| Make it a regular habit and you'll save money. | | | | know what it should be: |
| One of the most effortless ways to get the best | | | | • Look for a sign on the inside of the driver's |
| possible gas mileage out of your car is to continue | | | | door, on the doorframe or in the glove box. If you |
| your car tires properly inflated. Doing so will improve | | | | don't see it in any of those places, check your |
| your fuel economy by 3.3 percent, saving you about | | | | owner's manual. That sticker lists the right tire |
| 10 cents per gallon of gas. | | | | pressure for your car. |
| While it's easy to drive every day and think that your | | | | • Whether the sticker says 'cold tire pressure' |
| car tires pressure is correct, the truth is that some | | | | or not, you want to make sure the car tires when |
| factors can trigger tires to lose pressure over time. | | | | they are cold, meaning the car hasn't been driven for |
| General wear and tear, seasonal temperature | | | | a few hours. |
| fluctuations and more instigate car tires to lose about | | | | • Don't follow the psi numbers marked on the |
| 1 to 2 pounds per square inch (psi) every month. | | | | car tires themselves. That's the upper limit pressure |
| Lose 1 psi in all four tires and your miles per gallon will | | | | those tires can take, not what's ideal for your |
| go down by 0.4 percent. | | | | particular car. |
| With today's gas prices that decline will add up fast, | | | | • Use a tire pressure measurement to settle |
| especially as the car tires lose more pressure over | | | | on the tires' current pressure level. Your best bet is a |
| time. Think about this example for a 25 mpg car | | | | digital gauge. Digital gauges are easy to use and far |
| driven 1,250 miles a month and $3 a gallon for gas: | | | | more precise than their non-digital cousins, such as |
| After five months of declining pressure, you'd spend | | | | the sliding gauge that looks similar to a pen. A digital |
| an extra $13.80 on gas; after 10 months, an extra | | | | gauge costs more than the latter, but will quickly pay |
| $51.68. | | | | for itself in gas savings if you regularly use it to |
| Here's how to ensure your car tires pressure, and | | | | sustain the correct tire pressure. |