Five Habits That Will Ruin Your Car

Neglect and mistreatment will accelerate your vehicle's deterioration Member's, please add to this topic ?

Posted: Sep 23, 2014 | By: <A



Avoiding these habits can go a long way in preventing an expensive repair bill (Getty Images).

Most things you own will last longer if you take care of them and treat them well. Your car is no exception to this rule. While neglecting your car may seem harmless in the short term, regular neglect and mistreatment will add up and will reduce your car's lifespan. To keep your car running longer and stronger, avoid these five harmful habits.

1. Delaying regular maintenance

Regularly maintaining your car is vital to your car's longevity. Regular maintenance includes oil and filter replacement, as well as transmission fluid, air filter and brake pad care. Every vehicle manufacturer specifies a different maintenance routine, which can be found in your owner's manual. While regular maintenance requires you to invest some time and money, it's peanuts compared to the cost of a new engine or transmission.

2. Ignoring dash warning lights

When a warning indicator lights up on your dash panel, it's important to address the problem immediately. If you don't know what the light means, check your owner's manual or call your mechanic. Dash warning lights can alert you to some very serious problems, such as a coolant leak, which can cause your engine to overheat. A simple preventative repair can often prevent a large problem down the line.

3. Shifting while moving

The transmission is one of the most complex and expensive parts in your car and it's important to use is as it was intended. Be careful not to shift from drive to reverse or vice versa while the car is still moving. This "jerky" shifting places excess strain on the transmission's internal gears and can instantly destroy it.

4. Jerky driving

We all know someone who accelerates wildly on every straightaway only to brake hard at a traffic light or stop sign. This type of driving won't destroy your car immediately, but will cause your engine, transmission and brake system to deteriorate much more quickly than intended. Cars that have been abused will have premature fluid leaks, broken seals and mechanical problems.

5. Putting off tire replacement

Tires for some cars can be expensive, so replacing them is an unwelcome cost. Driving on bald tires is very risky, however. If a tire blows out while you're driving, you can lose control of your vehicle and have a serious accident. And if you drive with bald tires in the rain, the risk of hydroplaning goes up tremendously. A new set of tires may seem pricey, but probably costs less than your car, and even less than your insurance deductible.

 

Please check these things also.


#3 Transmission issues can be caused by driving habits make sure that if you are driving around town that it should be noted that some Vehicles will shift into Overdrive somewhere around 45 mph.The car may shift up and down as you go from 45 to a higher speed and then reduce back down.Try driving in D (drive ) until you get to the highway to reduce this wear on the Trans.
#5 When You replace the Tires you should also have an all-wheelalignment completed as well and make sure the tires are all balanced, if you don’t this will result in the tires wearing out.

Case in Fact: This Gal I know had purchased an nice 2009 Impala SS. She bought it based on one that I had and she rode in it. The one she got was Red the major decisionwas based on that. So she was driving it to work one morning when the wheel fell off in the right front , I can’t imagine she didn’t feel that?!?!Any way she then put on all brand new tires at that time.I didn’t think the original ones were that bad.
So about a year goes by and I had not spoke to her for several months and she is going to take the car on a vacation, before she left I helped her change a Battery in a vehicle she owned and got to ride in her Impala.
I heard this noise that sounded like a tire issue (balance? ) so I said something to her about it, and she kind of told me she didn’t hear or feel anything, and referenced I didn’t know what I was talking about. So fast forward to…… she called me and said did you know?( that when you replace your tires, you should get an all-wheel alignment)I said; Oh yes!?That made her mad and she said; why didn’t you tell me that?But I had tried. But she didn’t listen.Really made her mad when I told her that the over 3 million miles I drove probably didn’t qualify me to tell her about her car problems.[/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Maintenance will save you a ton of Dollars. (Pro-active vs Reactive):

 

I agree with all of the above.

One more i'd like to add:

When you first start your car in the morning or after it has cooled down, DO NOT drive it hard until it is up to full operating temperature. Drive hard on a cold engine can cause premature engine wear. Take it easy on the gas pedal at least until you see the temp gauge where it runs normally.

 

Thanks `Dale & Mod Michael for sharing 4-Sure
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If you had access to a car while living at home, chances are your parents took care of its maintenance or offered reminders as to when to take it in for service. When you’re on your own, car maintenance becomes your responsibility. Yes, it can be expensive and time consuming, but the investment you make today will save you money down the road.
Don’t be like the 1/3 of college students who change their oil less than two times a yearbecause they simply forget to do it. Your car won’t magically take care of itself. Get in the habit of regular car maintenance and quit relying on your folks to remind you to get your tires rotated or your oil changed.
Below we take you through some of the rudimentary things you should be doing to ensure your car stays in tip top shape.
Every Other Fill-up, Do These Three Things

