The days when you could ignore gas prices in your budget are gone. Drivers everywhere watch prices climb higher as global events and supply chain issues push fuel costs to extreme levels. Driving is necessary for most people whether it’s getting to work or taking kids to school. When gas prices jump your budget takes a hit and you have to cut spending elsewhere. You can’t control oil markets or state taxes but you’re not completely helpless against rising prices. You can take action to save money & reduce your dependence on unpredictable fuel costs. Making a few simple changes to your driving habits can help you save money at the pump. These habits are effective & easy to adopt. They represent the most important yet often overlooked factors in fuel economy. Trying even one of these methods can make a real difference but using all of them will transform how you spend money on gas.
Lighten the load
You might not realize how much money you waste by keeping unnecessary items in your trunk and backseat. Heavier vehicles need more energy to move and overcome resistance. Every extra 100 pounds reduces your fuel economy by about 1% and this effect is more noticeable in smaller cars. Driving with excess weight is a habit that costs you money at the pump. Automakers work hard to make cars lighter for this reason. Remove heavy tools & sports equipment and unnecessary luggage from your car regularly to prevent your engine from working harder than needed.
The outside of your car matters too. Remove roof racks and cargo carriers when you’re not using them because aerodynamic drag at highway speeds wastes fuel. Wind resistance increases dramatically when you drive fast. At highway speeds much of your engine power goes toward pushing through drag from accessories like roof racks. Keeping your vehicle streamlined reduces the work your engine does and helps you get more miles from each tank. If you don’t need something in your car leave it at home.
Use gas apps and loyalty programs
Before you stop to fill up check apps like GasBuddy or alternatives such as Upside or Waze to find the best prices. Fuel costs can vary significantly between stations and you might find differences of 20 cents or more within a few blocks. Using real-time crowdsourced data helps you compare prices and locate the cheapest stations along your route. Upside offers rewards that you can combine with other discounts.
Claim an offer in the app before pumping and pay with a linked card to earn cash back that you can transfer to your bank or exchange for gift cards. You can also use credit cards that give rebates on gas purchases & pay them off right away to avoid interest charges.
Joining brand-specific gas loyalty programs is another simple way to reduce costs. Most major chains like Shell and Exxon and BP offer free programs that save you three to five cents per gallon. Make sure the program matches your preferred gas provider but it’s an effortless way to get regular savings.
Don’t idle unnecessarily
An easy way to save fuel is to turn off your car when it doesn’t need to run. If you’re waiting for someone for more than 60 seconds turn off your engine. An idling engine burns a quarter to a half gallon of fuel every hour depending on your vehicle size & even more for larger engines. Those minutes accumulate over weeks and waste money while you sit still.
Many people believe restarting an engine uses more gas than letting it idle but modern engines use very little fuel to start. You should avoid wasting gas by idling your engine. Whenever you idle for longer than 10 seconds you waste more fuel than you would by turning off the engine and restarting it. Following a 60-second rule for shutting off your vehicle balances fuel savings with practicality.
Frequent restarts won’t damage your starter motor or battery because these components are designed to handle regular use. Instead of idling in long drive-through lines park & walk inside. When waiting at train crossings or school pickup turn off your ignition.
Keep your tires inflated
Under-inflated tires create more rolling resistance which makes your engine work harder. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by up to 3%. When a tire lacks enough air it becomes softer and sags which increases the surface area touching the road.Underinflated tires create more deformation and flexing on the road which increases drag. Rolling resistance increases with every PSI a tire loses below its proper inflation level. When tires run at 75% of their recommended pressure fuel economy drops by about 2% to 3% while running them at 50% pressure causes a 10% reduction.
Use a reliable gauge to check PSI at least monthly. Most modern cars display tire pressure through a menu setting that you should review every month. Always check pressure when tires are cold meaning the car has been parked for at least three hours without being driven. Heat from driving expands the air inside tires and creates falsely high readings. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure found on the driver’s side door jamb or in the owner’s manual. Never inflate to the maximum PSI shown on the tire sidewall because overinflation leads to uneven wear & reduced traction.
Use cruise control on highways
Maintaining a constant speed beats making small throttle adjustments with your foot. Humans struggle to hold an exact pace and the pattern of slowing down and speeding up makes your engine work harder to recover momentum. Cruise control eliminates these inefficient cycles and keeps your car in its highest gear. Fuel economy gets better when you skip sudden braking and hard acceleration on highways. Driving steadily at 50 miles per hour instead of constantly changing speed reduces gas consumption significantly.
