If we want to generalize, we could say that everyone who has a license in force knows how to drive a vehicle. But in reality, do you know how to drive without unconsciously damaging your car? Without knowing it, we all acquire customs and manias at the wheel that in the medium and long term can end up causing breakdowns that must be repaired in a workshop. A few tips will prevent you from having to pay large bills, as well as improving your driver skills. Pay attention if you habitually make any of these mistakes!
1) Do not drive by supporting the left foot on the clutch
This happens especially in the city, where stops and starts are frequent in a small space. But also on the road, where for comfort or lack of custom to use the footrest, many drivers circulate constantly supporting the foot on the clutch pedal. Avoiding this usual mania will reduce the risk of breakage of the thrust collar or clutch bearing.
2) Do not start and exit cold shot
This is the premature death sentence for any motor, no matter how good it may be. The motors need a warm-up time for several reasons: the different expansions between their fixed and movable elements, the lubrication of the components, their cooling … Cold start and “cane” causes, on the one hand, the lubrication to be Totally deficient when it is most needed. On the other hand, in the head of the engine is creating a very high temperature in contrast to the rest of elements, reason why the dilations of the different materials are too disparate, being able to cause to the structural break of the material.
3) Do not drive with one hand on the shift lever
Although it looks great and you have always seen it in the movies, this gesture forces the kneecaps and joints of the gearshift and the gear selection system, which in time translates into looseness, imprecision and even breakage of some element Of the levers system to change gears. In addition, it decreases your skill in case of having to perform a quick reaction maneuver.
4) Be more cautious with bumps
Whether in town or on the road, beware of bumps will prevent damage to numerous components of your car. At every impact, all suspension hinges, steering, and tires suffer, so their useful life is noticeably shortened. Also, the shock absorbers and rubbers get strong impacts that also cause them great wear.
5) Stop driving always under turns to save
Neither do you save more. You do not spend less. Every engine has a range of operation (for example, between 2000 and 4000 RPM) in which its performance and consumption get the best relationship and works in full powers. Driving always high turns will cause greater consumption and internal wear, while driving it always under turns will cause charcoal, will never have a good performance and when going more forced, even consume more fuel.
6) Do not drive in stretched position
Although it may seem like this at the wheel of a sports car, driving with the back of the seat stretched is harmful. First, because your back and legs should form a 90-degree angle to avoid physical bad postures, and secondly, because it forces you to stretch your arms a lot to reach the steering wheel, losing mobility and agility in the exercise of moving the steering wheel.
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Finally, the seat belt is very separated from the body, so in the case of impact, it becomes totally useless in its functions.
7) If your car is automatic, never stop it only in position P
On automatic gearboxes, it is not enough to just stop the car with the transmission P. The handbrake is still responsible for keeping the car quiet, so even if the P position of the gearbox blocks the transmission, if you rely on the entire car lock in slope on the transmission, you are applying a very large effort and totally unnecessary, Which directly impacts on its useful life and breakdowns.
8) Do not keep the clutch depressed in the stops and stops
When the car is not moving, for example at a traffic light, let the gear stuck and the clutch treaded is pretty bad advice. You are causing a premature wear of the clutch system because without having to work you are forcing to keep the car quiet.
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It is much better to put neutral and let the left foot rest without stepping on the clutch pedal.
9) Never force the steering
When you are maneuvering and the steering has stopped, continuing to force the steering wheel will not serve to turn you more, but instead, it will cause an overwork of the hydraulic pump of the power steering and can become damaged by overexertion.
10) Stop rushing fuel reserve
As much as you always use the best and most refined fuel, sediment is always created at the bottom of the tank, so hurrying the reserve is buying too many ballots for the fuel system to suck in these impurities, to introduce them into the injection system, and unleash an economic catastrophe for your pocket.
Technically speaking, high-pressure injection systems (both diesel and petrol) are highly accurate in terms of parts and performance, so the smallest impurity can end up with a failure of the high-pressure pump or injectors. Are you going to play it by riding with less than 10 liters of fuel in the tank?