Top 3 Ways You Might Be Destroying Your Car

Vehicles are not cheap. They are not cheap to buy, and they are certainly not cheap to repair. So, in order to ensure you are protecting your investment to the best of your ability, and within your budget, it is important to avoid some common habits drivers do that slowly (and sometimes instantly) destroy their car.

Continue reading to learn the top 3 mistakes people make with the operation of their vehicles so that you can avoid doing them yourself!

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❶ Parking Brakes

Do you use your parking brake when necessary? You better hope you do! This is one of the most common bad habits of vehicle owners. If you are parking on any sort of an incline, regardless of your vehicle’s make, model, location, condition, or transmission type, you must engage the parking brake. It is not an optional feature on your car.

The parking brake puts a lock on your tires, preventing them from slipping or shifting as a result of the imbalance of weight. Without the parking brake, you might find your car rolling down a hill! Furthermore, it prevents stripping the parking pawl in the transmission. Just be sure you release your parking brake before you put the car in drive.

❷ Shifting

Are you the type that idolizes those action-packed movies in which drivers fishtail, donut, and spin out on the road to evade their enemies? If so, hopefully you do not try to imitate such driving. Many drivers like to shift their transmission into drive or reverse, before they come to a complete stop. This is a major mistake that can do instantaneous damage to your transmission, engine, and various inner components.

After too many incorrect shifts, the tension bands reduce in quality and the teeth on the transmission mesh wears away, all of which results in the car no longer being able to shift. Do you know how much this repair costs? On average, a transmission repair of this nature can cost between $400 and $1800, depending on the make and model vehicle. For luxury cars, you can expect the average cost to be even higher.

❸ Maintenance

When was the last time you changed the oil in your car? Or the other six essential fluids? Lack of car maintenance, namely oil changes, is one of the most common mistakes people make that cause damage to their vehicles. Motor oil is vital to the engine because it lubricates the metal pistons and rings as they move up and down within the cylinder. Without proper lube, friction of metal on metal will cause irreparable damage to the engine.

Additional essential car fluids that should be changed or maintained on a regular basis include transmission fluid, coolant (radiator fluid), brake fluid, power steering fluid, battery fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. Check your owners’ manual for instructions on when to have these fluids checked and changed. Read our blog, “The 7 Automotive Fluids Required for All Cars” for more advice.

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