Tips to Green Your Car—Starting with Regular Service

As the sun makes an appearance and temperatures start to creep up, more drivers take to the road—free of snow and ice and ready to enjoy much needed vacations. With this increase in traffic comes an increase in carbon emissions and a need to green our cars. The process of making your vehicle more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, and it all starts with regular service.

Taking steps to green your car can increase the life of your vehicle and reduce the carbon footprint that you leave behind while travelling this season. When you take your car, truck, or van in for a complete tune-up it can jumpstart the process. The expert technicians at Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centres have also come up with some tips that can help you to stay green in between visits.

Going Green is as Easy as Following these Steps

Global warming is a very real problem, and one that can be partially attributed to the worldwide use of personal vehicles. Regular maintenance is the first step towards a green car, improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary emissions. You can be more environment friendly by following these simple suggestions:

• Travel Light: Reducing the weight in and out of your vehicle causes it to burn less fuel. Less fuel equals fewer harmful emissions and less dependence on fossil fuels. Consider taking out removable seats, bike racks, or other additions when not in use. You’ll be amazed at the jump in gas mileage and creating a greener car in the process.
• Keep Tires Inflated: Low pressure tires require your car to do more work which translates into burning more fuel. Make sure to rotate your tires regularly and check and adjust your air pressure often.
• Embrace Your Cruise Control: Keeping your vehicle travelling at a steady speed reduces fuel consumption and improves mileage. It’s a win-win!
• Coast to a Stop: Allow your car to slow down naturally prior to braking. This requires less fuel, puts less stress on your vehicle, and can reduce accidents.
• Don’t Leave Your Car Running: If there’s no reason to have the car idling, then turn it off. It’s a simple concept that can save you a huge amount of fuel over the course of your car’s lifetime.
• Purchase a Recycled Battery: This makes sense. Car batteries are difficult to dispose of and add toxic chemicals to the environment. Recycling them prevents this and adds another green element to your car.

You can also consider purchasing an eco-friendly car. There are several vehicles built and designed to be environmentally friendly. You can learn more about the technology behind these ready-made green cars by reading through our other articles and inquiring on our website.

Are You Ready to Green Your Car?

Making the decision to green your car should be a simple one, and the professionals at Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centres can help. You can contact us at one of our locations in Vancouver and surrounding cities to learn more about going green and for all of your auto repair needs.