Many motorists have adopted seemingly innocent and unintentional bad driving habits that can ultimately damage their car – and their wallet.
These are 8 things you may be doing that’s damaging your car:
1. Riding your brakes on a downhill
While riding your brakes down a steep incline may make you feel safer, you may end up with no brakes at all – brake failure – due to continuously grinding your brake pads.
To avoid this scenario, rather gear down to control your speed.
READ: 4 POSSIBLE REASONS WHY YOUR CAR SMELLS LIKE BURNING RUBBER
- WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRAKE SHOES AND BRAKE PADS?
- THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASURING BRAKE PAD THICKNESS
- CERAMIC VS METALLIC BRAKE PADS
- BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS – WHY ARE MY BRAKES MAKING A NOISE?
- AIR IN BRAKE SYSTEM – CAUSES AND REMEDIES
2. Stopping and starting suddenly
Avoid slamming your brakes unnecessarily.
Not only does doing so increase your fuel consumption but it can also cause your brake pads and rotors to deteriorate.
With this in mind, it is important to keep a safe following distance of about two to three seconds from the car in from of you, this is the advised measure when driving in normal conditions.
This following distance should be increased to about five to six seconds in bad conditions such as when driving at night, on slippery roads, or in the rain.
- ARE THE ROTORS IN YOUR VEHICLE WARPED? SIGNS AND CAUSES OF WARPED ROTORS
- LEARN ALL ABOUT BRAKE ROTORS
- DISC BRAKES: CONSTRUCTION, WORKING PRINCIPLE, TYPES, AND ROTOR MATERIALS
3. Using your handbrake as a hand rest
The weight of your hand can actually affect the sliders in your handbrake and cause unnecessary wear and tear. In other words – hands off!
READ: LEARN MORE ABOUT VEHICLE PARKING BRAKES
4. Carrying a heavy load
Lugging unnecessary baggage around in your car not only affects your fuel consumption but can put extra stress on some of your car’s components too.
5. Riding your clutch
Do you keep your car still at a traffic light using the clutch and accelerator instead of using your handbrake or brakes?
Riding your clutch causes the clutch plate to slip forward and age prematurely and is the quickest route to costly clutch failure.
- HARD VS. SOFT CLUTCHES
- CLUTCH SLIPPING CAUSES AND REPAIRS
- CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE – REPAIR & REPLACEMENT
- 3 EASY TIPS TO DIAGNOSE A SLIPPING CLUTCH
- HOW TO BLEED A CLUTCH
- CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH – WORKING PRINCIPLE, MAIN PARTS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
- SINGLE PLATE CLUTCH
- HOW A CAR CLUTCH WORKS
6. Not warming up
On cold days, most motorists don’t let their car’s engine idle for a few minutes before jetting off.
This isn’t a good idea as it forces the engine to work too hard before the oil has had a chance to fully circulate.
Instead, turn your engine on, wait 60 seconds, and then drive the car until it warms up without working it too hard.
7. Speeding
Not only is speeding illegal and one of the most cited reasons for car accidents, but it has terrible consequences for your car’s engine too – not to mention the strain on your brakes when needed to stop suddenly!
8. Delaying regular car maintenance
It’s crucially important to service your car in line with your car manufacturer’s guidelines.
Not only does regular servicing keep your car running optimally, but it protects some of its major (expensive to replace) components from becoming damaged or failing completely.
What’s more, regular maintenance keeps you safe on the road as it ensures that your car’s critical safety components are in working order.
Remember to also always check that your tires are in perfect condition.
READ: BASIC CAR MAINTENANCE TASKS YOU CAN DIY AND SAVE SOME CASH
- HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR: VEHICLE BATTERY
- HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR CAR: FUEL INJECTORS
- DRIVING TIPS: REDUCING STEERING MAINTENANCE
- 7 ESSENTIAL WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR CAR PAINT
- 6 END-OF-SUMMER CAR CARE TIPS
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