March 23, 2009, Ottawa – April 22 is Earth Day and for the first time, April has become Earth Month in Canada. It doesn’t matter if the car you’re driving is new or old, big or small. There are preventive maintenance steps every vehicle owner can take to make sure their car is green, clean and lean this spring, summer and all year long, according to Car Care Canada.
By following some simple preventive maintenance steps, you can help protect the environment by improving fuel consumption, which in turn saves money at the pump.
Step One: Keep it Clean
- The products that you use to clean and care for your car should be environmentally friendly. Check the labels of items such as polishing compounds, engine fluids and cleaners to make sure they are recognized as truly green.
- Do not pour antifreeze or other engine fluids into sewers, on the ground or into floor drains. Bring used engine fluids to a certified recycling location for disposal.
- If you change your own oil, be sure to properly dispose of it as well. One litre of oil can make a slick larger than a football field! One drop of oil can pollute 25 litres of water!
- Never pour used oil down the drain or into the ground. Not only is it illegal, it's also harmful to the environment.
- Changing the oil and the oil filter as recommended in the owner’s manual is one of the best ways to keep the engine running trouble free. Oils carrying the label "Energy Conserving" can reduce fuel consumption by up to 2.7 per cent compared to those without the label.
Step Two: Keep your car properly tuned for optimum performance
A well-tuned engine delivers the best balance of power and fuel consumption and produces the lowest level of emissions. A 21st Century tune-up for modern vehicles includes the following system checks: battery, charging and starting; engine mechanical; powertrain control (including onboard diagnostic checks); fuel; ignition; and emissions. A proper tune-up can improve fuel consumption by an average of four per cent. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve fuel consumption by as much as 40 per cent.
Step Three: Have the spark plugs checked
A vehicle can have four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as 2 million times every 1,000 kilometres. This results in a lot of heat, electrical, and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug also causes misfiring, which wastes fuel.
Step Four: Maintain the cooling system of your vehicle
A cooling system thermostat that causes the engine to run too cold will lower the fuel efficiency of a car by as much as one or two mpg. There also are improved radiator caps on the market today that allow the cooling system to operate at a higher temperature before boiling over, increasing the system's efficiency and reducing emissions.
Step Five: Watch your Tires
Improper tire maintenance causes 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 to be released into the environment annually and is estimated to cost Canadian light-duty vehicle owners almost 643 million litres of fuel per year. At 99 cents per litre for regular unleaded gasoline, that amounts to $637 million a year in wasted fuel!
Tires that are not properly inflated add rolling resistance that makes the engine work harder to move the vehicle. Tire pressure should be checked at least monthly, including the spare. (Operating a vehicle with tires under-inflated by 20 per cent (8psi) can reduce their life by 15,000 kms and can increase fuel consumption by up to 4 per cent.)
Step Six: Driving Tips
Aside from maintenance, your driving plays a big role as well. Jerky and aggressive driving can increase fuel consumption by as much as 37 per cent and also increases wear and tear on your vehicle. Avoid sudden starts and stops and go the speed limit.
Thinking ahead, getting directions and planning your errands in one trip will minimize unnecessary kilometers and will also make driving less frustrating and more relaxing.
Only use air conditioning when necessary as it causes vehicles to burn more fuel. As a rule, highway driving is a good time to use air conditioning because winding down your windows creates drag – forcing the engine to work harder. Parking in the shade and using a reflective windshield shade can keep your car cooler when parked, meaning it takes less to cool it off when you get back in.
- Faster driving burns fuel more quickly. Increasing speeds from 100km/h to 120 km/h will cause a vehicle to consume about 20 per cent more fuel and contribute unnecessary CO2 to the environment. It is also less safe.
- Cruise control can improve fuel consumption for most drivers by allowing their vehicles to maintain a constant speed. Cruise control should only be used on dry pavement and on straight roads in areas free of heavy traffic.
- If you idle your car more than 10 seconds it burns more fuel than it takes to restart the engine. For the average vehicle with a 3-litre engine, every 10 minutes of idling costs over one quarter of a litre (over 1 cup) in wasted fuel.
Step Seven: Go Green, Clean and Lean
Visit http://www.carcarecanada.ca for a link to the free Family Road Trip Guide, which includes tips for saving gas and protecting the environment.
About Be Car Care Aware and Car Care Canada
Be Car Care Aware is a campaign to inform Canadian drivers about the benefits of regular, vehicle care, maintenance and repair. The campaign's purpose is to empower drivers to make sensible decisions about their vehicles and avoid costly repairs due to neglect. Be Car Care Aware is spearheaded by Car Care Canada and built around three key themes: safety, environmental protection and maximizing value for money spent on vehicle maintenance and repairs.
Car Care Canada is a non-profit advocacy group that offers research, consumer education and information about the Canadian automotive aftermarket industry. For more than 15 years, Car Care Canada has been working to advance the motoring public's understanding of the vital importance of regular vehicle maintenance and how, by taking a preventative approach to vehicle care and driving habits, motorists can lower their maintenance costs and improve safety.
To learn more, visit the Be Car Care Aware website at http://www.carcarecanada.ca.
