Stop wasting fuel

Q: What causes the biggest loss of fuel in our cars: a heavy foot or a poor tune-up? — Harry in Pennsylvania

A: Harry, the Car Care Council lists the following as the major culprits robbing motorists of better gas mileage.

•1. Vehicle gas caps. About 17 percent of the vehicles on the road have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.

•2. Under-inflated tires and incorrect wheel alignment.

•3. Worn spark plugs.

•4. Dirty air filters.

Other culprits include dirty oil, and a slipping automatic transmission.