You may be driving a highly reliable car. But, if you’re doing any of these 14 things, it’s only a matter of time before you damage it completely.
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Pumping More Gas When the Pump Stops
Have you ever wondered where the excess gas goes when you overfill the tank? “It goes to the charcoal canister that’s part of your evap system, ruining it. It can cost thousands in repair,” writes a poster.
Driving an Automatic with Their Left Foot on the Brake All the Time
Don’t wonder why your brakes never last long if you drive your automatic with the left foot always on the brake pedal. It’s similar to driving a manual with your left foot on the clutch all the time.
Driving on Underinflated Tires
Inflating your tires to the correct pressure isn’t a hassle and can save you thousands of dollars and a smooth driving experience on the road. However, driving underinflated tires puts the car’s suspension and chassis under greater pressure, risking destruction and costly repairs.
Buying the Cheapest Tires
You may be looking to save money by buying the cheapest tires. However, the constant braking and acceleration on poor-quality tires can damage other car parts. Moreover, they are unsafe and put you and others at risk on the road.
Ignoring Noises and Warning Lights
Warning lights come on to alert you about any looming problems. So, ignoring them or strange sounds can result in severe damage and expensive repairs.
Skipping or Putting Off Maintenance
Maintenance is crucial in caring for a car, so always have a budget for it and prioritize it. “If you don’t make time for maintenance, the vehicle will make time for you…with an upcharge,” writes a poster.
Not Servicing Fluids
Additionally, you damage your car if you don’t regularly replace the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid.
Not Doing Longer Trips More Often Enough
“If your daily commute is under 10 miles, you really need to get your car out at least once a week and get on a highway for a few miles of full temp mid-rpm driving,” advises a poster. Short trips shorten your battery’s life and compromise the engine’s performance.
Using the Foaming Wheel Brush on Their Paint
The foaming wheel brush or an automatic car wash can scratch and damage your car’s paint. One user says, “An automatic car wash brush collects a lot of dirt from the previous car owners and now scratches it all over your car.”
Tuning the Engine Without Proper Maintenance
“Don’t make any changes until you know everything is working properly first,” cautions a poster. Tuning an engine without proper maintenance can harm it, causing increased emissions, engine failure, or damage.
Skipping Suspension Parts
Driving around with blown suspension parts affects the tires and braking system and causes wear on other suspension components.
Letting Petrol Overflow Out the Pipe Into the Paint and Leaving It
Letting a little petrol drip when filling the tank may not necessarily damage the paint as ethanol evaporates in seconds. However, “if you regularly dump large quantities on your paint, you’ll damage it eventually.”
Never Checking the Engine Oil Level
How often do you use the dipstick to check your oil levels? If you rarely do, you are slowly hurting the engine as it isn’t receiving enough lubrication, leading to premature wear.
Putting in a K&N Air Filter
A K&N filter is “less restrictive because it doesn’t filter fine particles.” A user who had this filter says, “It can cover the Mass Flow sensor in oil and thus stop it from reading, causing your car to run poorly and fail emissions.”
Source: Reddit
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