Do you know that there are certain bad habits that you should be avoiding to prevent doing damage to your car? Some of these bad habits can be very costly! Before your car is driven towards its early grave, let’s go through some of these deadly habits!
- Driving on empty tank
When you drive on an empty or near-empty tank, sediment from the petrol that settles at the bottom of your tank can affect your engine in a bad way. When the dirtiest part of the petrol is used to run your engine, you are at risk of letting the dirt reach your fuel line and eventually your engine. This can lead to very serious damage and high repair costs. That is not all! You also risk speeding up the need for a fuel pump replacement, double damage!
- Accelerating and braking quickly
Every car enthusiast feels the temptation for a ramp hard on the accelerator every now and then. The problem with speeding is that you will need to mash on the brakes quite often to slow down to avoid obstacles on the road, especially busier roads. Quick boost and brakes not only petrol-consuming, it will also put unnecessary strain on your car and its parts! Full-force stops can lead to rapid wear to the brake pads and rotors. It is highly recommended that you resist the urge to drive like this on the road, for your own sake and for the safety of other road users as well!
- Shifting to reverse gear before stopping
Shifting between reverse and drive swiftly in a car fitted with an automatic gearbox is really bad for the transmission. Shifting gear before coming to a stop will cause wear and tear on the transmission band. It will cost you quite a bit to repair the automatic transmission as it is labour-intensive repair work! For manual cars, it is advisable to wait for your car to come to a complete stop before switching in to reverse gear to prevent damage to the gears.
- Ramping through potholes and road bumps
Do you know that about one third of all vehicle damage is caused as a result of ramping through potholes and road bumps without slowing down? The impact from all those ramping can cause buckled wheels, lumps in the tyre and cracked alloys, as well as upsetting the tracking and wheel balancing. On the other hand, driving quickly over a speed bump without slowing down can cause damage to the front and rear of the car, the underside, and potentially the exhaust system. It is best to slow down before driving over any road bumps and avoid any visible potholes on the road to keep your car safe!
- Ignoring the warning lights
The purpose of the warning lights on your car dashboard is to signal you when something is wrong with your car. If you feel any strange vibrations, or heard any intermittent squeaks, occasional knocks, or see any other unusual symptoms, you should send your car for it to be inspected immediately! If you do not know what all the warning lights mean, start checking your owner’s manual to find out what every warning light on your dashboard means and familiarise yourself with the most serious, so you know when the red flag has to be dealt with at the soonest possible!
How many of these bad habits do you have as a driver? For the sake of your wallet and your own safety, start cultivating safe and correct driving habits today!