A vehicle that performs at it's peak will realize the best fuel economy. If something interferes with peak performance it will decrease gas economy and will cause you to use more gas and spend more money. For that reason proper management of the oil in your engine is a critical component of good fuel economy.

A priority in your car maintenance needs to be scheduled oil changes. Changing the oil according to the car makers recommendations is essential to keeping your car at its peak and keeping your gas economy at its best.

The job of the oil in your car is to lubricate the moving parts of its engine, minimizing friction. preventing metal- to-metal contact and carrying away excess heat. All of those functions promote better gas efficiency.

Motor oil also removes dirt, metal shavings and other impurities from the engine and captures them in the oil filter. You can pay a severe penalty for neglecting engine oil, possibly even needing to replace the engine itself. Keeping track of your last oil change will save you money at the gas pump and decrease your fuel consumption.

You should follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule for oil changes. If the manufacturer says to change the oil every three thousand miles or every three months, do it. If oil is not replaced at the proper time it becomes saturated with impurities it is supposed to remove from the engine. If it becomes saturated with these impurities, sometimes called dirty oil, it will be less efficient in doing its job. That will cause the engine performance to decline and your fuel economy will decline with it.

Another facet of proper oil care is to make sure that you are using the right grade of oil. You should use the grade of oil recommended in your owner's manual. The fuel efficiency of the engine can improve as much as 2 percent versus using the wrong grade oil especially when starting in cold weather.

Using the right grade of oil ensures that your car will run as smoothly as it should in all types of weather. The wrong grade can be too thick and heavy in cold weather. Oil that is too thick and heavy forces the engine to work harder to overcome the oil's resistance. The harder the engine works the more gas it uses. Using the wrong grade can decrease your engine's fuel efficiency between 1 and 2 percent.

As an illustration: using 10W-20 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage. Use only the oil recommended in the owner's manual for the best engine efficiency and the best fuel efficiency.

Many drivers make the mistake of procrastinating in getting the oil changed. The more a driver puts off changing the oil the worse the fuel economy will be. Using the proper grade and changing the oil on time will help you get better gas economy.

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Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider information on saving gas and dollars at the pump (beatthegaspump.com). Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage. Click here to get your own unique version of this article.