Instead of standing at the gas pump and reading the advertisements for a credit card while you wait for your tank to fill, use that time to give your car a quick check-up (and cleaning) by performing three simple tasks:
1. Clean windshield. A dirty, bug-splattered windshield is a safety hazard, as it obscures your view of the road. So give it a regular cleaning. Using the spongy part of the gas station squeegee, soak the whole windshield with the cleaning fluid. Then pull the squeegee tightly from the middle of the windshield to the sides, finishing off the remaining streaks by pulling it top to bottom. This is especially important after an extended drive on the highway when your windshield is littered with insect carcasses and using your car’s washing fluid and wipers to remove them only creates a big, smeary mess that obscures your line of sight even more.
If your headlights are dirty, give them a squeegeeing as well.
Your wipers have a role to play in keeping the windshield clean too, but we’ll talk about them later this week.
2. Check tire pressure. Maintaining proper tire pressure will keep you safe and even save you a little dough. Improperly inflated tires — and this may mean over-inflated or under-inflated — don’t handle or stop as well as tires with the correct pressure. They also increase your chance of a blow out. Plus, tires with the correct pressure have a longer life and increase your fuel efficiency.

You’ll often find your vehicle’s recommended tire pressure on a sticker inside the driver’s side door. Car manufacturers spend a lot of time coming up with this number, and it’s the one you should use.

Tire pressure is something you have to keep your eye on, as it constantly changes as the tires log miles and the temperature fluctuates. That’s why it’s so important to check it regularly and add air when needed. Some experts say you should do this at every gas fill-up, but just as with the oil check, every other fill-up should be enough to catch any deficiencies before they become big problems.
Checking your tire pressure takes less than two minutes. Here’s how to do it:

• For an accurate reading, always check tire pressure when your tires are “cold,”that is before you’ve driven around on them. I only check my tires’ pressure at a gas station when I fill up at the one less than a mile from my house, first thing in the morning. If you’ve already been driving around for awhile, let the tires “rest” for at least four hours before checking the pressure.
• Find out the tire pressure recommended for your car (it’s in your owner’s manual and on a panel inside the driver’s side door, as picture above). Always fill the tires to this recommended level, regardless of tire brand, and not to the max PSI found on the tire sidewall – that number indicates the maximum pressure the tire needs to carry its heaviest load, not the tire’s ideal PSI.
• Check tire pressure with tire pressure gauge
• Fill when needed

3. Check oil level and top off as needed. Motor oil is essential to your car’s performance. Its most important job is to lubricate all the moving parts in your engine so they don’t grind and tear themselves into dysfunction. It also transfers heat away from the combustion cycle and traps and holds all the nasty byproducts of combustion, sending it to the oil filter. If your engine doesn’t have enough oil, your car is at risk of going kaput.
To ensure your car always has enough oil, it’s important to get in the habit of regularly checking it. Your owner’s manual probably recommends that you do this at every gas fill-up, but every other is typically sufficient. Checking your car’s oil level is super easy. All you need is a clean paper towel, adequate light, and about three minutes. You should save this job for last because you need to wait about five minutes after you turn the engine off for the oil to drain back into the pan:

Before checking your oil level, make sure your car is on level ground so you get an accurate reading. Locate your engine’s dipstick. It usually has an image of an oil can or just says “OIL.”

Pull the dipstick out. No snickering.

Wipe it clean with a paper towel. The gas station usually has some available near the pumps.

Back goes the dip stick. Make sure it goes all the way in.

Now, we’re actually going to check the oil level. Pull the dipstick out again, but don’t turn it upside down to look at it. This makes the oil run upward and ruins your reading. The dipstick will have two marks at the bottom. They are usually either lines or holes in the stick. Mine has two holes. The oil level can be read by looking where the oily part ends and the dry part begins. If the oil line is between the two marks, you’re good to go. If it’s below the bottom mark, you need to add some more oil. Just a quart mind you. You should never add more than a quart at once without driving and taking a new reading of the oil level. Too much oil isn’t good for the engine. There you go. You just read a dipstick.

Most cars are designed to consume a bit of oil between changes, and many manufacturers consider a consumption rate of one quart every 1,000 miles to be normal. Some cars lose more than that because of leaks or because the engine is burning oil along with the gasoline. If you’re needing to add a quart of oil every 500 miles or so, you should take your car in ASAP to get it checked for external and internal leaks.

