With gas prices being at an all time high it’s critical to find ways to save money and increase your fuel economy. By replacing a few parts and cleaning a few others you can actually see a significant difference. Here are a few DIY tips to improve gas mileage.

5 Car Parts to Change to Improve Gas Mileage

Check and Change Your Tires

Tires play a huge role in fuel economy. Worn down tires or even tires with low pressure are less effecient and will cause you to use more gas in the long run. As a general rule most of the top tire brands recommend changing them between 25,000 and 50,000 miles. You don’t need a top brand tire either, an affordable tire is fine and will save you gas just the same. Additonally, checking your pressure is easy to do on your own and will help ensure even wear and max fuel economy.

The better you keep up with your regular maintenance like alignments and rotations, the better they will save you money on gas. An alignment is actually an adjustment to your suspension and you should get one every one to two years.

Clean the Mass Air Flow Sensor

The mass air flow sensor measures air flowing into the engine. It plays the role of calculating the appropriate level of gas required to achieve the ratio of gas to air. When it gets dirty, it provides inaccurate results and causes you to use more gas then required.

The good news is that this part can be cleaned instead of replacing it. Cleaning it frequently will keep your gas usage at the best ratio. The best time to clean the air flow sensor is when you change your air filter.

Wondering how to clean it? Watch this…

Change Your Air Filter

An air filter is an easy thing you can replace on your own. If it’s filled up with debris then it’s not going to perform at it’s best. The air filter helps keep clean air going into your engine. When your engine isn’t getting clean air it can’t provide optimal performance and your gas mileage is impacted.

Between the air filter and the mass air flow sensor they can impact your gas mileage by 20%. Air filters are also pretty cheap to replace. Its recommended to change it every 15,000 to 30,000 miles or once per year.

Change the O2 Sensor

The O2 sensor is calculating how much oxygen is in the exhaust leaving the motor. This sensor regulate sthe fuel to oxygen ratio, which impacts your gas consumption. The o2 sensor should be replaced every 100,000 miles.

Change the Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are another easy part to change out to improve fuel economy. A spark plugs not firing correctly can cost more then a dollar a gallon. For these though I would recommend a pro shop change them for you.

Improving Gas Mileage

There are other ways to improve gas mileage like using cruise control or reducing the weight in your vehicle. While those can be helpful improving the system and parts will have the most profound effect on gas mileage. If you keep up with your maintenance and focus on keeping the engine running smoth you will get the most bang for your buck.