You can’t live without your car but at the same time you are an environmentally conscious person who wishes to minimize their impact on the environment? Here are a couple of easy tips to help you become as clean as possible while still driving your favorite four wheeler.
Check your Wheel Alignment
Check the wear on your tyres. If the wear pattern is different on one side compared to the other side, the chances are that your wheels are misaligned. Some other symptoms which can signal wheel misalignment can be noticed during the ride, such as car drifting on one side despite you trying to drive in a straight line or vibration of the steering wheel.
Wheel misalignment might sound like a scary thing, but as a matter of fact it is a pretty common occurrence in everyday driving. The suspension of your car becomes worn during the ride which causes the springs to stretch. This causes wheels to position improperly, which in turn increases your car’s energy consumption.
Wheel alignment check is a regular procedure which will not take you a lot of time, but can save you a lot of money in the long run. All mechanical and tyre shops from Parramatta in Australia to Anchorage, Alaska should be able to offer you this service, so there’s no excuse to miss the next check!
Keep Checking Tyre Pressure
One more thing which people generally neglect but which significantly affects energy consumption of your car is tyre pressure. Tyres lose pressure on everyday basis, even if you do not drive the car. A tyre which is not properly inflated sits on the road with larger surface, causing more traction and increasing the amount of energy the car needs to move.
Many gas stations offer the possibility to check your tyre pressure and you can almost always do it for free, so the best idea is to make it a habit and check the pressure of your tyres once every four or five times you need to fill up your tank.
Use Gas which Conforms to Eco-standards
This tip is pretty straightforward so further explanation is not really necessary. Eco friendly gas types are usually a bit more expensive, but the effect they have make them worth the money. When you at the gas station, shop around – see what types of gas they offer and choose the most eco-friendly type which your car supports. Pay attention though – using incompatible gas types can damage your engine.
Drive Only when necessary and Adopt a more Efficient Driving Style
First of all, every time you decide to sit in the car, think if you really need it – can you accomplish the same task using the public transport system. Can you walk to your destination? A nice walk will benefit both you and the environment, so now you have more than one reason to not be lazy.
When you do have to drive, though, you can make sure your driving style is not wasteful. Always drive with as little load as possible, slow down, keep the speed as constant as possible, accelerate slowly and smoothly and do not brake suddenly (unless necessary, of course). All this is not so hard to do with just a little self discipline, and it will significantly lower your fuel consumption.