Simple ways to keep your old car running it's best.
Common bad driving habits that result in mechanical failure.
Most people just walk outside, jump into the car, crank it and go. In
a lot of cases they have the stereo on and the gas & brakes to the
floor from the time they crank the car to the time they cut it off.
The only time they look at the tires is when they get into the car
or they are washing it. Even then they do not take the time to check
the air pressure or tread ware. As well they hardly ever, if ever lift
the hood and check the oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid
and transmission fluid. On top of all this they go the recommended
3,000 miles or more before changing the oil and way over the
Recommended mileage for coolant, transmission fluid and spark plugs.
Last but not least they only put the cheapest gas they can get in the
car.
Why are they bad and how can they cause mechanical failure?
First of all, when you crank your car you are supposed to let the
engine idol drop before taking off. This is so your catalytic converter
can work properly and in return give you a smoother & quieter running
engine and better gas mileage. Failure to let the idol drop will result in a
Stopped up converter, a rough running engine, poor gas mileage or all.
Next we come to the stereo. If a person has his or her stereo on
Constantly, they can not hear small changes in the way the motor
is running, the way the transmission is shifting or if the brakes are
Indicating ware. If these sounds are not noticed several major
repairs can sneak up on you quick. For example, if you do not
hear the brakes starting to squeak or indicate excessive ware.
You can end up replacing your rotors and your pads rather than
just break pads. Or if a person can not hear the transmission
Straining then they could end up having the transmission completely
rebuilt rather than just adding some fluid.
Now to the gas and brakes. If a person has the gas pedal to the
floor constantly. It unnecessarily puts strain on the motor,
Transmission, tires and brakes. When a person hits the gas hard
it's like a sudden hit to every part of the car. EG, If a person is
trying to push a car they usually put their hands on the car, get a
good stance and push. They do not generally run at the car, hit
it and keep pushing. The impact on a person's body after doing
this would cause a great deal of pain and possibly some broken
bones. As well if a person keeps the pedal to the floor then when
they have to stop it takes a lot more brakes. This can only result
in worn out brakes.
When it comes to tire pressure, it is very important for several
reasons. One of the most important reasons is because of the
handling and control. When a tire on a car is low it can cause
many things to feel like they have a problem. Some of these things
are alignment, brakes, transmission and even the motor. When you
hit the brakes, the side of the car that the low tire is on will feel like
the brake is grabbing twice as hard as the other. As well the car will
Constantly pull to the side with the low tire, making it feel like your
car is way out of line. When you give the car gas the motor and
transmission are forced to work harder than normal resulting in the
engine being forced to go to higher RPMs to make the transmission
shift. As a result of that, the transmission will shift harder into gear.
Almost slamming into gear.
When it comes to fluids, every one of them is very important.
The brake fluid is obviously important because you have to stop.
It is equally important to check your transmission fluid. The reason
is simple, if your trans. gets low on fluid than the car does not go
at it's normal acceleration rate. This could result in the above
mentioned mechanical failure or pulling out into traffic and getting hit
because your car will not move. The engine coolant is to keep the
engine and transmission cooled down to a certain temperature. If you
fail to keep the correct amount of coolant in the car you could blow
the car up, tear the transmission up or both. The oil is the life of
your car. If you do not change it regularly you will without question'
have problems down the road. Oil and vehicle manufacturers say
to change your oil every 3,000 miles but if you will take the time to
notice, If you check your oil after only 1,000 miles it is already way
thinner than it was when you put it into your car. Also as a car gets
older it brakes oil down way more than it did when it was new.
When you put only cheap gas in your car than eventually you are
going to end up with stopped up filter, injectors or fuel line. Every
3rd tank at least burn 1 tank of high octane. This will allow your
injectors, fuel pump and lines to rid themselves of the deposits
left behind from cheaper cooler running gas.
