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Environmental VW Audi
Keeping Your Vehicle in Tune with the Environment
Taking care of your VW or Audi is definitely a win-win situation. Besides
helping the environment, a properly maintained and operated vehicle will
run more efficiently, will be safer, and will last up to 50% longer, according
to a survey of ASE-certified Master Auto Technicians. The following tips
should put you on the road to environmentally conscious car care:
- Keep your engine tuned up. A misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel
efficiency as much as 30%. Follow the service schedules listed in your
owner's manual.
- Replace filters and fluids as recommended.
- Check your tires for proper inflation. Underinflation wastes fuel
your engine has to work harder to push the vehicle. Wheels that are
out-of-line (as evidenced by uneven tread wear or vehicle pulling) make
the engine work harder, too. Properly maintained tires will last longer,
meaning fewer scrap tires have to be disposed.
- Keep your air conditioning
system in top condition and have it serviced only by a technician
certified competent to handle / recycle refrigerants.
- Do-it-yourselfers: dispose of used motor oil, anti-freeze/coolant,
tires, and old batteries properly. Many repair facilities accept these
items. Or call your local council for recycling sites. Never dump used
oil or anti-freeze on the ground or in open streams.
- Observe speed limits. Mpg decreases sharply above 58 mph.
- Drive gently. Avoid sudden accelerations and jerky stop-and-go's.
Use cruise-control on open highways to keep your speed as steady as
possible.
- Avoid excessive idling. Shut off the engine while waiting for friends
and family. Today's vehicles are designed to "warm up" fast,
so forget about those five-minute warm ups on cold winter mornings.
- Remove excess items from the vehicle. Less weight means better mpg.
Store luggage/ cargo in the trunk rather than on the roof to reduce
air drag.
- Plan trips. Consolidate your daily errands to eliminate unnecessary
driving. Try to travel when traffic is light to avoid stop-and-go conditions.
Join a car pool.
Remember, how your car runs, how you drive it, and how its fluids, old
parts, and tires are disposed of all have serious consequences on our
environment.
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