Green Car Maintenance Tips

Video Transcript

"How to keep your car in top tune. In fact, why do you even want to do that? Well, these days, with fuel prices what they are, it costs a lot of money to run your car. And, if it's in good tune, you're running very efficiently. Also, it it's not in tune, and there are some certain issues wrong with your car, like a faulty oxygen sensor, that could cost you up to forty percent of your fuel efficiency. So, you really want to pay attention. While there are some things you can do at home, some things need to be done at the shop. Some of those things are, you could do plugs, spark plugs like we've done for years, change your oil and so on, but many things are so complex these days because cars are computer controlled, that you really need to go to the dealership to get those done. Well, take a look in here. It doesn't look like a lot from top, but there are a few key things you need to do. One is pay attention to your oil. Check the dip stick. Check your oil level regularly, and you can change your oil at the intervals that are prescribed in your owner's manual. Changing your car's oil is one of the areas where you can maintain your vehicle in your own garage, in your own time, and save money. When you're doing this, look for an oil that meets specifications that are identified in your owner's manual. It may be 5 W-30, or 10 W-40, but there's a specific weight oil range that's needed for different types of engines. If you use the wrong weight of oil, that can cost you on fuel efficiency. Your fuel efficiency will suffer as a result. Now also you might want to look for an oil that has extra cleaning detergents in it to keep your engine running as cleanly as possible. It takes a certain number of quarts of oil in your engine, again specified in your manual. Your intervals, how often you do this, or how many miles you have to change it. Also found in your owner's manual. So, check your dip stick to make sure you're topped off, change your oil at the right intervals, and also you're gonna be changing your oil filter at certain intervals. Make sure you dispose of that properly. An important part of keeping your car in top tune, is making sure the spark plugs are changed when they need to be changed. Again, as specified in your owner's manual. Now, this is something you can do at home. It doesn't need to be done in a service bay at the dealership, unless you have such a specified vehicle that you don't have access to the plugs. But that's pretty rare. You can get any number of plugs that are sold at auto parts stores. There are also some specialty plugs out now like this one the manufacturers say you actually get better fuel economy with this kind of design. So, do a little bit of research. See what seems right for you, and use those plugs. The best tip for car owners is pay attention to your owner's manual. If you don't have one anymore, you can get a new one at the dealership. And a warning, if your car is in top tune, you lose, and the environment does too. Well, that's what you have for taking care of your vehicle and keeping it in top tune. It saves money, it saves on emissions, and it's gonna make your car run as good as it can, and you're doing right."