6 Driving Habits That Can Damage Your Car
July 14th, 2020 by Fix Auto USA
Did you know that bad driving habits like shifting from drive to reverse while moving and going over speed bumps too fast cause unnecessary wear and tear and significantly reduce your car’s lifespan?
Take a look at our list of bad driving habits, and see if you recognize any of them. If you want to keep your car running in tip-top shape, it just takes a few small changes. Go ahead. See if you can break the habit!
1. Shifting from drive to reverse while moving
We’re not sure why this is even a thing with some people. Who knows, maybe they’re just in a hurry. So let us be clear: Shifting from reverse to drive while moving can cause serious problems with your transmission and clutch. In other words, shifting from reverse to drive while moving can quickly become a very expensive habit.
2. Slamming on brakes
Slamming on brakes damage includes tears and cracks in the hoses, which can lead to fluid leaks that can erode your brake pads. When your brakes lose fluid like that, it can impair your brakes’ ability to function and impair your safety while on the road. Break this habit, and you can avoid costly slamming on brakes damage!
There is a difference between slamming on the brakes during an emergency stop and consistent, repeated late braking. If you can break this habit, your brakes will thank you, especially the discs and pads, because they would have otherwise worn out much faster.
When driving down a hill, try not to be too heavy on the brakes. Many motorists will gradually reduce their speed by resting their foot on the brake pedal all the way down the hill. This places a significant strain on your brakes and, if done routinely, could cause them to wear out faster.
3. Going over speed bumps too fast
If you drive too fast over a speed bump repeatedly over time, your shocks could start to break down. Going over speed bumps too fast could eventually cause the hydraulic fluid to leak and possibly cause wheel misalignment. Going over speed bumps too fast could cause damage to the front and rear of the car, as well as the underside.
4. Riding the clutch
To “ride the clutch” means you don’t move your foot away from the clutch pedal while driving. Instead, you keep it rested there.
This habit, which is most common in bumper-to-bumper traffic, can cause unnecessary friction and accelerate the wear and tear of your clutch.
Of course, when you are shifting gears or coming to a stop, you need to put your foot on the clutch pedal. But except for those two situations, keep your foot off the pedal.
5. Accelerating in a high gear
When you floor the accelerator while you’re in high gear, it puts a strain on the engine, causing it to work harder. If you do this repeatedly, it could result in costly damage to your engine and gearbox.
6. Overloading your car
All cars have a recommended weight capacity – find it in your owner’s manual.
Exceeding the weight capacity places unnecessary strain on your engine, and could cause serve damage to your suspension, brakes, and gearbox.
Unfortunately, this driving habit is common, especially on road trips and while transporting heavy equipment for work purposes.
If you need any more incentive to quit this bad driving habit, consider this: overloading your car reduces your gas mileage and increases exhaust emissions. In other words, it isn’t good for your bank account nor the environment.
To recap: In this blog, we learned that slamming on brakes damage can be very serious, and that other bad driving habits like shifting from drive to reverse while moving in addition to going over speed bumps too fast can cause costly damage to your car.
A final word: If you do get in a car accident, Fix Auto will always be there for you. Find the nearest Fix Auto location so our highly skilled technicians can fix the damages!
This blog post was contributed by Fix Auto Downtown San Diego, a leading industry expert and collision repair shop servicing customers in Downtown San Diego and San Diego County neighborhood.
