The cost of gas is high, so you may be paying more attention to how much gas your car uses and how many miles you get when you fill up their car. If you notice that you are getting fewer miles per gallon than normal, there may be many reasons why. You may be idling in drive-thrus or parking lots more, using the air conditioner more frequently, or you may be driving on city streets rather than the freeway more than normal. Or, you may have larger problems that are causing the poor gas mileage. Here are a few ways you can attempt to solve poor gas mileage on your own prior to taking your car to an auto service shop. 

Ensure Your Tires Are Properly Inflated 

One of the reasons why you may be getting fewer miles per gallon is that your tires are not properly inflated. There is a myth that you only experience an increase in gas usage if your tires are underinflated, but this is not the case. You can experience an increase if your tires are either underinflated or overinflated. As such, you should always ensure your tires are properly inflated. The owner's manual for your car will have the correct tire PSI. In newer cars, there is a sticker on the side of the driver's door that will have the recommended PSI for your tires. 

Change Your Air Filter

If you are getting fewer miles per gallon of gas, another thing that you should do is to change your air filter, also sometimes referred to as the cabin filter. If your air filter is dirty, air may not flow to the engine as it should, and your car will use more gas. It is easy to replace the air filter on your own, or you can ask an auto service shop to change the filter at your next oil change appointment. 

Be Mindful of Your Driving Habits

Lastly, if you are using more gas than normal, you may want to take a look at your driving habits. Have you got in the habit of driving aggressively? Do you speed? Do you aggressively speed up out of a red light or frequently change lanes? All of these actions can increase your gas consumption. Practice safe and defensive driving techniques to decrease your gas usage. 

If you have attempted to solve the problem on your own and your car is still getting bad gas mileage, you will want to bring it to an auto service shop. An auto service shop can take a look at your oxygen sensors, spark plugs, fuel system, or exhaust system to find out why your car is getting fewer miles per gallon.

Reach out to a local auto service shop to get started.