Green Tips to Help Maintain Your Car
Simple maintenance will lengthen the life of your car, as well as improve fuel economy (saving you money) and minimize emissions (helping the health of our area, and our planet).
Keep your vehicle well tuned
Be sure to check for worn spark plugs, dragging brakes, and low transmission fluid, have your wheels aligned and tires rotated, and replace the air filter if needed. A badly tuned car uses almost 10% more gas than a well-tuned car.
Get regular oil changes
In addition to making your car last longer,
replacing the oil and oil filter regularly will also help fuel economy. Check
your owner’s manual for the proper interval between changes. Sometimes your car
will be fine until well past the 3,000 miles advertised by oil companies – but
check to make sure what interval is right for your car.
The "Check Engine" light means take your car in for service this week
Starting in 1996, the pollution control equipment of all cars have an “on-board diagnostic system” that reports malfunctions. The check engine light means there’s a problem somewhere in the system and that your car is not running as cleanly and efficiently as it should. Your mechanic can trace the trouble codes that caused the check engine light to come on and fix the problem. Why drive around wasting money and clean air when it’s so easy to fix the problem?
Cars made before 1996 don’t have a warning light and need to have their pollution control equipment checked at least once a year. Be sure your mechanic checks the following:
- Radiator thermostat operating at correct
temperature — if it’s too low your car never warms up and you waste gas
- Gas cap seals tightly — a poorly sealed gas cap allows gas to evaporate, wasting gas and causing smog
- EGR oxygen sensor check
Change oil with care
How often should you change your oil? The correct answer is not always “every 3,000 miles.” It’s what the manufacturer specifies in the Owner’s Manual for the type of driving you do.
Changing your oil more frequently than necessary won’t make your car last longer, drive better or save gas — it will only cost more money.
Look in your Owner’s Manual or find the manufacturer’s recommendations on the web. Chances are there will be two maintenance schedules — “regular” driving and “severe” usage. Unless you’re running a taxi service or towing a trailer, chances are you’re in the “regular” usage category.
Check oil frequently
You’ll want to be sure there’s enough oil in the engine at all times. At least once a month, such as when you stop for gas, check your oil level (wait 5 minutes after turning off the engine to get an accurate reading). Low oil levels shorten the life of your engine. When adding oil, be careful not to drip any on the pavement. Minimum amounts can pollute groundwater and rivers. If you notice excessive dripping, you may have a leak.
A greener oil change
Whether you change your own oil or bring it to a shop, ask for synthetic or re-refined oil. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, make sure to dispose of your oil properly by recycling it. If you have someone else change your oil, we recommend that you frequent an Eco-Biz certified shop, which goes above and beyond to protect the environment.
