The start of a new year often inspires people to adopt resolutions to change habits they have or behavior they exhibit.  Many of us will receive bills that will make us wish we had made our resolutions a little earlier.  If you fall into this category, then you may find this article of interest as it offers tips on how to save money by improving your car's fuel economy along with some health conscious information.

The start of a new year often inspires people to adopt resolutions to change habits they have or behavior they exhibit.  Many of us will receive bills that will make us wish we had made our resolutions a little earlier.  If you fall into this category, then you may find this article of interest as it offers tips on how to save money by improving your car's fuel economy along with some health conscious information.

Let's begin with money saving tips.  There are many conditions that can affect a car's fuel economy.  Under-inflated tires cause increased rolling resistance that will reduce fuel mileage by one or two miles per gallon.  A dirty air filter chokes off the air and creates a rich mixture - too much gas being burned for the amount of air, which wastes gas and causes the engine to lose power.  Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.  Old, worn spark plugs cause inefficient combustion, reducing fuel mileage by as much as two miles per gallon.  Almost one in five vehicles has a gas cap that is loose, damaged or missing.  This allows fuel to evaporate, costing up to two miles per gallon.  A worn O2 sensor is unable to compensate for engine malfunctions and can lower fuel mileage as much as three miles per gallon.  Your check engine light will come on if your vehicle has a sensor problem.  Finally, dirty or substandard engine oil increases engine friction.  Clean engine oil can increase fuel mileage up to a half mile per gallon. 

Your driving habits also affect your vehicle's fuel mileage.  Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent on city streets.  Allowing your vehicle to run while sitting idle for too long is also wasteful.  Sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon.  Letting the vehicle warm up for one to two minutes is sufficient.  Finally, observe the speed limit.  Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour.

Almost everyone likes to save money, but did you know your car may also contain a special component that can enhance your health? Since the mid 1980's, many automobile manufacturers have begun including cabin air filters, also known as passenger compartment filters, interior ventilation filters or dust filters in new vehicle designs. Cabin air filters work by filtering the outside air coming into your vehicle.  These filters were initially designed to remove solid contaminants such as soot or dust from the air circulating inside your vehicle.  Cabin air filters work to remove nearly 100 percent of air-borne particles like pollen, road dust, soot and other microscopic particles that decrease the quality of the air being emitted from your vehicle's air vents. 

Cabin Air Filters are typically located under your vehicle's dashboard or attached to the glove box.  Others may be located in the engine compartment.  Please consult your vehicle owner's manual to find out if your vehicle has a cabin air filter and its location. 

The general guideline for replacing cabin air filters is every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, or at least once a year.  In addition to an unpleasant odor, filters not changed after 20,000 miles can result in decreased heating and air conditioning performance caused by restricted airflow through the cabin air filter.  Cabin air filters are a great benefit to anyone, especially those with allergy-related problems, that spends a lot of time in their vehicle.