Page 12 - AAA Schuylkill County – AAA Now! – Summer 2019

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
WAYS TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY WITH YOUR CAR ON
SUMMER DRIVING TRIPS
By Bruce Phillips
Approved Auto Repair Manager
We are all looking for ways to save fuel and money and drive in a greener fashion. However, because of distances we travel or things we need to transport, riding a bicycle may not be the best choice to be more earth friendly, so I have compiled some ideas that will help you save money, fuel, and be all around greener when driving your vehicle.
Make sure your car is in good mechanical condition
Make sure you follow your owner’s manual’s recommendations for maintenance on your
vehicle and have a qualified technician perform a maintenance inspection with a report about
its condition. AAA can help with this. We have over 7,400 Approved Auto Repair facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada that have passed rigid quality inspections and have ASE-certified technicians to look at your vehicle. Also ask your shop if they are properly disposing of oil, oil filters, and antifreeze in an environmentally friendly manner.
Use the correct oil and check your tires
Use the correct viscosity oil in your engine. If the oil is too thick it can cause the engine to
work harder. It it's too thin, friction will lower fuel economy and possibly damage the engine. Check your tire pressure on a regular basis. You can find the correct pressure specification in your owner’s manual or on your inside door sticker. Check the tires when they are cold, before driving, and adjust them as needed.
Plan your trips and lose weight
Plan your driving trips to combine as many errands as possible, over the most efficient routes. Keep extra weight out of your vehicle; only carry with you what is necessary. If you going to a recycling facility, try to get rid of those items before continuing your errands in order to keep weight down to a minimum.
Cut down on the air conditioning
Around town, try driving with the windows open and the air off, but out on the expressway turn the air on and shut the windows, because the open windows will create a lot of drag on your car at highway speeds and cut fuel economy.
Easy does it when driving
Drive smoothly and accelerate gently, with no jack rabbit starts, and read the road ahead to avoid unnecessary braking. Slow down before needing to brake and keep your car rolling as long as possible. Avoid slamming on the brakes, as this is hard on the brakes and wears the tires unnecessarily.
Use cruise control and obey speed limits
If you have trouble maintaining a steady speed on highways, set your cruise control and it will help you avoid speed changes. Also obey the speed limits to keep your wallet from getting lighter. Driving at 70 mph can use up to 9% more fuel than at 60 mph. Also, if you drive a lot on limited access roads where EZ-Pass can be used, get one; it will help save time and fuel when waiting to pay tolls.
Carpool and avoid rush hour
If possible, try to car pool with friends or co-workers; it will keep additional vehicles off the
road and you can share costs, cutting your overall cost. Avoiding rush hour, if possible, is another way to avoid sitting in traffic and wasting gas and time. If you can’t avoid it, try to look for more efficient routes to use in order to avoid idling and wasting fuel. Idling an engine can waste a large amount of fuel. If you aren’t moving for a while, turn your engine off, unless you need it running to maintain control of your vehicle.
APPROVED
AUTO REPAIR
DIRECTORY
AAA’s Approved Auto Repair program means quality repair services and important consumer protection for AAA members.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
ORWIGSBURG
Orwigsburg Service Center
(570) 366-4600
712 W Market St. Services: 1-10, E, S, O, DR
PINE GROVE
Hatter’s Body Shop
(570) 345-4662
181 Molleystown Rd. Services: 11-13, S, O, DR
POTTSVILLE
Wehr’s Auto Service, Inc.
(570) 622-5718
536 S Centre St. Services: 1-9, S, O, DR
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN
Kwik Klean & Lube
(570) 739-2420 756 Rte. 183 Services: 1-10, O, DR
Moyer’s Car Care Center, Inc
(570) 739-4477
102 South Rte. 183 Services: 1-9, S, O, DR
Tamaqua
Right Turn Automotive Inc. (570) 668-0900
218 Lincoln Drive Services: 1-9, S, O, DR
VALLEY VIEW
Klinger & Stehr, Inc
(570) 682-3104
103 Broad St.
Services: 1-6, 8, 9, E, S, O, DR
Scope of Services:
1 Engine Performance
2 Minor Engine Repair
3 Brake Service
4 Electrical Systems
5 Tire, Steering, Suspension
6 Heating, Air Conditioning
7 Major Engine Repair
8 Automatic Transmission
9 Manual Transmission
10 Diesel Engine
11 Auto Body Repair
12 Auto Body Painting
13 Auto Detailing
14 Hybrid Service
E Emissions Testing
S Safety Inspections
O Oil recycling Drop-off
DR Discounts & Rewards
For more information on Approved Auto Repair in Schuylkill County call 1-888-627-9227 or
log on to AAA.com.
RED indicates Approved Auto Body facility
AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities are not the only repair facilities capable of providing quality repairs.
If you follow these tips, you will save fuel, money, and help maintain a greener environment.
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SUMMER 2019