Top 10 Ways to Green Your Ride Tips for Making Your Current Car More Fuel-Efficient

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1. Keep Your Car

If you’re tempted to trade in the old jalopy for a shiny new car with a better MPG rating, remember that not buying new products is one of the most environmentally sound choices you can make. This holds true even for green products like hybrid vehicles. When you think in terms of a car’s entire product cycle -- including the impact of manufacturing and shipping a hybrid vehicle -- it makes more sense to extend the life of your existing car than to junk it for a new one.

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2. Slow Down, Enjoy the Ride

Hey leadfoot, what’s the hurry? Blasting off from green lights and squealing around corners are great strategies in the Indy 500, but according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they also lower your fuel economy by 30 to 40 percent. Aggressive driving also adds wear and tear to your tires, brakes and engine, presents a serious safety hazard – and it’s only a matter of time before you get a speeding ticket. Try to maintain a steady rate of speed, anticipate stops, and accelerate gradually, and you’ll be surprised how much longer your gas needle stays near the “full” mark.

3. Tired Out

A car is really only as good as its tires. When’s the last time you looked at yours? A tire pressure gauge is one of the cheapest tools you can own, and not only can it save you from a flat, it can also save you money on gas expenses. Inside the driver’s door is a plaque that lists the recommended size and air pressure of your tires. Tires always seem to choose the worst time to go flat, so while your checking the air pressure also take a look at your tires' tread pattern, and consider a replacement if any are looking bald. Tire manufacturers are always finding new gas-saving tire designs; find tire reviews and gas mileage information at TireRack.com and 1010tires.com

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4. Stay in Tune

Because a well-tuned motor runs more efficiently, getting a regular tune-up is like saving seven to 10 cents a gallon at the gas pump. Some problems, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can reduce your gas mileage by up to 40 percent. And consider splurging on a high-quality synthetic motor oil with energy-conserving compounds -- they’ll have an "Energy Conserving" label on them, courtesy of the American Petroleum Institute. Most states allow mechanics to charge an oil-disposal fee, which helps to ensure that your used motor oil gets recycled.

5. Junk in Your Trunk

After a few years, some car trunks can start to look like an archeological dig. Are ancient artifacts from past civilizations weighing down your car -- and blocking access to your spare tire? All that extra weight makes your engine work harder and reduces your gas mileage. And who knows -- maybe you’ll find some buried treasure under all the hockey sticks, sleeping bags and beach chairs.

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6. Control Your Cruise

Cruise control, a standard feature on many cars, is one of the little-known ways to increase your gas mileage, especially on longer trips. By smoothing out smaller increases and decreases in engine speed, cruise control adds significantly to your car’s MPG. One exception is in hilly areas, where the engine will “surge” to power up hills; if you’re hitting the Rockies, turn your cruise control off.

7. Idle Distractions

Idling your car’s engine, whether you’re waiting for the kids or sitting in a burger joint’s drive-thru, wastes a surprising amount of gas and adds lots of tailpipe emissions to the air. Some cities and states have regulations against excessive idling, and a few experts even recommend turning off your engine if you’re stuck at a red light for more than 10 seconds. That may seem extreme, but the fact remains: idle hands and engines are the devil’s workshop.

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8. Combine Trips

Your car runs inefficiently on short jaunts around town, when stop-and-go traffic lowers your gas mileage and increases wear and tear on your engine, transmission and brakes. Whenever possible, combine errands into one trip, which can save you time as well as gas. (Just remember to hit the grocery store last, so your chocolate ice cream doesn’t turn into a puddle of chocolate goop in your backseat.)

9. Cool Down

Air-conditioning doesn't get a free ride -- scientists have found that 5 to 30% of fuel usage is from AC, especially in stop-and-go urban traffic. (They also found that many people run the AC even when the temperatures are in the 60s and below.) Try rolling down the windows on a nice day, and save the AC for when it's really scorching.

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10. Clean and Green

Washing your car the old-fashioned way -- a hose, a bucket and a big old rag -- uses a tremendous amount of water, and is usually the first thing regulators clamp down on in the event of a water shortage. There are now several manufacturers who have developed "waterless" car cleaning sprays and polishes, as well as carpet, upholstery and dashboard cleaners that don’t use petroleum compounds. And if your biggest car-cleaning problem is plain old dust and grime, try a car duster that quickly and effectively removes that build-up without water.

11. Bonus Tip: A Brief Word About Scams

Every time gas prices climb -- as they inevitably will -- scam artists come out of the woodwork with amazing miracle cures for raising your car’s MPG. Everything from fuel additives to light bulbs and electronic chips have been touted as gas-savers. Researchers have also found that driving with the air conditioning on or off, and the windows rolled up or down, really doesn’t make much difference. So don’t get sucked in by ads, fads or hucksters; instead, try the simple tips listed above for real-world gas savings.

source: about.com

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Five car maintenance jobs you can do yourself

Everyone is looking for innovative ways to save money. Many car repair jobs are best left to the professionals, but here are five maintenance tasks that you can take on yourself, even if you've never so much as picked up a wrench.

