 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.
What other steps have you taken to improve the
performance of your used cars?
Read more useful used car articles on our blog,
Why Buy Used Cars
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