April is National Car Care Month

Georgia’s Clean Air Force (GCAF), in conjunction with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), celebrates April as National Car Care Month. GCAF, which administers the state’s vehicle emission testing program, reminds motorists that keeping a vehicle in top operating condition will save fuel, reduce long-term maintenance costs and minimize harmful exhaust emissions.

To help combat air pollution, GCAF tests an average of 2.5 million vehicles each year in metro Atlanta, and expects to prevent 4,700 tons of pollutants from entering our air in 2009. GCAF encourages metro Atlanta motorists to play their part in cleaning our air by following these vehicle maintenance tips, which also can help ensure a passing annual emission test:

1.  Read the owner's manual carefully to become familiar with your vehicle's maintenance schedule and requirements. Maintenance varies widely from one vehicle to another and the manufacturer knows best.
2.  In most cases, it is best to leave the servicing of your vehicle in the hands of trained automotive professionals. They have the knowledge and tools to diagnose and correct problems and to put you on the road to safe, fuel-efficient driving. For a list of qualified emission repair shops in your area based on the percentage of successful repairs, view the GCAF RepairWatch Public Report located at all emission inspection stations or at www.cleanairforce.com.
3.  When purchasing motor oil, look for a brand that is rated as being “Energy Conserving.” Using the lowest multi-grade of oil recommended in your owner's manual can improve the fuel efficiency of the engine, particularly when starting it cold.
4.  Virtually all of your vehicle's mechanical systems can affect fuel efficiency in one way or another if not properly maintained. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for engine, cooling and ignition system, brake, drive train and emission control system checks.
5.  Operating a vehicle with just one tire under-inflated by six pounds per square inch (psi) can reduce the life of the tire by more than six thousand miles and increase the vehicle's fuel consumption by three percent.

For additional maintenance tips, please review GCAF’s “Spare the Air and Your Wallet” resource, which is available at www.cleanairforce.com.