Without a doubt, everyone has their own special brand when it comes to driving. From the pedantic to the problematic, we’ve seen it all here at My Auto Shop.
Whether you’re riding the clutch, resting your hand on the gearstick or overloading your vehicle, there’s a limit to how much we can put our cars through. The worst part is, premature wear ends up costing more money than you necessarily need to spend on repairs and upkeep.
So, to avoid any unanticipated trips to the mechanic or workshop, here are our top tips to avoiding potential damage to your car from bad driving habits!
Don’t go braking (my heart)
There’s no doubt about it, having a brake pedal can be super useful beyond coming to a dead halt. But what we don’t think about is the pressure and wear n’ tear that our brake pads can undergo when we leave our foot on the pedal. This is especially pronounced when you’re cruising downhill, but a better option is to shift to a lower gear and brake lightly.
Screeching to a halt definitely isn’t classy driving, and excessive braking can affect your brake pads to the point where, when you actually need them, they may not be there to save the day.
Forget pedal to the metal
Yeah, we’re talking to you, speed racer. Moving from brakes to accelerator, you’re putting a lof unnecessary strain on your engine when you rev your engine with the brakes on. The best thing to do is to just shift naturally through the gears, so your car engine has time to warm up. It may not sound quite as impressive, but you’re actually extending your car’s life – well worth it!
Weight a minute, how heavy is that?
If you’re lugging some serious weight behind you, maybe due to towing, we highly recommend checking your vehicle manual for weight specifications. Also, it is obvious, but bear in mind that the weight you put on your car, the harder the brakes, suspension and engine are going to be working. So while it’s entirely possible, and completely reasonable, just be sure to be realistic in terms of what you choose to load your car up with!
Take it easy on the gear shifts
Growing up, I always thought it looked quite impressive to see someone moving through their gears at pace. In the case of manual vehicles, if you’re someone who likes to crunch through those gears, just be aware that you’re going to be facing some quite crunchy bills to get it all that premature wear seen to. Yes, My Auto Shop can help make it easy, but even we agree it’s not ideal to face car repairs if you can avoid it!
In the case of automatic transmission vehicles, a bad habit that you can remove from your vocabulary is when you shift into reverse out of drive, or vice versa, before the car has drawn to a halt. Ouch – that’s some serious strain on your car’ insides.
Riding the clutch
This is one for all the manual drivers out there. But please, bear in mind, folks, that when you’re in the middle of an “uphill start”, you’re probably riding the clutch and putting extreme strain on your engine. Keeping your left foot planted on the clutch is a bad habit and a no-no from us. Remove it, then replace it! Super easy and it’s going to save you an potential headaches down the track.
Read the warning signs, or at least take notice of them
Most cars would give Studio 54 a run for their money when it comes to fancy lighting. Look, we know those alerts can pop a bit too often for us to always take note, but in general, it’s a good idea to take heed of the flashing warning signs your car is giving you.
It means a problem has been found, and you need help. No warning should be ignored, and we guarantee that ignoring it will not only make it go away, but will no doubt lead to some serious car issues that can be avoided.
At My Auto Shop, we want to make sure you’re driving around in a car that’s safe, and not costing you unnecessary dollars in terms of upkeep, maintenance or repair bills.
If you’ve found yourself raising a hand to most of these habits, perhaps it’s time to get a car serviced, so you’re not caught short in future. Head over to the service area to get started, and we’ll do the legwork, so you can focus on… hey, foot off the clutch!