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or how to reduce the swelling of your car’s carbon footprint on a budget.
by vinnie richichi
OK, earth day is coming up and you are hearing all of this talk about hybrids, alternative fuel vehicles, electric cars and cars that run on cod liver oil and turkey grease. the guy down the block has just brought home a brand new prius, the equivalent of being an automotive vegan, and you feel a little shaky. when you jump into your 15 year old corolla it smells like the exxon valdez the morning after it ran aground and even though gas is down to less than 2.50 a gallon your spending more on fuel than on your grocery bill every week. you feel like your carbon footprint is a size 18 but you don’t have the cash to go out and slap some down on a new hybrid. you gotta make that corolla last longer.
here is a short list of things that you can do yourself for little or no money to get the most mileage out of your car and in the process feel like you are doing your part to green up your piece of the planet!
Check the air in your tires-make sure that they are inflated to manufacturer specs (usually 28-32 psi for passenger cars. look in the owner’s manual). This one should be a no brainer. Takes five minutes, the guy at the repair shop, tire shop or gas station if they do repairs will be more than glad to help you out and you could see your gas mileage go up 10% not to mention your car will be a whole lot safer to drive!
Clean or change your air filter and your gas filter. Put a wet paper towel over your nose and try to breathe…not for too long…tough huh? That’s how your car feels when its air filter is clogged with dust, dirt and particles. Do the math…tougher it is to breathe, harder the engine has to work, the more gas you use, the richer your car runs, the more pollutants it spews into what was the fresh air around your car. A clean gas filter means an easier flow of gas to the engine, less work and more efficient production. On most cars you can clean or change the air filter yourself.
Clean out your trunk and back seat- You still carrying half of the beer you bought at Costco last week in your trunk? Has the back of your car become the storage area for your kids little league equipment? Maybe you are carrying around all of your tools just in case your car breaks down. Well extra weight means using extra gasoline. Get all of that junk out of your car! 100 or 200 pounds of extra weight is going to put a serious crimp in your gas mileage and let’s face it, chicks dig a clean car!
Keep your car tuned up- Efficiency is the key here. New spark plugs, ignition wires, correct timing, clean fuel injectors or carburetion and on board computer systems that are regulating everything the way it’s supposed to means that your engine is getting the most out of what it has, maximizing fuel economy and dumping less carbon monoxide and other gasses into the air.
Make sure your gas cap is on tight and works like it is supposed to. A loose gas cap, one with a bad gasket on older cars or not clicking it when you put it back after refueling means that your gasoline tank emissions are escaping into the environment…even when your car is parked and the motor is off.
There are more things you can do to get more gas mileage out of your car and help the environment along…turn your engine off when you’re waiting in line at the drive thru…as a matter of fact stay out of the drive thru all together…dropping 50 pounds will improve your gas mileage as well as anything else. Don’t spend a lot of time warming up your car in the morning…most cars are good to go as soon as you turn the key...especially if you keep them tuned up! Use your cruise control on the highway-steady speed means better gas mileage
Do some or all of the above and you could see 30 plus miles per gallon out of that 15 year old Corolla. That would put you right smack dab in the middle of the EPA’s highway mileage estimates for the 28 hybrids available today. ( http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs.shtml ) Still want to impress the neighbors like the guy down the block with the prius? Head over to the Toyota dealer, buy a HYBRID badge for each side of your car and stick them on. Anybody asks… it’s a hybrid…it runs on regular and hi-test!
new york vinnie richichi is the editor and chief reviewer at drivetime-radio. His reviews can be heard weekend mornings on KOMO 1000 Newsradio in seattle and at www.drivetime-radio.com. rcontact him at vinnie@drivetime-radio.com
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