When considering your own driving skills, you’re the best one out there, right?
There are certain habits that we take on as drivers and, let’s face it, we spend a good portion of our day in the car. With traffic being as crazy as it is, however, we must admit that there are a few times when our driving may be less than perfect.
Whether it’s revving your car engine to reach a light in time, or braking sharply and repeatedly when stuck in a backlog of traffic, repair costs are not something to be taken lightly.
Here Are 10 Bad Driving Habits To Stop Immediately
- You Ignore Warning Signs
We spend so much time in our cars and become used to all our cars’ quirks that, eventually, we ignore them. Ignoring little squeaks, rattles, or any other unusual noises that your car is making is not something you should get used to. These sounds are a sign that something is wearing out or about to cease soon.
Ignoring any unusual sound by saying, "I’ll fix it when I have time", usually results in your car breaking down at the worst possible time. Remember, Murphy’s Law is real. As soon as you hear a sound, it is vital that you identify it and get it checked immediately.
- You Rest Your Hand On The Gear Stick
Unless you’re actively changing gears, there’s no reason to touch the gear stick. Resting your hand on the gear stick places weight on the transmission’s bushings, and synchronisers, and leads to internal wear.
Keeping both hands on the steering wheel and only taking one off to switch gears will side-pass any unnecessary strain on the gearbox.
- You Have a Lot Of Junk In Your Trunk
While it may be comforting to know that you have a "wardrobe" in your boot, any unnecessary weight is actually impacting fuel efficiency, the car’s handling, and applies extra stress on your suspension, brake, and drivetrain components.
Extra luggage in your car is also a safety risk, especially when parking in public areas.
- You Don’t Use The Parking Brake
When parking, many people dismiss using the parking brake. This causes the entire weight of your car to rest on the parking pawl (a small piece of metal in the transmission).
The parking pawl will eventually wear out and break due to the excessive weight, rendering the "P" gear on your gearbox ineffective. This can cause major problems when parking on a gradient or even car-jacking.
- You Drive With Minimal Petrol
Petrol is expensive, this is well-known. But, by simply adding small amounts of fuel each time, you could be in for a hefty repair bill down the line.
Why? Modern fuel pumps are cooled down when submerged in fuel. So, if there is only a minimal amount of fuel, your fuel pump will heat up and wear out much quicker.
Filling your car up entirely gives you more kilometres per litre. But, if this is not in your budget, we suggest keeping your tank at least a quarter full to avoid any unnecessary damage.
- You Brake Hard And Accelerate Fast
This tip should be a no-brainer because, while reenacting a scene of Grand Turismo may be fun, a standard car is simply not equipped to do this (without a little help).
Sudden stops are sometimes necessary but, in actual fact, this causes the brake pads and rotors to wear out in a shorter space of time.
- You Think Revving The Engine Helps In Winter
Contrary to popular belief, revving your engine does not warm it up. Switching on the ignition and letting the engine idle for a minute or two does.
Revving your engine when it’s cold causes abrupt temperature changes that can damage components. It also causes undue wear-and-tear on parts of the engine that haven’t been lubricated through oil circulation.
- You Ride On Your Clutch
When waiting at a robot, you may use the clutch to keep your car at a standstill. With a significant amount of time spent waiting, the clutch damages the pressure plate, release bearing, and release arm.
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When the surfaces graze against each other they are worn down and could result in sudden failure. It’s better to wait at a robot (or any other time) with the clutch out and gear in neutral, only pressing the clutch, and engaging gear when the light turns green.
- You Switch From Reverse To Drive Without Stopping First
We have all been a victim of this when in a hurry or navigating a tight parking space. This movement, however, places strain on the drivetrain by suddenly forcing the car to move in the opposite direction.
Make sure your car is stopped completely before switching from reverse to drive or first gear.
- You Sit On The Brakes When Going Downhill
When navigating a steep hill, you may feel the need to rest your foot on the brake pedal in anticipation of a sharp stop. This strains and heats up the brake system which wears out your brake pads and rotors.
How do you avoid this? Rather shift to a lower gear which will slow down the car through natural drivetrain decompression.
-˜Engine braking’ can be just as effective as regular braking and will spare the brake system.
This above content was supplied by CompareGuru.
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