Most of us aren’t familiar with the inner workings of our car. We know that it gets us to work and back again with little fuss – and that’s about it. Do we really need to know more?
Well, to be blunt… yes! The things that you don’t know could in fact be the things that are damaging your vehicle. Inadvertently or not, we all pick up certain bad habits on the roads which can quickly undermine vehicle performance. Catching these habits early can save you money, so it’s important to be aware of them.
So, here are 4 ways you’re ruining your car without realizing!
- Not warming the car through before setting off
When your engine is cool or cold, the oil circulating around the engine becomes more viscous. This means that the parts in your engine aren’t being lubricated properly, or as quickly as they need.
Sure, on a boiling summer’s day, you’ll probably be ok to rock up and drive away. But if temperatures are a little on the frosty side, make sure you let the car warm through first.
- Switching to first gear while rolling backward
Most of us will reverse, and switch into first gear without stopping the car beforehand. It saves a couple of precious seconds, but those precious seconds could, in fact, be damaging your ride.
Even when you’re reversing slowly, your car is still exerting a ton of pressure, which is passed onto your transmission. Your transmission is responsible for initiating the gear change, and if you change while moving, that force can damage the it. Fortunately, transmission repair exists to get you out of this pickle should you ever land yourself in it.
- Using boiling water to clear an icy windscreen
We all do it, let’s be honest. It’s fast, easy and takes very little time. Who wants to be chipping away at the windscreen with an ice scraper all morning? Answer: nobody does.
But pouring boiling water onto a cold windscreen can quickly prove fatal. Ever quickly warmed up some cold glass? Do you know what happens? It shatters, that’s what. By doing this, you could end up driving to work with zero glass protecting your face and a hefty repair bill.
- You’re dry steering
Most of us don’t even think twice about this when we’re driving every day. In fact, it’s very rare that it actually happens. But dry steering – steering the car when it isn’t moving – can have severe negative ramifications.
The major one is that your car’s wheel alignment can quickly be sent out of whack. This is a nightmare to get repaired, and can prove costly. Additionally, dry steering can damage the car’s tread depth, which can drastically decrease handling. Don’t dry steer!
And that’s your list! Do you possess any of these bad habits? We all do them once in awhile -so you aren’t alone. The key here is to learn from these mistakes, and try and correct them in future. This way, our cars will stay healthier for longer!