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While it’s nice to write about issues surrounding gas prices, the latest fuel efficient vehicles and other miscellaneous stuff, I think it’s time to get back to the real purpose of the site and write about some more gas saving tips.

Today’s tip not only will help you achieve better gas mileage, but it might also help you figure out if something’s wrong with your car before it becomes a major and/or expensive issue:

Keep a gas mileage log.

Ever since I started Daily Fuel Economy Tip, I have kept a little pad of paper in the consol of my car so that I can figure out my car’s average gas mileage for every tank of gas.Â It’s actually pretty easy, doesn’t take much time and has allowed me to make a couple quick fixes to my car that helped me get better gas mileage.

Essentially, every time I fill up, I write down my car’s mileage, the number of gallons it took to fill up my tank and how much money the fill up cost.Â From there I just do some simple subtraction to figure out how many miles I traveled between fill ups and then I do some simple division to figure out my car’s average miles per gallon for that particular tank.Â Pretty simple.

Aside from being an easy way to figure out what your car really gets (as we have come to find out, the EPA estimates tend to be pretty far off), keeping a gas mileage log is a great way to catch small problems with your car.Â Typically, small problems will have an affect on your gas mileage, so if you notice a sudden drop in your car’s MPG, it might be time to take the car to your mechanic.

Here are some of the things that may be wrong with your car if you’re experiencing a decrease in gas mileage:

Improperly inflated tires

Misfiring or burned out spark plug

A dirty air filter

Brake pads not disengaging from the rotor

A failing O2 sensor

A dirty fuel injector

Obviously, this list isn’t the be-all-end-all, but it goes to show that a drop in gas mileage can be a symptom of possible problems for your car.

Anyway, I highly encourage you to startÂ a gas mileage log.Â It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it can be a friendly reminder to try and get the best gas mileage possible, and it can also help you keep your car in good running condition.