In a day of skyrocketing gasoline prices, consumers are doing everything that they can in order to try to improve their gas mileage. From modifying your driving speed to limiting travel, many of the things you do to improve gas mileage are just simply inconvenient, at best.

Fortunately, there is one relatively simple and inexpensive you can do to improve your gas mileage: change your air filter.

An air filter that is dirty or clogged can lower your mileage by as much as ten percent. Why does the air filter matter so much? It's because the air filter is your engine's protection against grit and grime. A clogged air filter chokes your engine by reducing it's air intake, causing it to have to work that much harder.

You should change your air filter once a year at a minimum. You can have your local Nissan Dealer near Cherry Hill change your filter when you bring your car in for your yearly maintenance, if you don't want to fiddle with it yourself. If you have a yearly service plan, it probably includes changing the air filter already.

If you travel on unpaved roads, however, you might want to consider changing your air filter more often than just once a year. Dirt and dust from unpaved roads will clog an air filter in short order. Check your filter frequently, and change it as needed.

Checking your air filter is easy. Simply look at it. If there is a buildup of dirt or dust in the folds of the air filter, it's time to change it. If you want to be doubly sure, you can shine a flashlight from the inside of the air filter outwards. If you can't see the light, it's time for a change.

Changing your air filter requires just a few simple steps.

1. First, you need to find the air filter. Open your hood and look for a black case fastened with screws or clips. It will be about the size of a loaf of bread.
2. Once you've located the air filter, open the clips. Take out the air filter, and bend back the paper ridges.
3. If the air filter is dirty, you need to replace it. Simply place the new air filter in the case, and refasten it. Make sure it's tightly fastened for best performance.

That’s all there is to it. It should take you less than ten minutes and cost less than $20. That’s not too bad an investment to improve your mileage by ten percent, is it?