Who doesn’t love St. Patrick’s Day? Everyone wears green, gets to be Irish for a day and of course green beer! Going green in the industry however, means something totally different. Our team here at All Makes Collision Centre care about your vehicle and the environment. Here are some ways to help your vehicle go green this St. Patrick’s Day (and every other day).
- Keep your tires properly inflated – keeping your tires at the dealership recommended pressures are a critical element of tire maintenance. Tires that contain the proper amount of pressure last longer and also contribute to vehicle safety. Underinflated tires have a higher rolling resistance, which reduces fuel economy. Studies show that having the correct tire pressures could save you as much as $1 per litre or increase your fuel efficiency by 0.6% on average but up to 4% in some cases.
- Change your air filter – when your air filter gets filled with dirt and debris, it prevents your engine from breathing properly. As a result, your engine will work harder and use more fuel. Signs that you may need a new filter would be if you can see through it or not. Hold the filter up to the light, if little light passes through then you probably need to replace your air filter. If you put off replacing it, it could cost you money at the pump as well as risk your engine health. You can typically find which filter you need at your local service centre or in your owners manual.
- Get regular service tune ups – Regular car maintenance and checks can avoid issues due to worn spark plugs, dragging brakes, and low transmission fluid or transmission problems. Getting these issues resolved can result in a 4 to 12% increase in fuel economy.
- Reduce your speed – because air resistance increases at an exponential rate at higher speeds, it reduces your vehicles fuel economy and generates more pollution per kilometre. Natural Resources Canada states that driving a vehicle at 120 km/h burns 20% more fuel than driving the same distance at 100 km/h. It’s not just speeding that increases your fuel usage, its also how often you speed up and slow down when you are in traffic. Accelerating and decelerating will lead to higher emissions.
- Coasting to decelerate – every time you use your brakes, you waste your forward momentum. By anticipating traffic flow, you can see when it’s time to slow down in advance. You will save money and conserve fuel by taking your foot off the gas pedal and coasting to slow down instead of braking. This also helps you save money by reducing wear and tear on your brakes.
- Use your air conditioner less – in mid-March you probably aren’t using your air conditioning that much anyways but when you do, you are consuming as much as 20% more fuel than if you weren’t. Instead of turning on the A/C, try opening the windows when you’re driving within the city and use the flow-through system with the windows up when you are on the highway. If you do use the A/C, use the recirculation option to minimize the impact.
- Plan ahead – try to anticipate if you are going to hit traffic or not by listening to traffic reports for information on accidents, road construction and other trouble spots. If you do hit traffic, keep a comfortable distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. By paying close attention to what other vehicles and pedestrians are doing and imaging what they will do next, you can keep your speed at consistent rate and use less fuel. It’s also a lot safer to drive this way!
Challenge yourself to try these tips and shrink your environmental footprint. Personal action by everyone will help reduce emissions and decrease air pollution.