Gas prices aren't on the slide, so anything we can do to squeeze a few more feet out of each gallon is more than welcome. There are obvious maintenance repairs we can do to maximize our gas mileage. Keeping your car tuned up, changing your air filter, and keeping your tires properly inflated all add up to savings at the pump with better gas mileage. But did you know that another huge gas saver won't cost you anything at all? That's right, it's free, and you can start right now. This important change involves your everyday driving habits. Believe it or not, the way you act behind the wheel can really affect your gas mileage.

Did you know that how much air you have in your tires can have a direct affect on your gas mileage? It's true. Here's why: Let's say your tires are supposed to be filled to 35 psi. If they are filled correctly, six square inches of your tire are touching the road, just the way your tires were designed. But let some air out, and now the pressure is only 30 psi. Since your tire is like a balloon, the more air you have on the inside, the rounder and more firm your tire becomes. If you had six square inches touching the road at 35 psi, the flatter 30 psi tire will have eight square inches touching at once, making it harder for your engine to get things rolling from a dead stop. Here's another way to think of it. Say your dog is going to the vet, and she's not so interested in moving toward the car, so you pull. You start out pulling her with all four of her feet on the ground. We'll call this four square inches touching. But then she plops her rear end on the ground. You're now pulling 12 square inches, and boy is she harder to drag toward the car.

I saw this comic the other day and thought it was really funny. It's good for a quick laugh, but it also speaks volumes when it comes to the way many of us treat our cars. If your car has something to say, listen to it, you never know what might be causing the noise! Nobody knows your cars moods better than you do. If your car has a hiccup, chances are you'll notice it right away. Trust your instincts. Don't ignore a scary sound hoping it will just go away. Sometimes the sound goes away around the same time the part self-destructs. Hey, you can visit us to figure out what's wrong!

You've been assembling all of the automotive tools you'll ever need for some time, and now it's time for an engine hoist. The symphony of squirrels that's been going on under the hood for the past few weeks suddenly hit a crescendo, followed by a smoking oil stain on the street. In other words, you need to pull your engine. An engine hoist can be bought almost anywhere automotive tools are available (Northern Tool is a good online source). The problem is, it arrives in a 100-pound box full of parts -- you have to assemble the thing yourself!

LED technology has come a long way. These days, an LED does more than tell you when you're pressing a button on your TV remote. LEDs are being used in tail lights, traffic signals and just about anyplace else somebody can substitute an LED for an old filament style bulb. There is a large batch of LED shop lights that hit the market recently, so we tried one out to see if it was real enough for us. I have to admit that we were sceptical of the LED shop light. LED flashlights generally suck, so why would the LED work light be much better?

Working in the dark is bad news. If you don't have a reliable work light, you could really screw something up under the hood. With all the choices out there, you should have at least one, if not a few good work lights!

Very few combination tools are very useful. Chances are they were developed to perform two different tasks in an average manner. This means they are never a good idea to have in your tool box. There are of course some exceptions, but the Tire & Battery Brush is not one of them. When you clean your battery terminals you need a really stiff brush. Getting all of that corrosion off takes some work. But translate the same effective stiffness to the soft rubber of your tires and you've turned into a butcher.

Why are you reading an article about the Internet in the Tools section of an auto repair website? Old timers are sticking their heads in the parts cleaner about it, but the web has become one of the most used tools in auto repair. Gone are the days of ordering a stack of factory service bulletins to get you through any potential repair issues you might encounter. No longer do you need to sneak around at the auto parts store and tear the cellophane off the repair book about your car. It's all right here on the World Wide Web.

When your car was designed, each and every bolt was tightened to a specific point, called torque. Torque can be measured in lbs/ft, lbs/in, or NM. Most spec sheets will offer lbs/ft, or "foot-pounds" as they call it in the industry. As you tighten a nut or bolt, your torque wrench will tell you when to stop, either by indicating the tightness on a dial or by giving you a nice click, click sound when it's right. It's a must-have tool if you plan to do any mid-level repairs.

Pliers are a general tool used to grip just about anything. While pliers are a necessity, they are more often used when the proper tool for a job is not available. Besides loosening a radiator hose spring-clamp, there aren't too many jobs that were meant for your pliers. That being said, pliers can be an indispensible tool when you are in a pinch. Check out a picture of some pliers. * You can purchase this tool online through one of About.com's trusted online retailers.