Often, safe driving for your car's health is also ideal for your own health because it's safer. Read the advice from our experienced auto repair specialists below.

Don't Drive on Empty

You should know about a couple of ways that emptying your engine of gas or keeping the level low is harmful. Sediment in gas or diesel drops to the bottom of your tank, so when the gas is almost gone your fuel pump has to send that grit through the engine. This causes buildup and can also require your engine to work a little harder than necessary. The other reason is that for many vehicles, fuel in the tank actually helps cool the part that pumps fuel, making it work better. If you have too little, your fuel pump could get hot and wear out easily.

Don't Race and Slam the Brakes

You're not Vin Diesel from “Fast and Furious.” Obviously this driving habit is far more likely to cause an accident. But also, peeling out at intersections and braking hard is difficult on your transmission, engine and brakes. It's clear why you want to show off a fast auto, but we think that showing off breaks cars.

Don't Speed on the Freeway

Pushing your car to the max on the interstate can be exciting. But driving too fast can be hard on your engine. Our automobile professionals at Christian Brothers in Kansas City, MO advise that most automobiles do best at forty to sixty miles per hour. If you drive at higher speeds, you will burn more fuel mile by mile and your transmission will wear out. Also, when you go so fast it means extra stress throughout the engine, and that can cause it to wear out more quickly. Driving safely is the best way to display your pride.

Avoid Slow Acceleration

Primarily to save gas, know that It's silly start driving so slowly that you risk the road rage of your fellow road warriors. Some people have been taught not to dart off from a stop, and the general principle is a good one. But starting at very low speeds prevents your auto from working as intended and can make the transmission and engine work extra hard. The best idea is to drive at about the same speed as the drivers around you.

Don't Shift Like a Novice

There are several ways in which sloppy shifting behavior can damage your transmission or clutch. We'll just go over a few of the ways. Don't ever shift into park or reverse while your car is moving. Also, don't move the gears into park and run off without using the E brake. If you do, the whole vehicle's weight will be resting against the transmission itself. For manual transmission vehicles, be careful to remove your foot from the clutch when you aren't shifting. These simple tricks could save you many hundreds of dollars.

Don't Idle or Rev

We have written about engine idling before, and the truth is that you shouldn't ever idle the engine for more than about sixty seconds. It's also not great to rev your engine, especially if your engine is cold. If you do, oil and fluids won't circulate properly and the catalytic convertor won't start working. Extreme temperature shifts are also a problem.

Get Your Vehicle Checked at Christian Brothers

In addition to driving wisely, keep your ride clean top to bottom. You should also be sure to check the lights, oil and tires often. Then, at least every 5,000 miles, bring your car or truck in to your Kansas City Christian Brothers shop for a pro checkup.