When you drive on empty or with little fuel in your tank, sediment from the gasoline that settles at the bottom of your tank can negatively affect your engine. The bottom of the tank is dirtiest part of the gasoline. When this part is used for fuel, you run a higher risk that the dirt will eventually reach your fuel line and even your engine, ultimately resulting in serious damage and high repair costs.
Don’t Rev Your Engine
When you rev your engine, you place additional and unnecessary stress on your car and its engine. This is imperative when it’s cold outside—revving your engine before it has had time to warm up is especially damaging, as the engine’s oil hasn’t had sufficient time to circulate and properly lubricate your car.
Don’t Start and Stop Quickly
Quick starts and stop not only waste huge amounts of gas—costing you extra money at the pump—it also puts unnecessary strain on your car and its parts. To start, you can count on burning through your brake pads faster. Keep your fuel costs and brake-related service bills as low as possible by driving smoothly.
Avoid Super Slow Acceleration
Primarily to save gas, know that it’s silly to start driving more slowly than traffic. Some drivers have been taught not to “jackrabbit” at start, and generally true. But accelerating too slowly prevents your auto from normal driving conditions and can put wear on the transmission and engine. You should probably drive at about the same speed as the autos around you.
Don’t Shift Like a Novice
It can be tricky to handle the transmission properly. We’ll go over just a few of the ways that you can improve the life of your transmission by shifting properly. Don’t ever shift into park or reverse while your car is still moving. Next, don’t shift into park and run off without using the E brake. When you do, all the weight of your car will rest against the transmission instead of the brake. For manual transmission vehicles, be careful not to hold down the clutch between shifting. These easy tricks could save you cash in the long run.
Don’t Speed on the Freeway
It can be a thrill to race down the freeway, passing all the slowpokes and experiencing tight handling as you weave through the lanes and around the curves. But realize that driving like this can break the car. Our automobile professionals at Christian Brothers advise that most autos do best at forty to sixty miles per hour. If you go faster, you will use more fuel per mile driven and your transmission may not be able to keep up. Also, driving that fast means extra stress on all the small moving parts of your engine, and that can cause early wear. In the end, driving at the speed limit is the best way to show off that you’re a proud car owner.
Come in for a Checkup
In addition to driving wisely, keep your auto tidy inside and out. You should also be sure to check the tires, oil and lights regularly. And at regular intervals, bring your ride in to your local Christian Brothers garage for a pro checkup.