Most things you own will last longer if you take care of them and treat them well. Your car is no exception to this rule. While neglecting your car may seem harmless in the short term, regular neglect and mistreatment will add up and will reduce your car's lifespan.
To keep your car running longer and stronger, avoid these five harmful habits.
1. Delaying regular maintenance
Regularly maintaining your car is vital to your car's longevity. Regular maintenance includes oil and filter replacement, as well as transmission fluid, air filter and brake pad care. Every vehicle manufacturer specifies a different maintenance routine, which can be found in your owner's manual. While regular maintenance requires you to invest some time and money, it's peanuts compared to the cost of a new engine or transmission.
2. Ignoring dash warning lights
When a warning indicator lights up on your dash panel, it's important to address the problem immediately. If you don't know what the light means, check your owner's manual or call your mechanic. Dash warning lights can alert you to some very serious problems, such as a coolant leak, which can cause your engine to overheat. A simple preventative repair can often prevent a large problem down the line.
3. Shifting while moving
The transmission is one of the most complex and expensive parts in your car and it's important to use is as it was intended. Be careful not to shift from drive to reverse or vice versa while the car is still moving. This "jerky" shifting places excess strain on the transmission's internal gears and can instantly destroy it.
4. Jerky driving
We all know someone who accelerates wildly on every straightaway only to brake hard at a traffic light or stop sign. This type of driving won't destroy your car immediately, but will cause your engine, transmission and brake system to deteriorate much more quickly than intended. Cars that have been abused will have premature fluid leaks, broken seals and mechanical problems.
5. Putting off tire replacement
Tires for some cars can be expensive, so replacing them is an unwelcome cost. Driving on bald tires is very risky, however. If a tire blows out while you're driving, you can lose control of your vehicle and have a serious accident. And if you drive with bald tires in the rain, the risk of hydroplaning goes up tremendously. A new set of tires may seem pricey, but probably costs less than your car, and even less than your insurance deductible.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
There are many things that you can do about this but the best place to start is with your local mechanic. This guy will give you a much better idea of your individual situation with your car and will also allow you to start figuring out the areas of your car that need to be watch out for. This is really important as many cars have different things that need to be addressed so make sure you get this done as soon as possible.
Another thing that you’ll probably want to start doing is making sure that your driving habits are proper and not too rough. This is another really vital thing for your car and excessive force on your car can actually lead to a whole host of different problems later down the line…drive safe and you won’t have to worry, it’s better for the world too!
CONCLUSION
In conclusion I’d like to state that keeping your car in tip-top shape is something that everyone should be doing. This is really important to keeping your car lasting as long as possible but I really think these habits are easily the most important things to worry about when it comes to making your car last.
If you have questions or information regarding your car please feel free to drop it as comment below and I would be more than happy to take a look at it and get back to you with an advice or solution.
Thank you.
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