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Master technician offers DIY ways to improve fuel mileage amid rising prices

Start with tire alignment, ensuring proper tire pressure to begin saving on gas

SAN ANTONIO – Increasing your gas mileage is a must as fuel prices continue to rise. A Texas mechanic is offering some inexpensive and easy do-it-yourself ways to save a little money.

Jeff Buckley is a Texas master technician and member of the Automotive Service Association, a group that represents professionals in the automotive repair industry through education.

He said he knows everyone’s looking to get more miles out of their fuel tanks, so he offers tips on his social media channels to help his followers.

Buckley said a tire alignment and proper tire pressure are the basic ways to start saving.

“You want the proper amount of air on the tire. It’s easier to roll. When it’s easier to roll, you’re going to get a little better mileage,” he said.

The recommended amount of air is printed on a sticker on the door of the vehicle, and printed on the tire. He says it’s important to know if the tires on the vehicle are the original from the manufacturer or if they have been replaced by bigger or smaller tires. He says it’s also important that people remember heat can cause the air pressure to drop.

Buckley said it’s crucial to stay on top of your vehicle maintenance, which means getting oil changes and investing in a fuel or engine cleaner or stabilizer that you can purchase at an auto parts store.

“If you keep the fuel good, then we’re going to get the better mileage,” Buckley said.

Clean your trunk from clutter. Any extras that weigh your vehicle down will make it work harder to go, wasting more fuel.

Consider changing your driving habits. Speeding, braking or taking off too quickly from a stoplight can waste more fuel.

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About the Authors
Patty Santos headshot

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.

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Gavin Nesbitt is an award-winning photojournalist and video editor who joined KSAT in September 2021. He won a Lone Star Emmy, a Regional Murrow, a Texas Broadcast News Award, a Headliners Foundation Silver Showcase Award and 2 Telly Awards for his work covering the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

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