Follow the Maintenance Schedule Suggested in Your Vehicle’s Owner’s Manual

Your vehicle also requires maintenance tasks that are performed less frequently, but are vital to allowing your automobile to live a long and fruitful life. These tasks include oil changes, tire rotations, replacing transmission fluid, and the like.
Don’t follow the dealer’s or mechanics’ recommended maintenance schedule. They often suggest that you come in more frequently and perform maintenance that you really don’t need. For example, most quick lube and dealership service shops recommend you bring your car in every 3,000 miles for an oil change, despite the fact that most modern engines are designed to run for 5,000 miles before needing one. Another example is coolant replacement. A lot of mechanics recommend having it replaced every 30,000 miles, but many vehicles don’t need this service until they reach four times that. And after the 120k mark, manufacturers often recommend the coolant be replaced only every 60,000 miles.
Instead of relying on Larry at the KwikLube to tell you when you should service your car, pop open your glove compartment (or “jockey box” for you gents living in the Mountain West region), and pull out your owner’s manual. There should be a section where it lists the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule, which tells you how often to get your oil changed, rotate the tires, and replace fluids and parts. If you can’t find the owner’s manual, a quick Google search will bring it up. By following your vehicle’s ideal maintenance schedule, you can prevent costly inspections, repairs, and replacements, and keep your car humming for many years.
DIY Car Maintenance

As newer vehicles have become increasingly complex with onboard computers and high-tech gadgetry, maintenance jobs now often require a mechanic with the proper training and tools to correctly complete the task.
But there are still a few maintenance jobs that most men can do themselves on most models, and below I list three of the most accessible. It’s true that taking care of these tasks doesn’t save you very much in either time or money, but it is satisfying nonetheless and I recommend trying each job at least once, as they’ll give you a reason to look under your hood as well as a small bit of insight into how your trusted chariot works.
Change oil every 5,000 miles. We’ve written a guide on how to change your car’s motor oil yourself. But for those living in an apartment or dorm, this might not be an option. Whether you do it yourself or take it to a mechanic, getting your oil changed regularly is one of the most important ways of keeping your car running smoothly.
Change air filter every 12,000 miles. This is quite possibly one of the easiest car maintenance jobs you can do yourself. We wrote how to do it here. Regularly changing your car’s air filter will increase fuel efficiency, prolong your engine’s life, and reduce emissions.
While changing your car’s oil comes with the hassle of finding a way to dispose of the used oil properly, no such inconvenience exists for the air filter, and doing it yourself will easily save you half the cost of having a service shop take care of it.
Rotate tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles. Front and rear tires wear differently. Regularly rotating your tires equalizes their natural wear patterns, ensuring a smoother and safer ride. It also extends the life of your tires, which will save you money on costly replacements. Here’s how to rotate your car tires.
Keep Your Car Clean

Besides performing regular maintenance, another important part of taking care of your car is keeping it clean.
Wash your car regularly. Every day our cars are subjected to sun, salt, grease and grime, acid rain, smog, tree sap, dead bugs, and worst of all, the acidic compound of bird poop bombs. These things eat away at paint, and once that’s gone, they will eat at the metal in your car. While failing to wash your car won’t result in immediate damage, over time the elements will corrode your vehicle, along with its potential re-sell value.
How often should you wash your car? It depends. Location and climate are the two biggest factors in determining frequency. If you live in an area with a lot of pollution and sea salt in the air, you’ll need to wash it two or three times a month. If you live inland and in an area with little pollution, a once a month car wash will suffice. During the winter, you may need to wash your car more frequently than you do during the summer due to the snow, salt, and mud that will accumulate as you drive along icy roadways.
Don’t forget to detail your car after you wash it!
Don’t use the inside of your car as a garbage can. The inside of your car is not a garbage can, so quit treating it like one. Get in the habit of regularly cleaning out your car so it doesn’t constantly look like a dump. Keeping your car’s interior clean and tidy can reduce stress in your life and make the driving experience more enjoyable. Also, you never know when you’ll have unexpected passengers . By keeping your car clean, you’ll never have to sheepishly say, “Sorry about the mess,” as you wipe away shards of yesterday’s QuickTrip breakfast burrito from the passenger seat.

 

Lubricate chassis, trunk hinges, hood hinges and door hinges. Ignoring the door hinges causes metal on metal wear and the doors will sag over time. Clean and treat all weatherstripping to prevent it from drying out and cracking.

 

Just a few more tips:
Watch the service folks when they change they fluids in the vehicle and double check them before you leave the facility.
Never let them service the brake systems fluid as a dummy can over fill it.
Then if you take your wheels off to clean them make sure you torque them to the proper ft. lbs. when you put them back on usually around 100 lbs.? use a Torque wrench. (if you over torque them you can cause the rotors to warp and the care will vibrate when applying the brakes.) Also if you drive down the Mountain and ride the brakes you can warp them also; use lower gears.
Check the brake system especially disc brakes so you don't run metal on metal, 40 to 50k will be the time to check brake systems, especially if you live in town.
If you need brakes sooner than that, cease driving immediately and go back to the bicycle.


Lastly;
It doesn't hurt to check the Muffler Bearings ever now and then?

 

^ # Six (6) >Let 'space drive your car >

 

I like to add a little as well on what driver number 3 said about torqueing the wheels.

if the lugs also over torque them it also will break the rims steel or aluminum.

when I had a shop put on new rubber on my last set of steel rims the rim cracked and almost came completely off the center part of the rim.

so make sure to tell them to make sure to do that.

 

But!? It won't do Warp Factor Nine?!?! Engage!!!!!!!!!!!!