Green Tips for Your Vehicle
Someday all of us may be driving pollution-free, hydrogen-powered cars. But what’s a concerned consumer to do in the meantime?
You don’t have to wait to help the environment. By simply changing a few habits, you can begin helping the environment right away. Regular vehicle maintenance and better driving habits are two easy-to-implement strategies for helping the environment. What’s more, better automotive habits will help your vehicle last longer and command a better resale price.
Here are tips to put you on the road to environmentally conscious car care:
- Keep the engine running at peak performance—a misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent. Replace filters and fluids as recommended in the manual.
- A poorly running engine or faulty exhaust system will cause your vehicle to pollute much more than it would otherwise. Don’t ignore that Service Engine light.
- With summer quickly approaching, have your vehicle’s air conditioner. Older air conditioners contain ozone-depleting chemicals, which could be released into the atmosphere through improper service.
- Avoid speeding and sudden accelerations; both habits guzzle gas. When waiting for friends or family, shut off the engine. Consolidate daily errands to eliminate unnecessary driving.
- Remove excess items from the vehicle, since less weight means better mileage. Remove that roof-top carrier after vacations to reduce air drag.
At Five Star Auto Center in Rocklin we hire ASE certified mechanics to ensure you get the best service possible from highly trained technicians who practice techniques that help protect our environment for the future. Five Star uses eco-friendly cleaning solutions and recycles used oil and oil filters, as well as utilizing safe recyclable solutions for parts cleaning.
In 2008, we installed 612 solar panels, making Five Star the first car wash in the Sacramento area to be largely solar powered. Since switching on the solar system, the car wash has produced enough electricity to power 17 homes for a year. We’ve reduced our carbon use equivalent to removing 178 cars from the road for a year.
No matter what type of car you drive, just by following a few simple steps you, too, can help reduce pollution and preserve a healthy environment for years to come.
Did You Know…
The average professional car wash uses only 30 gallons of water, versus 150 gallons of water used on average when washing your car at home. If you wash your car just once a week, that’s an annual water savings of 6,240 gallons per car.