The price of gas is rising, making now a bad time for your car to be using more gas. If your car is using more gas, you may find yourself wondering why. In some cases, an easy fix may solve the problem, while in other cases, auto repair may be needed. Here are three of the reasons why your vehicle may be getting fewer miles per gallon than in the past. 

Parts Within Your Automobile Need to Be Replaced

If parts within your vehicle are failing, they can negatively impact how many miles per gallon your car gets. One of the easiest and most inexpensive repairs to make is replacing dirty air filters. In addition to dirty air filters, oxygen sensors that are failing, spark plugs that are misfiring or nearing the end of their lifespan, and fuel injectors that are leaking or going bad can negatively affect your car's gas usage. Additionally, if your car is overdue for a routine oil change, your car may be using more fuel. 

Your Tires Are Over-Inflated or Under-Inflated

Another reason why you may be noticing a decrease in your automobile is that your tires are over-inflated or under-inflated. Tires that are not properly inflated do not efficiently glide over the road as they should, which affects your gas mileage. On top of this, carrying heavy loads in your car puts more weight on the tires, which can further decrease fuel efficiency. Your car's manual or an auto repair shop can tell you what the right psi is for your tires to be inflated to. 

Your Driving Habits Have Changed

The final reason why you may be getting fewer miles per gallon in your automobile is that your driving habits may have changed. Stop-and-go traffic uses more gas than driving smoothly down a freeway. Running the air conditioner in your car also uses gas. Before you bring your car to an auto repair shop to determine why fuel efficiency may be decreasing, consider changes to your driving habits and if that may be causing the change you are seeing. 

If your car's fuel efficiency has decreased, you should first think about your driving habits and if those have changed. If they have not, you should check your tires to see if they are over-inflated or under-inflated. If the tires are properly inflated, you will want to make an appointment with an auto repair shop, such as Tony's Auto Air. They can look over your vehicle and determine what repairs can be made to help your vehicle operate efficiently and increase your miles per gallon.