11 Green Car Care Tips

Now, more so than ever before, families everywhere are striving to green their routines. In efforts to cut down on carbon emission, waste, and overall harmful habits, in order to protect and further preserve out fragile planet.  While recycling materials such as plastic and aluminum are great ways to do this, your efforts don’t need to stop at your garbage can. Not sure where else to start? How about your car.

While cars definitely add to the harmful pollution in our atmosphere, most of us can’t go without one. In most cities and small towns, you need an automobile to go to work, school and run your errands. There are obvious ways you can try to responsibly use your car: carpool with friends and co-workers, purchase a smaller vehicle that uses less gas when you can choose to walk or bike instead of drive.

It doesn’t stop there. There are certain ways you can care for your vehicle that lessens your impact on the environment. Below, are the best green car care tips that you can start today.

• Routine maintenance helps reduce emissions and fuel consumptions. This is not only better for our environment but keeping lower your emissions and gas intake saves you money. Create a schedule to regularly service your vehicle. This should include checking your engine performances, replace air filter when needed, check your gas cap and change your oil regularly.

• Keep tires properly inflated and aligned. By doing so, your tires last longer and you reduce your car’s gasoline consumption. A win-win!

• Checking your car’s fluid regularly is important to your vehicle’s performance but it often leads to you dumping or disposing of materials such as oil, tires, battier and various fluids. When you make these checks, be sure to recycle or follow the proper disposal process for a greener, safer dumping method.

• You may think that the “Service Engine” light is pesky, but you shouldn’t ignore it! While today’s cars have much cleaner tailpipe emissions than those vehicles of the past, but an engine that isn’t running properly or a faulty exhaust pipe will cause your car to pollute more than it normally would.

• Keep your vehicle longer. This one is simple and everyone can do it. You might want a shiny new car every couple of years, but this practice not only hurts your wallet but our planet also. Be sure to reduce the number of new cars you buy in a lifetime. When you take of your vehicle properly you’ll have years of reliable service and you’ll be free of car payments.

• Avoid speeding and rapid acceleration. Both of which cause your car to guzzle gas.

• When you need your vehicle’s air conditioner serviced, look for a technician who is certified to recycle and repair refrigerants. Older units contain harmful ozone – depleting chemicals and with improper handling, they could be released into the atmosphere.

• No one likes to face engine trouble. But, if you find yourself faced with serious problems, opt for a remanufactured or rebuilt engine. These engines not only keep your car running longer but are fuel efficient and saves one more engine from entering the junkyard.

• Limit your errands. By aiming to get everything done in one trip – for example, stopping by the grocery store on your way home from work – you will use less gas and emit fewer emissions.
• Remove any excess or heavy items from your car. The less your vehicle weighs the less gas it uses.
• Invest in long-lasting car accessories. Less durable ones may be cheaper, but that means you’ll have to change them more frequently, creating more waste and wasting more money.