Cruise control saves money but performs best on long flat highways. Hills make it less efficient because the system cannot predict the road ahead and applies heavy throttle on steep climbs. Skip cruise control in stop-and-go traffic or poor weather for safety. On flat roads with light traffic letting the computer manage the throttle stretches every gallon. Stay alert even with cruise control active during frequent stops to prevent accidents.
Regularly changing your vehicle’s oil ranks among the most basic yet critical maintenance tasks. You can visit a local auto shop for professional service or save money by doing it at home. Before choosing the DIY approach consider whether changing car oil yourself actually costs less since it depends on the tools you own & your vehicle type. Either way the job must get done because clean oil helps the engine last longer and run better.
Car oil breaks down over time & loses its ability to properly lubricate all components. This leads to reduced gas mileage and shortens the vehicle’s lifespan. Changing oil yourself works fine if you know the process but many people lack proper knowledge. One error can ruin everything and cost more money while potentially damaging your engine.
Oil changes are manageable DIY projects for beginners if you follow proper guidelines. These common mistakes happen when people change their car’s oil so knowing what to avoid prevents expensive trips to the auto shop to fix your errors.
Not getting oil changed frequently enough
Confusion exists about how often car oil actually needs changing. The traditional rule states this task should happen every three months or every 3,000 miles. Modern automotive technology allows most people to wait longer though. Based on your vehicle type and oil grade you might go between 5,000 and 7,500 miles or six to 12 months before the next oil change. Your owner’s manual provides the exact timeframe you should follow for this task.
Changing your oil at least twice yearly makes good sense. Even if you rarely drive and the car sits parked most of the time oil can still break down based on outside temperature. Towing heavy loads also degrades oil faster so even if your car normally needs changes at 5,000 miles it could need service sooner. Newer vehicles include dashboard alerts that notify you when oil changes are due. Following the warning and replacing oil quickly prevents problems from developing. Never skip an oil change because it raises the risk of sludge buildup which increases total costs when finally addressed.
Using the wrong kind of oil
Motor oils vary considerably. Auto shop workers should know which oil works best but DIYers must research this themselvesMotor oil comes in several types including conventional high mileage synthetic and synthetic blend. Using the wrong type can cause serious problems so check your owner’s manual to find out what works best for your vehicle.
The wrong oil can hurt your fuel economy badly. When the engine doesn’t work properly it needs more gas so you end up filling up more often. Things get worse if you keep using the wrong oil over time. Your engine might not get the additives it needs which causes excessive wear and could eventually destroy the engine completely. Some warranties won’t cover repairs if you used the wrong oil. If you’re not sure what to use then read your manual or talk to a professional.
Some people choose cheaper oil to save money. Synthetic oil sometimes costs twice as much as conventional oil. But replacing a damaged engine costs far more than using the right oil from the start.
Not warming up the engine first
The idea that cars need to warm up before driving in cold weather is outdated. Modern vehicles don’t need several minutes of idling before you drive. But you should warm up your engine before changing the oil. The Seattle Times explains why this matters. Running your engine for about five minutes warms the oil and makes it flow better. Warm oil is less thick so it drains more completely. This means less old oil stays stuck to the oil pan walls and other engine parts. Warmer oil flows easily and carries away more dirt and grime as it drains out.
You can drain cold oil but it takes longer and you might not remove everything that could harm your engine. Don’t let the oil get too hot or you might burn yourself. If you want to change oil right after driving then wait about 30 minutes for it to cool down. After that just remove the drain plug and let the oil drain out. This prepares the engine for fresh oil with minimal contamination.
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Using too much or too little oil
Checking your oil level helps you know when you need an oil change. Too little oil creates more friction because engine parts don’t get enough lubrication. Your car might struggle to accelerate or have trouble going up hills and reaching highway speeds. You need to add enough new oil or the problem continues.
Overfilling causes just as many problems as underfilling. Excess oil can touch the crankshaft and get into the exhaust pipe where it builds up over time. Too much oil also increases pressure which can damage gaskets & seals and cause leaks. Signs of overfilling include strange engine noises and smoke from the tailpipe. Your owner’s manual tells you exactly how much oil your engine needs. Most engines take between 5 and 8 quarts so don’t guess and risk getting it wrong.
Forgetting to install a new oil filter
Your car needs more than just new oil. Every oil change should include a new oil filter. The filter stops dirt & debris from moving through the engine and keeps the oil clean. Changing the oil but keeping a dirty filter means contaminants still circulate through the engine. The engine won’t be properly lubricated and might overheat.
Professional oil changes include a new filter but you need to buy one when doing it yourself. Get a full-flow filter which catches impurities in the oil. Some vehicles also need secondary filters to catch anything the main filter misses. Check what your car requires before starting the job.
You can replace an oil filter without changing the oil. If you forget to install a new filter you cYou can always go out & buy one without having to do everything all over again.
