There are many simple steps that you can take to lessen your car's impact on the environment. Even if you don't own an electric or hybrid car, by properly maintaining your car and inspecting the necessary systems regularly, you can have a greener vehicle, while also improving your car's longevity and fuel economy, and even saving you money! 

1. Emissions - The emissions system in your car controls your vehicle's emissions, exhaust, and pollutants and reduces gases such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx), unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO). The system improves your vehicle's efficiency, and maintaining it correctly not only saves you money on repairs, it helps keep the air clean.

2. Air Filters - Air Filters should be regularly inpected and changed to ensure proper working condition and keep your car as green as possible. A dirty air filter causes you to use more gas, as it is clogged with dirt, dust, and even bugs, and  needs more power from the engine to function. By keeping your filters clean and clear, you will use less gas, helping the environment and your wallet.

3. Spark Plugs - Spark plugs also require regular inspection and should be changed as often as necessary. Dirty spark plugs can cause your car to misfire, which wastes gas. Also, spark plugs fire hundreds of times in a single trip, which creates a lot of heat and chemical erosion. Therefore, they can get dirty and become worn out quickly, and require changing fairly often in order to ensure optimum performance.

4. Air Conditioning - Your air conditioning should be inspected by a technician at least once a year. Leaks and damage in your AC system may go unnoticed in the cooler months, unbeknownst to you, but will only get worse over time, resulting in damage to the environment and a hefty repair bill for you. 

5. Tire Pressure - Make sure to maintain the proper tire pressure for your vehicle, as failure to do so will result in having to use more gas. Improperly inflated tires cause your engine to work harder, increasing your risk of engine damage.