7 driver habits that can easily damage your car

During car use, there are seemingly harmless habits of the driver, but over time can easily damage some details and parts of the car.

Shifting gears when the vehicle has not stopped completely can easily damage the gearbox parts.

Our grandparents have a saying: "Durability depends on the user", the durability of each car during use depends a lot on the habits of the driver. Subjectivity, neglect of the warning light system or incorrect operation of the handbrake, footbrake, gear lever... Over time will reduce the life of the car. Below are habits that drivers should change, to avoid causing unnecessary damage to their car:

Do not pull the handbrake when parking

When parking on flat terrain, many drivers often subjectively only shift the gear to P but do not pull the handbrake. At this time, although the car cannot move because the gearbox is holding it, the locking pin in the gearbox mechanism must bear a great force from the weight of the car.

This can cause the locking pin to break or at least slightly jam the gear shift mechanism, making it more difficult and cumbersome to shift the gear lever from P to D or R. Therefore, to ensure safety, drivers should pull the handbrake when parking.

Shift to P before pulling the handbrake.

Some drivers have the habit of shifting the gear lever to the P position before pulling the handbrake when parking. According to many people, shifting the gear lever to the P position or pulling the front brake is not important when all the operations to park have been completed. However, if the car is heavily loaded or often parked in uneven locations... shifting the gear lever to the P position before pulling the handbrake will affect the details in the gearbox mechanism.

According to experts' advice, when parking, drivers should follow these steps: Press the foot brake to stop the car completely, shift the gear lever to N, pull the handbrake, then shift the gear to P to ensure safety and avoid damaging the gearbox.

Shift from reverse (R) to drive (D) while the vehicle is not completely stopped.

This is a habit of some drivers when performing operations to turn and park in areas with narrow spaces. To operate quickly, after reversing the car, the driver often applies the brake and gently pushes the gear lever to move forward. However, if this happens frequently, it will cause the gears to be broken due to the sudden reversal of torque, causing serious damage to the gearbox.

Ignoring the warning light

The warning light system on the dashboard displays parameters for the driver to help you detect problems that the vehicle is having.

However, many drivers are so focused on holding the steering wheel that they are distracted when the warning light comes on. This causes the damage to become more serious and does not ensure safety during the entire journey.

Continuously revving the engine when it is not yet warmed up

Some drivers often have the habit of revving the engine immediately after starting the engine. This can affect the engine parts. When the engine is just started, the engine oil has not yet circulated, and the parts have not yet been fully lubricated... If the driver continuously revs the engine, it will cause the engine to operate quickly, and the friction generated will cause the parts to wear out quickly.

Check the brakes when going downhill

This habit is common among new drivers when driving on steep mountain roads. If you continuously apply the brakes, the brake fluid in the pipes will heat up quickly, causing the brake pads to overheat due to friction, which can easily lead to brake burnout and brake failure.

Therefore, according to some experienced drivers, when going downhill, you should shift to lower gears to take advantage of engine braking and not need to brake much. Currently, many automatic cars are also equipped with manual shifting mode, helping drivers actively adjust the gears.

Regularly let the fuel tank run dry

The fuel pump is responsible for moving fuel from the tank to the combustion chamber. If you regularly drive with an empty fuel tank, or wait until the fuel gauge lights up before refilling, this system will be damaged.

Metal fuel tanks tend to accumulate deposits when the fuel level is low. At this time, the deposits sucked in the fuel tank will stick to the filter, causing the filter to become clogged. In some older models, the deposits can clog the pump, injectors, etc., preventing fuel from reaching the combustion chamber, making the car unable to start.

According to TNO