There's no way to avoid seeing or talking about the rising gas prices, and they are effecting everybody as people are forced to shell out more at the pump. There seems to be no end in sight, so instead of watching your money pour into the fuel tank, there are some tips you can use to maintain your vehicle.

This may be scary for some to look at, but it's reality. The gas prices keep on rising, but there are things you can do to your car to make it more fuel-efficient and to reduce the fear of going to the pump.

The first thing Harrisonburg Aamco Manager Joe Hoover says most anyone can do is check the air pressure on their tires.

"If they're low, it's going to cause drag in the vehicle, and increase the vehicle's capability of losing fuel mileage," says Hoover. "In the summertime, the roads are hotter. Therefore, on a long drive, from here to Charlottesville, your tires are going to heat up, so if you over inflate, then you're going to cause wear on the tire, which can hurt the fuel mileage."

Before adding air, check the amount of pressure needed by looking at the sticker on your car door or the stamp on the tire.

Another part you can easily check in your car is your air filter.

"By moving it, you can see that you can still see daylight through it, therefore, it's in pretty good shape," says Hoover.

Replacing a clogged filter can improve gas mileage by as much as ten percent. Hoover says the most common problem is that customers often drive around with their check engine light on without knowing what the problem is, and that could be affecting their gas mileage.

"If an O2 sensor is bad, what it will do is it will tell the computer it's 40-below zero outside and keep dumping unnecessary fuel instead of equaling out the proper air-gas mixture, hence costing you an extra dollar every five miles," said Hoover.

Another alternative is a fuel-injection service that may cost about $100 up front, but it can increase your fuel economy by four miles a gallon.

"It's a preventative maintenance system," says Jeremy Cline, of Broadway Automotive and Tire. "It will cut the cost on long term high repairs such as you're injectors, catalytic converters, fuel pump, a lot of that stuff is where the build up ends up and this cleans all that out."

When it comes to saving on gas, Hoover says you just need to know what to check in order to maintain your car.

"And those things are coming to light now. Individuals are starting to realize that you need to do every little thing you can to keep the money to go to the grocery store, instead of in your fuel tank," says Hoover.

It's also important to obey speed limits. The car care council finds that aggressive driving can also reduce gas mileage, by as much as 33-percent on the highway and five percent on city streets.