5 Things You Should Do to Make Your Car Greener (No, We Don’t Mean Paint)
If you’ve been thinking about buying an electric vehicle, hybrid, or just a more fuel-efficient car, good for you!
There are lots of ways that we can help to protect the planet and leave less of a carbon footprint.
What can you do, however, if you can’t pull out a small fortune for one of those green mobiles?
Did you know that you can actually make your car be more energy-efficient, and save you some major money on gasoline, just by following a few tips and tricks?
Everyone wants to do their best for the environment, right?
Top 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Ride Greener
Of course, we aren’t talking about repainting your car a shade of green, we mean saving energy (gas) and making your vehicle use less of it.
1. Don’t Let Your Vehicle Warm Up
Unless your vehicle has a manual choke (and if you don’t know what that is, your vehicle doesn’t have one) then there is no need to let the car warm up.
Yes, it is nice to get inside a car that is already warm and has defrosted windows in the winter, but you can save money on gas and help the environment by using an ice scraper and only running the car engine long enough to defrost windows so you can see.
There are also products you can apply to the glass that will greatly cut down on window fogging, such as Rain X.
2. Reduce the Weight in Your Car
Whether you’ve got a car, truck, or SUV, you can get much better mileage simply by removing things that you don’t really need.
Of course, you should always have an emergency kit in the car, but removing things such as boxes of clothing, items you found at a yard sale that you haven’t taken out of the trunk, or that box of toys, and roof racks or bicycle racks that aren’t in use.
The less your car weighs, the less gas it needs to run.
3. Keep Your Engine Tuned and Maintained
Some people believe that tune-ups are a thing of the past, but this isn’t really the case. While modern cars no longer need tune-ups as frequently, there are still parts that need to be cleaned or replaced at regular intervals.
Keeping your motor finely tuned can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in gasoline.
The same is true with oil changes. Some hydrocarbons are released into the engine oil. By changing the oil at regular intervals, or by switching to synthetic oil, your car can be more eco-friendly.
Oh, and that Check Engine light you’re ignoring because the car runs fine? It could be a sensor that allows your car to use less gasoline.
Let the pros at Hong Kong Auto Service inspect and service your vehicle so you can get the most MPGs and feel good that you are doing your part to help planet Earth.
4. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated
Checking your tire pressure is easy and with a tire pressure gauge, you can do it yourself in less than 5 minutes. Tire pressure gauges are available almost everywhere and cost less than $5.
Don’t rely on the gas station meters. These can be very inaccurate. Remember to check your tire pressure when the car has not been driven for at least 3-hours.
You can also purchase low-rolling-resistance tires. Sometimes called smart tires, these tires don’t build up heat and have less resistance when it comes to movement.
If you aren’t sure about what your tire pressure should be or how to read a tire pressure gauge, the professional mechanics at Hong Kong Auto Service will be happy to help you.
5. Avoid the Dreaded Lead Foot Habit
Most people hate to hear this, but the fact is that one of the best ways to save energy is to change your driving habits.
Most people stomp on the gas pedal once the light turns green or they go full speed until the last second before slamming on the brakes for a red light or stop sign.
Your engine and transmission can only use so much energy at a given time, so if you put the pedal to the metal, some of that gas is only going to hit the catalytic converter, wearing it out faster, and that energy won’t make the car go faster.
There are several reasons for the 55MPH speed limit. In addition to safety, driving at 55MPH can save you as much as 25 percent in fuel costs as driving 75 MPH.
Slow down, take off from a dead stop at a steady pace, and the earth will thank you.
Honorable Mention
While you may not like the process, the fact is that emission testing is one way the state ensures that every car is running at its most fuel-efficient.
You probably are already aware that if the Check Engine light is on that you will instantly fail the test and no one, absolutely no one, wants to fail their emission test and have to return to the test station.
You can avoid failing an emission test by having your car inspected first by the mechanics at Hong Kong Auto Service.
We know the emissions limits that the State of Illinois requires. Our ASE-certified mechanics can inspect and repair your vehicle so that you pass your emissions test the first time around.
The best thing about this procedure is that, not only are you complying with state law, but you will also know for a fact that your car, truck, or SUV is running as clean as possible.
The Bottom Line
There are lots of other tips for saving gas, such as not using your car when you can walk or ride a bike or take public transportation whenever possible.
Hong Kong Auto Service can be your best partner when it comes to keeping your car a lean and green, energy-efficient machine.
Call us today for an inspection, service, or if you have questions about your vehicle. The friendly professionals at Hong Kong Auto Service are here for you.