Gas prices may be on the decline for now but there is no reason why you should not find ways to save on fuel costs. With a few easy to do practices, you can significantly improve your gas mileage and start saving up on gas expenses. Here are some effective gas mileage tips:

Be an efficient driver – Avoid aggressive driving habits such as speeding, rapid acceleration and excessive braking as these can lower your gas mileage anywhere between 5-33%. Always observe the speed limit; the gas mileage of a vehicle significantly lowers at speeds of above 60mph. Remove unnecessary heavy items in your vehicle as this can also reduce your MPG. When running short errands such as picking up the kids, or going to the drive-thru, avoid excessive idling as this also wastes gas. Use cruise control and overdrive gear.

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As fuel prices continue their inexorable rise, car owners should find ways to get more miles from every gallon of gas. Fortunately, there are easy ways to save up on gas money. Here are some smart driving tips from The Car Care Council.

Combine errands in one trip and get good directions before you head out to minimize driving unnecessary miles.

Lighten the load by getting stuff out of the car, including the trunk, with the exception of important emergency items such as a spare tire, flares and a first-aid kit. Items that are not needed weigh the vehicle down, causing an increase in gas usage.

Stay within the speed limit and use cruise control on the highway. Gas mileage usually decreases when going over 60 miles per hour (mph).

Avoid aggressive driving. Your driving behavior has a lot to do with fuel economy and sudden stops and starts and rapid acceleration decrease your vehicle’s miles per gallon (mpg).

Check the condition of the gas cap. Approximately 17 percent of vehicles on the road have loose, damaged or missing gas caps, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.

Don’t idle your vehicle and go inside instead of waiting in long lines at the drive-through window to avoid wasting gas.

If you drive a 1995 Honda Civic, you better employ better anti-theft solutions because this popular model is America’s most stolen car for 2007, according to ‘Hot Wheels’, a report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau based on information from the National Crime Information Center. The ’95 Civic is followed by another Honda model, the 1991 Honda Accord in the list.

The 1989 Toyota Camry was the third most stolen vehicle while the 1997 Ford F-150 was the highest-listed pickup truck as well as the most stolen domestic-branded vehicle. Other domestic models were the 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 and the 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup, all trucks. Rounding out the top ten perennial favorites of car thieves were the Acura Integra, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Pickup and the Toyota Corolla.

According to the NICB, the types of vehicles being stolen remain consistent year to year. Thieves continue to prey on these older vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts.

To protect your cars from thieves, NICB recommends a ‘layered approach’ by using simple, low-cost solutions to make vehicles less vulnerable to carjackers. These four layers are: common sense, a warning device, an immobilizing device and a tracking device. Common sense means locking the car and taking the keys with you.

Using a warning device or alarm is also an effective deterrent. The third layer encourages the use of an immobilizing device that will prevent the vehicle from being driven such as a smart key or fuel cut off. The fourth layer is the use of a tracking device that law enforcement officers can use to track and recover a stolen vehicle.

The price of fuel has surely gone up. And with the rising costs of almost everything around us, it is important that we do know how to stretch our dollar. Fuel can also be stretched, did you know that? Just in case you don’t, keep reading and learn about Shell “FuelStretch” tips.

1. Drive smoothly: Avoid heavy acceleration or braking. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gasoline mileage by 5 percent at lower speeds around town and by 33 percent at highway speeds.
2. Replace dirty or clogged air filters: Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter with a clean one can improve gasoline mileage by as much as 10 percent. A car’s air filter can protect the engine from impurities.
3. Keep your engine well-tuned and repair any problems immediately: If your car has failed an emissions test or is noticeably out of tune, repairing the problem could improve your gasoline mileage by 4 percent on average.
4. Make sure tires are not over or under-inflated: Proper air pressure cuts down on fuel used while driving. Keeping tires at the correct pressure can improve your gasoline mileage by more than 3 percent.
5. Minimize vehicle drag: Keep your trunk and back seat clear of unnecessary items that only add weight. Removing excess weight can improve your gasoline mileage.
6. Use the recommended grade of oil in your engine: Following your manufacturer’s motor oil recommendation can improve gasoline mileage by up to 2 percent. Look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to ensure it contains friction-reducing additives.
7. Choose a high-quality gasoline: Top automakers say that carbon deposits can build up on critical engine parts, which can decrease the power, performance and fuel efficiency of your vehicle. Audi, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, and Volkswagen recommend using TOP TIER Detergent Gasolines to help keep engines clean. All Shell gasolines meet TOP TIER standards and stop gunky build-up on critical engine parts to help cars perform at their best.
8. Use cruise control on major roads and in free-flowing traffic: Maintaining a constant speed can improve gasoline mileage.
9. Avoid idling: When you idle, you get zero miles per gallon.
10. Avoid higher speeds: Gasoline mileage usually decreases when driving at speeds over 60 miles per hour.
11. Plan your outings to avoid separate trips: Combine your errands into one outing to avoid short separate trips. This helps avoid unnecessary cold starts and keeps your car’s engine running warm and more efficiently.
12. Pay with a rebate credit card: Credit cards offer a simple way to pay for things quickly, but using a rebate credit card means earning rewards with every purchase. For example, with a 5 percent rebate on Shell gasoline purchases and a 1 percent rebate on all other purchases, the Shell Platinum MasterCard(R) is one of the best rebate cards of its kind, helping consumers lower the cost of driving without sacrificing the quality of their gasoline.

