And Replace Air Filter
Fuel Economy Benefit: Up to 10%
Gas Savings: Up to $0.40/gal
Annual Gas Savings: $226.40
Annual SUV Savings: $288.40

CHECK ENGINE PERFORMANCE. Have engines tuned and replace spark plugs according to the manufacturer's recommended schedule. A single misfiring spark plug can cut fuel economy by up to 4 percent, according to the EPA.

Engine Properly Tuned
Fuel Economy Benefit: Up to 4%
Gas Savings: $0.16/gal
Annual Gas Savings: $84.90-90.56
Annual SUV Savings: $115.36


CHECK BRAKES. Improperly maintained brakes can result in unwanted drag and can have the same effect as driving with a foot on the brake pedal, leading to a dramatic drop in fuel economy.


PAY ATTENTION TO WARNING LIGHTS. Ignoring "Service Engine Soon" or "Check Engine" indicators may result in poor fuel economy and require expensive repairs. For example, a warning light may indicate a faulty oxygen sensor, which can result in a 40 percent decrease in fuel economy.


CHECK TIRES FOR WEAR. Replace worn tires with the manufacturer-recommended size and style. To improve fuel economy, consider low rolling-resistance tires.


CHECK TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE. Keeping tires inflated to at least the manufacturer-recommended pressure can improve fuel economy by up to 3 percent, according to the EPA.

Tires Properly Inflated
Fuel Economy Benefit: Up to 3%
Gas Savings: Up to $0.12/gal
Annual Gas Savings: $67.92
Annual SUV Savings: $86.52


CHECK FOR UNNECESSARY ITEMS THAT ADD WEIGHT TO THE VEHICLE. Remove heavy items from your trunk and back seat. 

Remove Excess Weight
Fuel Economy Benefit: 1-2%/100 lbs.
Gas Savings: $0.05-0.08/gal
Annual Gas Savings: $28.30-44.48
Annual SUV Savings: $36.05-57.68


CHECK EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROLS. Poorly operating evaporative emission controls can fail to capture gasoline vapors and recycle them to the fuel tank. This wastes gas and degrades air quality.


CHECK TRANSMISSION. Properly operating modern transmissions and drive components are critical to vehicle fuel economy performance. Routinely check fluid levels and operation.

All values are based on a gasoline price of $4/gallon.
1Assuming that driving sensibly is no ?jack-rabbit starts? and no wide-open throttle accelerations.
2The assumption made for observing the speed limit was the people generally speed across all types of
driving, both city and highway. For example, going 35-40 mph in a 25 mph speed zone and going 70
mph on a highway that is limited to 55 mph.
3This estimate is based on a consumer carrying a tool kit and a set of golf clubs. These two items were
actually measured and came out at a weight of 90 pounds.
4The fuel economy savings estimate for a loaded roof rack was not given full credit in this analysis. It was
not reasonable to assume that a consumer drives all year long with a loaded roof rack. So, the assumption
was made that 3,000 miles of the average 15,000 miles per year was done with a loaded roof
rack. Then the credit was given for 12,000 miles not driving with a loaded roof rack.
5The EPA estimate did not specify the assumption on the losses associated with
adding 5 mph increments over 60 mph. To make this estimate more realistic,
the assumption was made that the benefit of going slower only
applied during highway driving, which according to EPA is 45% of the time.