Saving Gas Quiz
Just a quick revision that I wanted to bring to your attention. The link that I originally had for the Saving Gas Quiz in my Giving Up Carbon for Lent post was incorrect. Here is the correct link.
Take the time to take the quiz. I know I learned something new when I did!
Filed under Carbon Fast, Travel | Comment (0)Getting a Tune-Up - 10 Easy Tips to Green Your Ride
A friend of mine sent me this joke yesterday. I found it very appropo since Steve and I took our car into the shop for an oil change yesterday and I had my annual tune-up at the doctor as well.
The Gynecologist Who Became a Mechanic
A gynecologist had become fed up with malpractice insurance and HMO paperwork, and was burned out. Hoping to try another career where skillful hands would be beneficial; he decided to become a mechanic! He went to the local technical college, signed up for evening classes, attended diligently, and learned all he could. When the time of the practical exam approached, the gynecologist prepared carefully for weeks, and completed the exam with tremendous skill. When the results came back, he was surprised to find that he had obtained a score of 150%.
Fearing an error, he called the Instructor, saying, “I don’t want to appear ungrateful for such an outstanding result, but I wonder if there is an error in the grade”.
The instructor said, “During the exam, you took the engine apart perfectly, which was worth 50% of the total mark. You put the engine back together again perfectly, which is also worth 50% of the mark.”
After a pause, the instructor added, “I gave you the extra 50% because you did it all through the muffler, which I’ve never seen done before in my entire career.”
Ba-dum-bump. Chi.
On that light note, I thought this would be a fun way to intruduce a few quick and easy tips to make sure your ride is as green as it could be. Of course, getting off your duff and walking, using public mass transit or using a car-sharing system such as Zip Car if you are in a city is best. But even if you are driving three kids around the countryside in a minivan like I am, there are some tricks to make your drive as efficient and green as possible.
MAINTENANCE
- Keep your vehicles properly tuned – a tune up will improve your gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.
- Make sure your air filter is clean – replacing a clogged air filter will improve your mileage up to 10 percent.
- Keep your tires properly inflated – maintaining the recommended tire pressure will improve your gas mileage by about 3%
- Use the recommended grade of motor oil – this could improve your gas mileage by up to 2% if you are using an improper grade
HOW YOU DRIVE
- Don’t drive aggressively – use smooth and even acceleration and braking
- Keep your speed down – gas mileage decreases rapidly over 60 mph / 100 kmh
- Avoid excessive idling and warming-up – letting the car idle more than 10 seconds using more fuel than re-starting, so turn it off
- Use higher gears or overdrive – this reduces your engines speed, reduces engine wear, and burns less fuel
- Within town, open the windows or vents instead of using the air conditioning – AC can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%. On the open highway, shut the windows and use light AC to reduce drag and increase your gas mileage.
- Empty roof racks can increase your fuel consumption by up to 10% - take them off if you’re not using them.
