Reliable automakers design their cars to take all sorts of abuse and punishment. Then again, the last thing anyone wants is to be late for work or a meeting because their main form of transportation – car, stopped working unexpectedly. Considering how mission-critical a good working car is, you’re probably guilty of doing things that destroy your car and shorten its life. Here are those things:
1. You’re filling your radiator with pure water
Not only does the engine’s coolant in your car cool the engine, but it also prevents system corrosion. The metals in your engine tend to react with each other because they are different elemental types resulting in corrosion that can ruin the engine overtime. Good antifreeze contain special corrosion inhibitors that prevent corrosion. Make sure to have some for your cooling system. A 50/50 mix of water and coolant is generally recommended, but check your owner’s manual to make sure.
2. You’re not giving your car enough time to warm up
The oil in your car’s engine is necessary to prevent wear between the moving parts; however, it vicious and thick in cold weather and, as a result, doesn’t work as well. As a simple solution, on chilly days, allow your engine to warm up for two minutes or so after starting it up without stepping on the gas pedal. Automotive engineers insist that doing so can add thousands of miles onto your car’s life.
3. You’re shifting into drive while the car’s still rolling backwards
Most of us are guilty of this. When in a hurry while backing out of a parking spot, it’s very tempting to shift into Drive just before the car comes to a complete stop. Regardless of the speed at which you’re moving, doing so stresses the transmission and reduces its longevity. The solution is simple and obvious: when backing out of a parking spot, put your foot on the brake and allow your car to come to a complete halt. Then shift the car into drive and continue driving.
4.You’re not slowing down for speed bumps or potholes
All the components in the front end of your car are perfectly aligned to each other. A high speed drive over a speed bump or a pot hole can disrupt this alignment, negatively affecting steering and causing your car to pull to one side or its tires to start wearing unsymmetrically. To prevent this from happening, be more vigilant and avoid these road hazards to the best of your ability. Slow down when driving on poor road surfaces.
5. You’re ignoring your Check Engine light
One of the most common misconceptions about cars is that a Check Engine Lights glowing isn’t a serious issue and, thus, can be ignored. Although most car manufacturer would probably agree that you shouldn’t panic when the CEL comes on, it is something that should be investigated further. Quite often the CEL being illuminated is a minor issue but it could grow into something more serious if ignored. The best thing to do is to take your car to a mechanic for service.
Once and for all,just handle your car with care to prevent it from being ruined.
