Vehicle Maintenance tips to STOP leaks

Does your vehicle drip?

Fixing vehicle leaks can help prevent larger problems and more expensive repairs.

Fixing leaks also helps prevent stormwater pollution. When it rains, stormwater carries oil and other pollutants from roads and parking lots into nearby creeks, streams, and the Swannanoa River.

The pollutants harm fish and other wildlife and degrade habitat.

Little drops add up! Each year, Americans spill 180 million gallons of used oil into our waters. That is 16 times the amount of oil spilled by Exxon Valdez in Alaska.

Check out this excellent video produced by the Stormwater Partners of SW Washington to help you check for leaks and identify what may be leaking from your vehicle: How to Check for Car Leaks (#5 Dr. Drip Tips for Preventative Auto Maintenance) - YouTube

Vehicle maintenance tips:

• Stop drips. Check for leaks regularly and fix them promptly.
• Keep your vehicle tuned up.
• Use ground cloths or drip pans underneath your vehicle if you have leaks or are doing engine work.
• Clean up spills immediately using loose absorbents, kitty litter, or soil. Sweep up solid material that absorbed the spill and dispose in trash.
• Never dispose of oil or other engine fluids down a storm drain, on the ground, or into a ditch.
• Collect used oil in containers with tight-fitting lids. Do not mix different engine fluids.
• Recycle used motor oil