You love traveling with your pets and your pets sometimes meet some untoward events during your trip. What do you do?

If you have the Pet E.R. Guide with you, you would not have to worry. The Pet E.R. Guide is a 200-page book which gives you tips on what you should do in cases of emergencies that concern your pets. This guide was published by Trailer Life Books and it has a list of contact information of vet services to help you find the kind of help that your pets need.

Aside from these, the guide also has a list of things that you should bring with you if you are taking your pet on a trip. A list of plants that are poisonous to your animal friend could also be found in the guide. Questions on what you should ask vets are also in the guide so you can gauge whether the vet of your choice is going to be good for your pet.

Each year, the auto industry celebrates the National Car Care Month in April. Many organizations in the industry look at such a celebration as a good way of informing consumers about the importance that vehicles have and what consumers could do to keep their investment in real good condition.

The Car Care Council, as part of the National Car Care Month, say that despite gas prices going up, drivers can still take control of how much fuel they use. The organization also continued to disclose that if a car owner maintains his vehicle well, he/she could save up as much as 10% on fuel. Maintenance of the vehicle’s parts like the tires, spark plugs, and air filters among many others would help any car owner save 10% of his vehicle’s fuel. Total all of the money you usually spend on gas and you would realize that 10% is a huge amount.

You can check out various tips on how to maintain your vehicle. The money you save could be used for other important things like replacement parts and maintenance services.

Have you ever driven your car straight right into a pothole? What happened after that? Did your vehicle have much damage?

Most people know the kind of damage that potholes could do to a vehicle. It is important that you learn how to protect your vehicle from the kind of harm that those potholes could do to your car.

Here are some tips from State Farm, one of the nation’s auto insurance companies, which you may want to read:

• Try to limit your travel to roads you know very well. That knowledge could keep you from hitting a chuckhole and seriously damaging your car.
• When driving at night, try to drive on well-lit roads so you can see the road surface. Once again, it’s probably a good idea to limit your travel to roads you know very well.
• Slow down. Give yourself a chance to see the pothole and avoid it.
• If you hit a pothole, carefully inspect your tires and wheels for possible damage. Note how your car handles in the aftermath. If it “pulls” or you feel a wobble in the steering, you may need to have your car checked out by a mechanic.
• If you must hit a pothole, do your braking before impact. There’s less damage when a tire is rolling than when it is skidding over a hole during braking.

[Via The Auto Channel]

CarMax, Inc., one of the United States’ largest sellers of used vehicles, is keen on sharing tips on how to keep your vehicles running well. One of the most recent set of tips that they have shared is how to replace your car’s battery.

Do’s

• Wear proper eye, hand and clothing protection when around batteries.
• Check the terminals where cables connect to be sure they are tight and corrosion free. If corrosion is present, have terminals cleaned by professionals.
• Lubricate terminals with a dab of petroleum jelly to keep cables clean and free from corrosion longer.
• Make sure the battery is firmly secured to its mounting bracket. An unsecured battery can become damaged and cause short circuits.
• Check the fluid level unless it’a maintenance-free battery. If the fluid is low, add distilled water. If there is no fluid visible, then replace the battery.
• Keep your battery case clean. Dirt conducts electricity which can discharge the battery. Use a solution of baking soda dissolved in warm water to clean. Wet the case and agitate with a nylon bristle brush to scrub surface. Rinse well with plain water.
• Batteries come in many different sizes. When replacing a car battery, make sure you choose the right size for your vehicle. When it comes to car batteries, bigger is not always better.
• Always disconnect the negative cable first and reconnect it last. Charge battery in a well-ventilated area.

[Via The Auto Channel]

The longer you drive a car, the more you think that you know a lot. But still, there are some tips that you may not have heard before. Here are some:

1. Before taking any medications, check the label and see if it can cause you to be drowsy or if the medication can affect your driving skills.
2. Children should be secured properly. There are different types of restraint systems for different ages and size. They should also be seated in the rear.
3. If you have pets and you drive with them, remember that they should also be properly secured. There are restraint systems for pets as well.
4. Focus on your task, driving, and focus on that alone.
5. Even if you are in the car, lock your doors.
6. When backing up, check your surroundings. You can hit a child or some items lying behind your vehicle.
7. Children and pets should not ride in the cargo area for this is dangerous for them.
8. Children and pets should not be left alone in a vehicle.
9. Have the essentials in your car and the list includes a flashlight, food, water, blankets, a mobile phone, a first aid kit, and your car tool kit.
10. Have IDs for each of your family members and include information like name, date of birth, allergies, illnesses, and blood type. Keep these IDs with your driver’s license.

[Via News Release Wire]

Driving on a rainy day can be risky. The roads are all wet and slippery and this makes the car lose traction. Strong rainfall can also lessen a driver’s visibility.

To be safe, you should first check your car before driving during a rainy day. One of the things you should check is the windshield. Make sure that it is clean on the outside and in the inside. The interior of the windshield should be cleaned well especially if a smoker usually rides in the car.

The lights of your vehicle should be checked - headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and taillights. Make sure that they are all working. Also check your vehicle’s windshield wipers and see if the blades are still in good condition. When you are already on the road, turn on your headlights and the windshield wipers when the rain starts pouring.

If the rain is pouring really hard, then drive slower than your usual speed. If the weather is really bad, be on the safe side — pull over.