If you're a person that cares about recycling and the environment, you're probably interested in making your car a bit greener too. It's not likely that you can just switch to a hybrid, but there are some steps you can take to make your current vehicle more eco-friendly.

How to Make Your Vehicle a Little More Eco-Friendly

We should all be concerned about the footprint we leave on the environment. It's necessary that we look for ways to combat climate change and be more environmentally friendly. In many cases, cars are a necessity in our day to day lives. While it may not be possible for most of us to just switch to a hybrid, it is possible to make out current vehicles more green.  North American Wholesale has some suggestions to help you out in this quest.

Proper Maintenance

The most obvious way you can contribute to making your vehicle more green is by providing it with proper maintenance. A healthy car performs better and is more efficient when it comes to fuel consumption. You should have your mechanic check the spark plugs, replace the air and fuel filters, among other essential tune-up tasks. Don’t forget to keep your tires inflated to the right pressure. Check them, and the spare, at least once a month. Accurately inflated tires can save you up to 10 cents per gasoline gallon.

Switch to Synthetic Oil

Synthetic oil is friendlier to the environment not because of its formula per se, but because it reduces the amount of oil you use per year. You need to change your conventional oil every 3,000 miles. Doing the math, that’s about five oil changes a year. You’re using 7.5 gallons of conventional oil a year. Those almost eight oil gallons are wasted, and if not properly disposed of, thrown back into the environment. Now, going for an AMSOIL Synthetic Oil change, you can reduce your yearly oil intake to 1.5 gallons a year. You’re reducing the amount of oil you generate, saving many oil gallons from being wasted. Look for a long oil drain oil like AMSOIL’s XL 5W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and start protecting the environment and your wallet. Get it from their online store or by calling North American Wholesale at (866) 580-1008. Another reason synthetic oil leaves a smaller carbon footprint is that it’s artificially made. Since it comes straight from a lab, where it is given its outstanding lubricating properties that increase gas mileage, improve engine performance, and extend oil change intervals, it begins its life without an environmental impact. Of course, all the benefits of an AMSOIL Synthetic Oil change would be meaningless in your quest to protect the environment if you don’t dispose of it properly. Over 40% of the USA's water pollution comes from motor oil.  You shouldn't throw any oil down the drain. Instead of throwing it out, give your oil a second life by recycling it.

Be a Smart Driver

Your fuel economy depends greatly in the way you drive. To reduce your carbon footprint, you need to look for ways to maximize your fuel efficiency. Avoid sudden starts and stops; slow down when you’re close to a red light.  Aggressive driving (speeding, braking suddenly, and accelerating rapidly) can reduce your gas mileage up to 33 percent. Just stick to driving within the speed limits. If you have to be somewhere, leave earlier, so you don’t have to speed to get there on time. Try to combine your errands into a single trip and avoid excessive idling. Park under the shade and use a windshield shade to keep your car a little bit cooler when parked, it will help you avoid using the A/C when you get back in.

Fill up Right at the Gas Station

We all want to make the most of our money. Topping off our gas tank with a little extra once the pump stops seems like a smart way to do it. That extra bit of fuel can release harmful gas vapors out into the atmosphere. Plus, it overfills the tank, making it impossible for gasoline to expand. Let’s not forget that spilled fuel from an overfilled tank is highly flammable, it creates even more toxic vapors, and it can potentially leak into groundwater. Just let the nozzle do its job and stop once the tank is full. Don’t forget to check that the fuel cap is screwed on tightly to avoid it turning into vapor and escaping from the reservoir and increasing your car’s emissions.

Turn Off the AC

The air conditioner is not much of necessity during the fall. Thankfully the weather is ideal for rolling the window down while driving around the city. Think about this if you're tempted to turn on the air conditioner: the A/C places a bigger strain on the electrical system, making the engine need to work harder and burn off more fuel. If the weather allows it, don’t use your air conditioner at all. Still, if you must turn it on, make sure that the A/C system is properly maintained and that the refrigerants are at the correct levels. The only time when the A/C should be turned on (if the weather is bearable) is while you’re driving on the open road. Since you’d be driving at higher speeds, driving with the windows down will increase the aerodynamic drag and make your car inefficiently burn off fuel.

A Synthetic Oil Change to Keep Your Engine in Top Shape

If you're punctual with your vehicle's tune-ups, it will be kinder to you and the environment. Go ahead and get that AMSOIL Synthetic Oil change, helping the planet is only one of the many reasons why synthetic oil is the way to go. Get everything you need regarding your car's lubrication at AMSOIL's online store or by calling North American Wholesale at (866) 580-1008.