Keep your car engine running in good condition with these valuable maintenance tips. Follow these tips properly and save a lot of money.
Getting your engine replaced is more expensive than it sounds. However, there are some bad driving habits you can avoid to give your engine a longer life. Your efficient driving habits will contribute to the smooth functioning of your engine so that you do not have to replace them before time.
Here is what you must not do if you want your engine to run longer:
Frequent Harsh And Sudden Braking
We all have given extremely rough and sudden jolts to a car when for no good reason a car stops moving right in front of us. If this case is repeated more frequently, you are causing major harm to your car.
Of course, this sudden braking is going to result in eventual wear out of your brakes. But if you continue to do this more often, it will affect your engine as well. When you slam the brakes, it causes the engine parts to transition into positions which are unnatural whereas normal braking allows the moving parts to take the right position in order to stop the car.
Shifting The Gears Before The Engine Is Ready
If you are shifting too early, the damage you are doing to the engine will cost you a lot more than you can imagine. The early shifting usually happens when you are moving between drive and reverse. If you do not completely stop your car before shifting, there is one habit you immediately need to change.
If you do this more frequently, it can cause you to damage the drivetrain which is a part that controls the steering and wheels. The parts which are most affected due to this driving habit are not readily accessible and hence even more expensive to replace.
Running Your Car On Low Fluids
If you know your car well, we don’t have to tell you the number of fluids it functions on. Make sure that the fuel, coolant, oil, wiper fluid, transmission fluid, power steering fluid and brake fluids are not too low. Most importantly, the engine should not only have enough oil but also one with good quality. Bad engine oil will hamper good functioning of the engine and so will the lack of other fluids.
Frequent Slamming On The Accelerator
If you are pushing the accelerator way too harsh and quick, you are in for significant damage. Accelerating too quickly will cause your car to roughly rush through the gears. Give your engine a good time to transition to avoid sudden jerking in your car.
Do Not Cramp Your Car With The Unbearable Weight
If you feel your car is spacious enough to fit half of your house in it, you do not necessarily have too. Excess weight on the car is also extremely damaging. It will not only harm the suspension system and wheels. Too much weight will be strenuous on the engine of your car. The engine will be too worked out if your car is profusely heavy to drive. Make sure you know that your car has a weight limit and you must abide by it at all costs.
Driving On A Bleak Tire
Do not ignore the air pressure in your tires. Your tires could leak or lose air pressure for various reasons. If you are not keeping a check on them, driving on tires with low air pressure can cause damage to your car. While its major effect will be seen on the tires and wheels, the engine doesn’t stay left out. Driving a car on low air-pressure in tires will cause the engine to put extra effort into running your car. The strain might result in a damaged car engine.
Driving On Rough Roads
As exciting as off-roading sounds, it is not the best activity for the engine of your car unless you have the budget to replace it frequently. The bumps, cracks, potholes and dips can cause unnatural movements in the engine. Not to forget how majorly it can damage the wheels and the suspension system as well.
Not Noticing Check Engine Lights While Driving
You might notice a lot of check engine lights on your dashboard. If there is anything wrong with your engine, these lights are supposed to indicate the cause of the problem. If you avoid checking the engine lights on the dashboard, you might lead your engine to an even bigger mid-drive crisis. If you see these lights blinking to indicate any minor damage, the best solution is to get your car checked by a professional mechanic.
Exploiting The Clutch
If you drive a manual transmission car, you might have to be more careful than the rest. A manual transmission car requires you to be extremely gentle on the clutch as well as the gears. Make sure you are not grinding the gear stick. Transition smoothly to avoid causing any damage to your car. You must also no put even a little pressure on the clutch while driving.
Even though we hope you are more careful with your car, there will come a time when your engine will need a replacement. You can either buy a brand new one or save some money by purchasing good quality engine parts online from auto recyclers. These used auto parts do not only function well but save you a great deal of cash.
