Maintain Your Car Properly

You will reduce your car’s emissions and enhance its performance if you follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance guidelines. By taking proper care of your car, you will also extend its life, increase its resale value, and optimize its "gas mileage" or fuel economy.

The owner’s manual that comes with your car contains a wealth of information. It outlines recommended maintenance intervals, product specifications, and operating procedures. The manual also explains the manufacturer’s warranty of the emission control system. Contact the manufacturer or a nearby dealer to obtain a copy of the owner’s manual if you do not have one.

Every car has some items that need to be checked on a regular basis and others that need to be replaced periodically. These include the air filter, vacuum and coolant hoses, oil, oil filter, fluids, belts, and so on. It’s also important to keep the tires inflated to the recommended pressure. This will minimize tire wear and help your car get the best possible fuel economy.

Be sure to have your car serviced by a skilled technician who understands modern emission control systems. If a modern car has high emissions, it is usually due to a defined malfunction that needs to be fixed. The type of simple adjustments that once occurred during tune-ups will no longer correct the problem.

Finally, be aware that pollution will increase dramatically if you tamper with your car’s emission control system or use leaded gasoline in a vehicle designed for unleaded gasoline. These activities are illegal — for individual vehicle owners as well as for fleet operators and auto technicians.

Today’s vehicles are designed with emission controls as integral components of the powertrain. Any tampering with this system will not only drastically increase emissions but is likely to have a negative effect on vehicle performance and durability.

Use of leaded gasoline in a vehicle designed for unleaded gasoline can irrevocably damage the emission control system. Fortunately, such fuel-switching practices are becoming increasingly rare as leaded gasoline becomes harder to find.

It is now illegal to manufacture or sell new vehicles requiring leaded gasoline. Sale of motor vehicle gasoline containing lead or lead additives will be prohibited in the United States beginning January 1, 1996.

Many drivers ask about use of "premium" or "super" grade gasolines. These fuels contain additives to increase octane. Octane is a measure of how much a fuel can be compressed in an engine before it spontaneously combusts. It is not a measure of fuel power or quality.

Only a small percentage of vehicles require high-octane gasoline for optimum performance (these are generally turbocharged or high-performance vehicles). Check your owner’s manual to see what type of fuel is recommended for your car. Unless your car needs high-octane gasoline, use of "premium" will not improve performance or emissions — it will just cost you more.