Mean, Green Driving MachineThe Car Care Council suggests five easy ways to turn your car in a mean, green driving machine – for your personal wallet and also the environment.

Drive Green – Recognize that how you drive offers quite a bit to do with fuel economy. Avoid sudden stops and startsstops and go the pace limit. Jerky and aggressive driving decreases your mpg (MPG) and increases tear and wear in your vehicle. By combining errands in one trip, Minimize unnecessary miles.

In the event the tires on every American’s car were properly inflated, check Tire Pressure – Each year, about two billion gallons of gas might be saved. Optimal tire pressure for your vehicle is listed in the owner’s manual. Tires that are not properly inflated add rolling resistance which makes the engine work harder to maneuver the vehicle. All of this increases fuel costs just as much as three to five cents per gallon, and increases the risk of engine damage.

Obtain a Tune-Up – Regular tune-ups, having and maintenance clean air filters will help your car or truck pollute less and burn less gas. With a proper tune-up, you can save four percent on the price of gas or higher to forty percent by replacing a faulty oxygen sensor. Simply changing the car’s air filter can improve efficiency by 10 percent.

Lighten the Load – Get the junk out of the trunk and the stuff out of your car, with the exception of emergency items such as a spare tire, flares along with a first-aid kit. Extra items weigh the automobile down and cause an increase in gas usage.

Gas Caps and Fill-Ups – Look at your vehicle’s gas cap. Loose, damaged or missing gas caps cause millions of gallons of gas to evaporate into the air every year. Topping off your gas tank when completing your car also can release harmful vapors into the environment.

“Driving technique and proper vehicle maintenance can go a long way toward protecting the surroundings and conserving fuel. These five simple actions will help minimize the amount of pollutants from your vehicle and keep more ‘green’ inside your wallet through better fuel economy,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Vehicle owners who do their own maintenance should remember to recycle or properly dispose of fluids and other vehicle components, including used motor oil, batteries and tires.”