The extent of your long-term car maintenance needs will depend on the reliability and quality of your vehicle. In addition, your own driving habits factor into how much maintenance your vehicle will require as well. If you are a smooth driver who makes good driving decisions, the longevity of your vehicle will be great. But if you're a driver with bad habits, your car will require more maintenance throughout its lifespan.
Below are 5 bad driving habits that you should break:
1) Putting on your brakes too quickly
Braking needs to be a gradual process of slowing your vehicle down. Unfortunately, many drivers tend to slam on their brakes at the last second to stop. Either that or they don't judge the road conditions properly and then use the brakes too aggressively. If you keep braking late in your vehicle, its braking components will become worn out rather quickly. Then you will need to replace those components a lot sooner than normal. Not only that, braking too late will consume more fuel because you'll be riding the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal.
2) Waiting Too Long to Get Gas
Many drivers have a bad habit of waiting until their gas tank is almost empty before they get more gas. This is actually very bad for your car. When the needle on your gas gauge is below a quarter tank, this means your fuel pump is under more stress. If you want to keep your fuel pump strong, fill your tank with gas before it gets to a quarter tank. This will benefit you financially over the long term.
3) Rapidly Shifting from Reverse to Drive
It is easy to inadvertently shift quickly from reverse gear to drive gear. This happens when you back your car out quickly and then shift to drive without coming to a complete stop. When the gears change suddenly like this, the powertrain of the vehicle gets damaged. This happens in both automatic and manual vehicles. So, if you want to keep your powertrain strong and long-lasting, try to stop completely first before changing gears.
4) Stepping on the Gas Pedal Too Hard
Do you like to speed away quickly from a stop sign or light after it turns green? If so, this could be wearing out many components of your vehicle. It will not only lower your gas mileage, but it will wear down your tire treads and require you to perform more maintenance on the powertrain of your vehicle.
5) Heavy Load Driving
Do you usually haul a heavy load as you drive your vehicle? It is common to stuff your trunk with items because that's what it's designed for. Just note that you are adding extra weight to your vehicle when you do this and putting more strain on your brakes, powertrain, and suspension. So, try not to put so much heavy stuff in your trunk. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself repairing these components more often and paying extra money for gas every week.
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