Installing the new oil filter incorrectly
There is a right way and a wrong way to install a new oil filter & doing it wrong can have serious consequences. One common mistake is putting it in too tightly. It should be secure but going too far can strip the threading or damage the O-ring. If the O-ring breaks there will not be an adequate seal to ensure the oil goes where it needs to. This can lead to leaking.
One tip to reduce the chances of something going wrong during installation is to lubricate the new O-ring first. The O-ring needs to be replaced every time you do an oil change and a fresh one typically comes with new filters. Use oil to wet the O-ring so that it can better withstand the torque from tightening the filter.
With this step it is vital to ensure you have the right oil filter. Just like you would not put on the wrong size tires for your car you do not want to use a filter that is not suitable. You want to ensure it has the proper height and gasket size and thread size for your make and model and year of vehicle. It is also generally not advised to opt for an aftermarket filter as there could be something wrong with it you are unaware of. New oil filters are fairly inexpensive already so there is no need to cut corners.
Overtightening the oil drain plug
After you drain all of the old oil from your car but before you put in new oil make sure the oil drain plug is securely in place. Typically there is simple threading to get the plug where it needs to be and many DIY mechanics may want to make sure it is in there tight by going too far. But this actually does more harm than good and could lead to a very expensive repair down the line.
You may be tempted to use an air tool to ensure the plug is not going anywhere but you can generally do this by hand. When you feel it not getting tighter anymore that is when it is time to stop. Continuing to try to tighten it will make it feel looser. This will damage the threading & when it comes time to drain the oil a few months later you may find that it is impossible to remove due to cross-threading.
At that point you will need specialized tools to try to get the plug out. More often than not people will be better off simply installing a whole new pan altogether. It is understandable people would be concerned about an oil drain plug being too loose. It can cause leaking or rattle around before coming undone entirely. The key is ensuring it is in there just right before moving on.
Failing to replace the drain plug gasket
The drain plug gasket is a critical component to prevent oil leaks in your vehicle. It is small and easy to overlook but in general people should get a new one with each oil change. Depending on the type of car some people might be able to get away with replacing it every other time. However seeing as they usually only cost a few bucks it is probably worth it just to get a new one every time.
The gasket can warp and break down over time which increases the risk of a leak. Of course there are also many people in online forums talking about how they have driven their cars for over 100,000 miles & never replaced the drain plug gasket for an oil change. That anecdotal evidence should be taken with a grain of salt and it does appear that certain types of vehicles require more frequent changes than others. When in doubt play it safe.
An old gasket will not work as well and one mechanic provides this important point. Reusing the washer is how people end up stripping the pan threads because they end up having to put the bolt on tighter and tighter to make it not leak. Do not try to save a couple of dollars by reusing a gasket because it could create even larger headaches later.
Forgetting to lube the new filter gasket
Previously it was mentioned as good advice to lube the O-ring before installing it alongside a new oil filter. Lubing is also a good idea when putting a new filter gasket in the system for the same reasons. Lubrication makes the gasket simpler to fix into place by allowing the gasket to better withstand the torque and it will be easier to remove when the time arrives for another oil change.
While some oil change mistakes can lead to catastrophic results there is no reason to worry too much if you forget this step when doing a DIY job. Unless you realize you have an oil leak it is probably a safe bet the gasket is in there just fine so you can leave it there until you have to deal with it again. In many instances there is a little oil on the filter housing surface anyway so it may have received a little lubing without you realizing it.
The only issue here is if you are someone who likes to wipe everything clean.# down to keep it clean-looking. Even then this is more of a task to make things easier on yourself or a mechanic in the future.
Failing to reinstall the engine oil fill cap
Once you’re ready to take your vehicle back on the road and a successful oil change has lulled you into a state of automotive euphoria it’s easy to overlook putting the engine oil fill cap back on. This is dead simple — just screw it back on. If you don’t then when you start your car oil can spew everywhere & make you have to undergo the whole oil change process again. Go look up a picture of what you can expect from not putting the cap back on — it isn’t pretty.
Oil will get all over the engine and inside of the hood. Since you need to be certain you have the correct amount of oil in your vehicle you’ll have to go through the entire process again to make sure you don’t have too much or too little. Draining what oil is left is also recommended because you have no idea if dirt or other debris may have gotten in with the cap off. That’s not even getting into the heavy-duty cleaning job ahead of you to get rid of all the blasted-off oil under the hood.
Learning how to perform an oil change on your own is a great skill. If you know what you’re doing you can save a bunch of money over the years compared to taking your car to a shop. Just avoid these mistakes so that you don’t end up giving yourself even more work.
