NADA Announces ‘Green Checkup’ Month in September

    New campaign shows drivers how to save gas and cut greenhouse gas

emissions



    DENVER, Aug. 18 /EMWNews/ -- Record gas prices have just

about everyone searching for ways to save on gas and improve fuel economy.



    To help motorists save money at the gas pump, and at the same time, cut

greenhouse gas emissions through proper vehicle maintenance, the National

Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has created a check list of Green

Maintenance Tips and a new program called the Green Checkup.



    The chairman of NADA, Annette Sykora, announced the Green Checkup

campaign at a news conference in Denver.







    Governors Bill Ritter, D-Colo., and Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif.,

also spoke at the news conference, along with the president of the Alliance

of Automobile Manufacturers, Dave McCurdy, who introduced his association's

EcoDriving initiative, and Dan Grossman with the Environmental Defense

Fund.



    In her remarks at the conference, Sykora emphasized that the goal of

the Green Checkup campaign is to highlight simple steps that car owners can

take to maintain their vehicles in top running condition.



    "Dealerships are located in every major community in the country which

means we are ideally positioned to be at the forefront of a national

consumer awareness campaign," said Sykora, owner of two dealerships in

Texas.



    NADA is urging its dealer members to offer free Green Checkups at their

dealerships. The "Green Checkup" focuses on the things that have the most

effect on fuel economy, such as oil and air filters, engine performance,

tire pressure and emission controls.



    As part of the EcoDriving initiative, McCurdy outlined a national

campaign to highlight smart driving habits that can save drivers gas and

money, and announced a new Web site that provides valuable EcoDriving

information to motorists at http://www.ecodrivingusa.com.



    Although NADA is promoting Green Checkup Month in September, the

program is designed for dealers to offer checkups as part of their routine

service year-round.



    This is one example of how dealers are becoming more energy conscious.

A trend toward green dealerships is another.



    "Dealers around the country have invested close to a billion dollars on

facility upgrades and new construction over the past few years to reduce

energy consumption at their dealerships," Sykora said.



    This includes cutting-edge heating and cooling methods, more efficient

lighting, as well as wind and solar power. Today, several dealerships are

LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design program.



    "With the growing number of green dealerships and the Green Checkup

campaign, we are sending a clear signal that when it comes to climate

change, America's new car dealers are part of the solution," Sykora said.



    Contact your local dealership to find out if a "Green Checkup" is being

offered in your community and schedule an appointment. The "Green Checkup"

only takes about an hour. For more information about NADA's Green

Maintenance Tips, visit http://www.greendrivingUSA.com.



    NADA, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, Va., represents about 20,000

new-car and -truck dealers with 43,000 franchises, both domestic and

import.



    Consumers can save money and energy -- and wear and tear on their

vehicles -- with proper care and maintenance. Here are 10 items that affect

fuel economy.



    NADA's 10-Point Green Checkup



    -- Motor oil. Top off and change oil as necessary with

manufacturer-recommended grade, "energy conserving" motor oils. Doing so

can improve fuel economy by up to 2 percent, according to the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Replacing conventional oils with

synthetics may offer even greater fuel economy benefits.



    -- Air filters. Make sure you change your air filter at the end of its

recommended lifespan. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve a

vehicle's gas mileage by up to 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department

of Energy.



    -- Engine performance. Enhance fuel economy performance by having

engines tuned and spark plugs replaced according to the manufacturer's

recommended schedule. A single misfiring spark plug can cut fuel economy by

up to 4 percent, according to the EPA.



    -- Brakes. Improperly maintained brakes can result in unwanted drag.

This unnecessary resistance can have the same effect as driving with a foot

on the brake pedal: a dramatic drop in fuel economy.



    -- Warning lights for "Service Engine Soon" or "Check Engine." Ignoring

these indicators may result in poor fuel economy performance and require

expensive repairs. For example, a warning light may indicate a faulty

oxygen sensor is sending more fuel to the engine than necessary, which can

result in a 40 percent fuel economy decline. A warning light could also

indicate a faulty thermostat, which can prevent a cold engine from reaching

its normal operating temperature resulting in the unnecessary injection of

fuel.



    -- Tire wear. Replacing worn tires with a manufacturer-recommended size

and style can save hundreds of dollars a year. To improve fuel economy

performance, consider low rolling-resistance replacement tires.



    -- Tire inflation pressure. Keeping tires inflated to at least the

manufacturer-recommended pressure can improve fuel economy by up to 3

percent, according to the EPA. Under-inflated tires require more energy to

roll, meaning more fill-ups.



    -- Unnecessary items that add weight to the vehicle. Unnecessary weight

lowers fuel economy; remove heavy items from your trunk and back seat.



    -- Evaporative emission controls. Poorly operating evaporative emission

controls can fail to capture gasoline vapors and recycle them to the fuel

tank. Faulty controls waste gas and degrade air quality.



    -- Transmission. Properly operating modern transmissions and drive

components are critical to vehicle fuel economy performance. Routinely

check proper fluid levels and system operation.