Important note: Before you do anything, buy a repair manual for your car. Haynes and Chiltons are the most popular; you can order online or buy a copy at your local parts store.

Got it? Good. Here we go:

1. Changing the air filter

Degree of difficulty: Easy (for most cars)

Cost: $5 to $25

Benefits: May improve power and fuel economy.

Pitfalls: Improperly installed filter could allow dirt into the engine; some cars have fiddly latches that can break fingernails.

The first time you change your air filter, you'll be amazed that repair shops and quick-lube joints charge $15 to $30 or more in labor to do it. For most cars, changing the filter is a simple matter of removing a few clips or screws, taking the old filter out, putting the new one in, then replacing the top of the filter box. It's literally a five-minute job. (That said, some cars are more complex, so check your repair manual before starting.) Note which way the old filter comes out so you don't install the new one upside-down. If the filter material is red or green, you may have a reusable filter that can be cleaned -- ask your parts dealer.

2. Checking tire pressure

Degree of difficulty: Easy

Cost: One-time investment of $15 or less

Benefits: Improves fuel economy, ride comfort, safety.

Pitfalls: Dirty hands and knees.

Tires are the most oft-overlooked parts of our cars. They lose air over time (and with colder temperatures), and low pressure translates to increased fuel consumption. Buy a digital tire gauge ($15 or less, I got mine free at a tire dealer promotional event) and check the tires first thing in the morning before the car has been driven (driving heats the air inside the tires and raises the pressure). You'll find the proper inflation pressures in your owner's manual as well as on a sticker in the driver's doorjamb or behind the gas-filler flap. If one or more tires are low, refill at a gas station air pump, but don't rely on the air pump's pressure gauge -- use your own. If you overfill the tire, press the pin inside the valve to let air out.

3. Changing burned-out bulbs

Degree of difficulty: Moderate

Cost: $1-$8 for tail/parking lights; higher for headlights

Benefits: Improves safety, avoids potential traffic tickets.

Pitfalls: Broken glass can cause cuts; failure to follow instructions could result in breaking something.

Changing bulbs is a simple job, but not always a straightforward one. If you've never done this before, it's best not to proceed without instructions; access to the bulbs isn't always as easy as it seems, and doing it wrong could result in breaking a pricey trim piece or, worse yet, breaking the bulb and cutting yourself. Your repair manual (and, in some lucky cases, your owner's manual) will tell you exactly what to pry, pull, push and twist; follow the instructions and it's a walk in the park -- and a huge cost savings.

4. Changing wiper blades

Degree of difficulty: Easy to moderate

Cost: $5 to $20 per blade

Benefits: Better visibility, increased safety.

Pitfalls: Possibility of broken fingernails and/or frazzled nerves.

Changing wiper blades is another one of those quick jobs that quick-lube places use to make a quick profit. Some cars use small fasteners or spring-loaded levers that can be tricky to manipulate, but on most cars it's as easy as pushing a lever and pulling off the blade, then sliding the new one into place. If your repair manual doesn't have instructions, the packaging for the new blades probably will. Make sure the new blade is locked firmly in place; if it falls off while the wipers are running, the wiper arm will scratch the windshield. You can also buy wiper blade refills (just the rubber part; the blade is the rubber plus the metal or plastic that holds it against the glass), which are less expensive, but refills can be fiddly to change and if the blades are old they may not hold the new refill firmly against the glass.

5. Changing the oil

Degree of difficulty: Advanced

Cost: $50-$75 initial investment; $10-$30 per change thereafter

Benefits: Routine maintenance -- someone has to do it.

Pitfalls: Requires working under the car; very dirty; if done wrong, could cause expensive engine damage.

The oil change is the high end of do-it-yourself maintenance. It's a fairly straightforward procedure -- raise the car off the ground (preferably on ramps), drain the oil, replace the oil filter, refill with the proper amount of oil and check for leaks. (Your repair manual will walk you through it.) But it's a dirty job, it requires tools (ramps or jackstands, drain pan, socket set, oil filter wrench), you have to take the old oil to a parts or repair shop for recycling, and if you do it wrong -- too little or too much oil, drain plug or filter installed improperly, etc. -- you could literally ruin your engine. Most quick-lube places are cheap enough that it's not worth the effort, but some people -- your author included -- just enjoy doing it.

NOTE: NEVER EVER EVER work under a car supported by only a jack! If the car falls off the jack, it's curtains for you. Buy a set of sturdy drive-on ramps and use them as per the instructions, blocking the tires so the car can't roll.

For more information click:

source: About.com

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