8 tips for greening your ride – without buying a hybrid

Just a few years ago, the notion of driving a lean, mean green machine was the pursuit of a minority of the American driving public.

8 ways you can be a greener driver

But now, it’s easy to find yourself among drivers seeking a “green” machine that adheres to the reuse-repurpose-recycle motto more than the commandment: “On your mark, get set, GO.”

Economic and environmental concerns have intertwined into a unified concern for many drivers. Despite the temptation of the wall outlet, going the electric-car or hybrid route aren’t the only ways to save a few bucks and safeguard the environment. Plenty of methods exist for conventional vehicle owners to “go green,” an approach intrinsically tied to fuel economy.

Here are some of our favorite ways to reduce your vehicle’s “carbon tire print”:

1. Lighten the Load. Less weight yields better mileage, so only keep in your vehicle what’s absolutely necessary.
2. Properly Inflate Tires. Make sure wheels are aligned and tires are sufficiently inflated. Compromising either forces the engine to work harder, thereby wasting fuel. Also, properly maintained tires last longer, reducing excessive waste from piles of discarded tires that should have lasted for many more miles.
3. Don’t Punch It. Sudden accelerations and a rev-and-brake driving style rob your vehicle of gas mileage.
4. Map it Out. Eliminate unneeded driving by creating a multi-stop plan that doesn’t back track.
5. Tune Your Engine. A plugged fuel injector or a single fouled spark plug can cause fuel efficiency to dip by up to 30 percent.
6. Stay Within the Limit. MPG drops drastically once you exceed 55 mph.
7. Filter It. Air filters past their “expiration date” are a drain on your car and the environment. Filters rife with dust, dirt and other debris cause an engine to lose power by choking the air flow. You’ll also enjoy the improved acceleration and performance your vehicle exhibits with a clean air filter.
8. Cut Down on the Warm Up. Like the DeSoto, long engine warm-ups are the stuff of yesteryear. Today’s vehicles don’t require them. Avoid excessive idling, too. Turn off your engine while waiting in your car for family or friends.

Being green isn’t all up to you, our customers, either. We also do our part here at Hong Kong Auto Service to recycle fluids, dispose of waste properly, and return parts cores whenever possible for rebuilding or recycling.