We are all aware of the small things we can do around our homes to be a little bit greener and to help lessen our impact on the environment, including reducing our consumption of non-reusable packaging and recycling. But, are you aware that keeping your vehicle in good working order also has huge environmental benefits?
It isn’t always a priority to keep our vehicles maintained, and we are often inclined to let little things with our cars or trucks slide, especially when we have a few vehicles we are responsible for. By maintaining your vehicles, you not only get the best possible gas mileage, but you are also helping to do a little bit more for the environment and saving money too.
Here are 5 tips for keeping your vehicle in good working order
Keep your tires at the correct pressure and properly aligned
Not only does keeping your tires at the correct pressure help with the longevity of your tires, but you also use less gasoline. Even if your tires are just a few pounds under, your engine must work harder, burning more gasoline. Also, the life of an underinflated tire is about 25% less than that of a tire that is maintained at the correct pressure
Align and balance your tires
Misaligned tires also make your engine work harder, causing you to burn more gasoline. Poorly aligned tires also make for faster wear and tear, meaning that you must replace them sooner. The disposal of old tires poses a huge environmental challenge. Some are recycled and repurposed, but most of them still end up in landfills. By taking care of your tires and keeping them longer, you are contributing less to our landfills.
Replace dirty air and fuel filters
Have your air and fuel filters checked during regular maintenance. Clogged or dirty air filters can reduce your gas mileage by as much as 10%
Motor Oil
Use the grade of motor oil your car’s manufacturer recommends. Using a different grade of motor oil can lower your gas mileage by 1-2%.
Replace your oil drain plug
Replacing your oil drain plug with a No-Spill™ Systems magnetic oil drain plug virtually eliminates your chances of an oil spill. Oil seeping into our groundwater is a huge environmental problem, and every province and state have laws on the proper disposal of used motor oil. Using the No-Spill™ Systems magnetic oil drain plug completely eliminates all worries of oil spilling while you are draining the oil from your vehicle.
Sources
tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp2823-menu-200.htm
portal.ct.gov/DEEP/P2/Individual/Reducing-Your-Environmental-Footprint