Automobile manufacturers work hard to design their cars and trucks to last a long time but there may be ways that you are shortening your vehicles life. Don’t feel bad, many of these things are pretty common. We are willing to bet that several on the list are news to you, so read on and see if there are any “bad habits” that you can rectify.
You’re not slowing down on poor roads – When the alignment of your front end parts is disrupted, such as when you dive into a deep pothole, things in your vehicle’s front end can get out of alignment. The result is that steering can be affected which can cause the car to pull to one side or your tires may start wearing poorly. The solution: It’s simple. Avoid road hazards and slow down if you are driving on poor road surfaces.
You’re not warming up your engine – The oil in your car’s engine is necessary to prevent wear between the moving parts. The problem is that it doesn’t work as well when it’s cold outside and oil gets sluggish. Here’s a real simple solution: allow your engine to warm up for a few minutes when you first start it. When you do this, you are adding years on to your engine’s life.
You’re filling your radiator with pure water – The engine coolant in your car does something besides just cooling your engine, it prevents cooling system corrosion. Yes, your engine’s cooling system corrodes just like a car body does. This is how it works: the metals (in your engine) tend to react with each other because they are different elemental types (iron, aluminum, alloys, etc.) and this leads to something called “galvanic corrosion”. Over time, galvanic corrosion can ruin an engine. Good antifreeze has special corrosion inhibitors in it to stop galvanic corrosion so use it in your cooling system.
You’re ignoring uneven tire wear – If your car’s tires are wearing on one side of each tire and not the other, you likely need a wheel alignment. This is one you don’t want to put off for long because it doesn’t take long for tires to be ruined when a car’s front end alignment is off. And, as you likely are aware of, tires are expensive. If your tires look to have odd wear patterns, stop by your local dealer and have them take a look. They may be able to diagnosis this quickly.
You’re shifting into drive while the car’s still moving – A lot of us are guilty on this one. When you are in a hurry and are backing up, it’s very tempting to slide your gearshift into “Drive” just before the car has come to a complete halt. While this isn’t a big deal when going very slow, it still stresses internal transmission parts. Take a second to allow your car to come to a complete halt. Then you can shift the car into drive and continue on.
You’re ignoring your Check Engine Light – One of the most common misconceptions about cars is that a Check Engine light (CEL) glowing isn’t serious. Well, when the CEL comes on you shouldn’t panic but it is something to look into. The best practice is to bring your car to a competent mechanic, such as at fiatusaoffortworth.com, after the CEL comes on and get an official diagnosis.
Thanks to: Holt Fiat of Fort Worth
