Damaging Driving Habits to Avoid

Not many people realize that one of the main reasons for car damage is their own driving habits. Cars damaged by driving habits could cause long-term issues that require expensive repairs. By making a few simple changes to your driving habits, you could save yourself from a huge headache in the future.

Read on for common reasons for car damage caused by bad driving habits:

• Driving with a low tank of gas: While it’s tempting to avoid stopping for gas after a long day of work, it’s best to keep your vehicle at a quarter of a tank. Letting your gas tank get too low could result in overheating and malfunctioning of certain vehicle components, including the fuel system and fuel pump. Sediment builds up in a gas tank over time and settles at the bottom. When your car takes gas from the bottom of your tank, this sediment can end up in the fuel system, thus causing damage.
• Driving over potholes: Cars damaged by driving habits often end up that way because of potholes. When you aren’t paying close enough attention to the road, you could easily drive over multiple potholes. These road damages could cause problems with your vehicle’s suspension, steering and alignment. Potholes can even cause a tire to blow out. The best way to avoid pothole damage is by avoiding them completely. If this isn’t an option, at least drive over them slowly.
• Not paying attention to dashboard lights: One of the main reasons people experience avoidable car damage is by ignoring their dashboard lights. Most vehicle dashboards feature an airbag warning light, brake light, tire pressure light, oil pressure light and check engine light. You can find what each light looks like in your vehicle’s manual. If you’re uncertain of what a certain light means, bring your vehicle to an auto repair shop right away.
• Ignoring weird sounds: You should never ignore strange sounds coming from your vehicle, which can include squeaking, squealing, whistling, rattling and sputtering. All these sounds could signal a major issue with your vehicle that requires immediate attention.
• Forgetting to use the parking brake: If you don’t normally use your parking brake, it’s easy to forget about it, but failing to use your parking brake when parked on a slope could put a major strain on your vehicle, resulting in premature wear and tear. You also don’t want to risk your vehicle rolling down a slope and into another car.

Make some changes to your driving habits

Increase your own safety while preserving the longevity of your vehicle by correcting your bad driving habits. You don’t want your car damaged by bad driving habits, as this will result in expensive repairs and leave you without the use of your vehicle. That said, even the safest drivers can experience vehicle issues from time to time, which is why it’s important to invest in regular checkups.

For all your vehicle repair and maintenance needs, contact the experts at Auto Air & Heating, Inc today.

Categorised in: General Maintenance

This post was written by Writer