Are you trying your best to contribute to the Green movement?

Here’s the Top 10 items identified by the National Automobile Dealers Association and Green Maintenance Tips. Many dealers have started performing “Green Checkups” as another method of reducing both greenhouse gasses and your gas pump expenses. Do your part by checking as many of these as possible.

Your air filter needs to be clean. An old air filter can’t do its job if its tattered and worn. The US Dept. of Energy has shown up to a 10% improvement of gas mileage with new filters in place.

Every engine has evaporative emission controls. When these aren’t working properly gas vapors escape and degrade the quality of our air. A checkup will help ensure these vapors are secured and recycled into the fuel tank.

Overall engine efficiency is important; tuning and replacing items such as the spark plugs always help improve performance. Brake maintenance will help eliminate potential drag. Too much drag and your fuel economy can drop by up to 25%.

The EPA states that you can increase your fuel economy by up to 2%; when appropriate, switching to synthetic oils can boost economy even more. Make sure your tire treads are not too worn and that you’re using the proper size and type of tire recommended for your vehicle to improve your economy performance. Your 22’s may look cool, but they’re costing you even more than you realize.
Transmission fluids, system controls and drive components all need to operate smoothly and efficiently. Lack of attention to these areas cause some of the worst economy performances and also prevent even larger maintenance issues. (Trust me, you don’t want to have a faulty transfer case. Waiting for a replacement part can seem like an eternity)

Along the same theme - make sure your engine warning lights are taken care of right away. These can be triggered by so many different factors. The one time you ignore it will be the time your engine needs major repair work.

Everyone has heard it before - inflate your tires to their proper pressure levels. Put simply: Less air in your tires equals more trips to the gas station.

Lastly - a common sense item: Lighten the load in your back seat and/or trunk. Too much weight in your small car can result in large SUV- like fuel economy.

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