A Greener Car

You may not drive a hybrid car, or an electric car, but regardless of what you drive there are things you can do to make your car as environmentally friends as possible.  When you follow some of these steps, you’ll be getting better gas mileage, thus saving money and doing your part to protect the environment.

• Keep your car maintained.  Regular maintenance, such as clean air filters, clean fuel filters, and getting a regular tune-up can improve your gas mileage by about 4 percent.  Spark plugs also need to be checked every 1,000 miles.  A dirty plug causes misfiring which wastes gas.
• Drive smart.  The way you drive affects your gas mileage.  Avoid sudden starts and stops and go the speed limit.  Reckless driving is hard on your car and decreases the miles per gallon you get.
• Keep all unnecessary items out of the car.  A heavy car means more gas consumption.
• Check your tires.  Keeping your tires at the optimal inflation will improve your gas mileage by about 3 percent.
• Secure your gas cap.  A loose or missing gas cap will cause gas to evaporate, which is bad for the environment and fuel economy.
• Don’t top off.  When getting gasoline, stop filling it up when the nozzle shuts off automatically.  Topping off the tank releases vapors into the air and wastes money.