Vehicle Maintenance

Improper Vehicle Maintenance Hurts the Fishies 

• Vehicle maintenance and repair work can generate hazardous waste and can end up in our bodies of water, if not properly handled. 
• Maintenance chemicals like soap from washing cars in driveways, and oil leaked onto parking spots, can get washed into storm drains and go straight to the bay. 
• These chemicals hurt sea turtles, fishies, and coastal plants with the pollution they release into the water. 
• Unmaintained vehicles that leak chemicals also detract from the beauty of the bay and surrounding lands - including parking lots and streets. 

Take Care of those Oil Leaks 

• Leaking fluids, such as motor oil, antifreeze engine coolant, transmission fluid, battery and brake fluid, and refrigerants can all leak from your vehicle and are incredibly harmful to the environment. 
• Make sure to get your vehicle serviced regularly, to avoid harmful chemical leaks. One quart of motor oil can pollute up to 250,000 gallons of clean water! 
• Use squeegees, dust pans, and oil mops to clean up spills and leaks. If you don’t have any oil absorbents handy, you can use kitty litter! 
• Remember that any used absorbent materials must be properly disposed as household hazardous waste. 

Keep Our Bay Clean When Cleaning Your Car 

• Soap water from washing cars is also harmful to the environment and can easily find its way into the storm drain, and ultimately into our bay. 
• Wash your car in a place where the wash water can evaporate or run into landscaping. Surfaces like grass or gravel will allow the ground to absorb the wash water, filtering soap and other residues.  
• Better yet, take your vehicle to washing bays that are specifically meant for washing, which properly and safely dispose of wash water. 

Keep the Pressure On 

• Make sure to always maintain your vehicle’s ideal tire pressure. 
• Not maintaining proper tire pressure can lead to more air pollution, which negatively affects the environment, including our beautiful bay. 
• Maintaining proper tire pressure also reduces gas emissions and vehicle wear and tear. 

Snacking on the Road 

• Having a little snack on your road trip? Make sure to keep a trash bag in your vehicle at all times, to capture all those ‘lil wrappers. 
• Loose garbage in your vehicle can easily fall out or blow away, ultimately making its way into the storm drain, and our beautiful bay. 
• Plastic debris is present in approximately 88% of San Diego Bay seashores. Do your part to keep our bay healthy and happy.