Is it OK to drive your car everyday?

Are you Driving Your Engine to an Early Grave with Bad Habits?

Are you driving your car to an early grave with consistent bad habits? Heed these warnings and avoid costly car repair and part replacement in your future.

Don’t Drive on Empty

When you drive on empty or with little fuel in your tank, sediment from the gasoline that settles at the bottom of your tank can negatively affect your engine. The bottom of the tank is dirtiest part of the gasoline. When this part is used for fuel, you run a higher risk that the dirt will eventually reach your fuel line and even your engine, ultimately resulting in serious damage and high repair costs.

Don’t Rev Your Engine

When you rev your engine, you place additional and unnecessary stress on your car and its engine. This is imperative when it’s cold outside—revving your engine before it has had time to warm up is especially damaging, as the engine’s oil hasn’t had sufficient time to circulate and properly lubricate your car.

Don’t Start and Stop Quickly

Quick starts and stop not only waste huge amounts of gas—costing you extra money at the pump—it also puts unnecessary strain on your car and its parts. To start, you can count on burning through your brake pads faster. Keep your fuel costs and brake-related service bills as low as possible by driving smoothly.

Avoid Super Slow Acceleration

Primarily to save gas, know that it’s silly to start driving more slowly than traffic. Some drivers have been taught not to “jackrabbit” at start, and generally true. But accelerating too slowly prevents your auto from normal driving conditions and can put wear on the transmission and engine. You should probably drive at about the same speed as the autos around you.

Don’t Shift Like a Novice

It can be tricky to handle the transmission properly. We’ll go over just a few of the ways that you can improve the life of your transmission by shifting properly. Don’t ever shift into park or reverse while your car is still moving. Next, don’t shift into park and run off without using the E brake. When you do, all the weight of your car will rest against the transmission instead of the brake. For manual transmission vehicles, be careful not to hold down the clutch between shifting. These easy tricks could save you cash in the long run.

Don’t Speed on the Freeway

It can be a thrill to race down the freeway, passing all the slowpokes and experiencing tight handling as you weave through the lanes and around the curves. But realize that driving like this can break the car. Our automobile professionals at Christian Brothers advise that most autos do best at forty to sixty miles per hour. If you go faster, you will use more fuel per mile driven and your transmission may not be able to keep up. Also, driving that fast means extra stress on all the small moving parts of your engine, and that can cause early wear. In the end, driving at the speed limit is the best way to show off that you’re a proud car owner.

Come in for a Checkup

In addition to driving wisely, keep your auto tidy inside and out. You should also be sure to check the tires, oil and lights regularly. And at regular intervals, bring your ride in to your local Christian Brothers garage for a pro checkup.

What happens if you don’t drive your car

Lots of us regularly drive our cars, whether it’s to drop the grandkids off at school, make a quick trip to the local supermarket or go to work. But what happens if you don’t, or very rarely, drive your car and can it have a negative impact on the vehicle and its engine? Could leaving it sitting on your drive be bad for it? Avoid a potential breakdown the next time you drive by finding the answers to these questions below.

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Should a car be driven every day?

You don’t have to drive your car every day. Under normal circumstances, driving a couple of times a week will be sufficient enough to prevent running into problems further down the line. But if you do leave your car parked for a long period of time, there are some things you should be aware of.

What happens to your car if it isn’t being driven for long periods of time?

Most commonly, cars that aren’t driven very regularly will run out of battery. As you drive, your vehicle’s battery is able to recharge, which is often why a battery can run for years without depleting its energy. If a vehicle is parked for a long time, the battery isn’t able to recharge and will likely go flat. It’s hard to say how long the vehicle needs to be parked for this to happen, as each car is different, however, The AA states that it could be up to two weeks, or less if the battery is in poor condition or aged.

It’s likely that the tyre pressure will decrease more quickly than if the car was being driven. Before you go out, you should make sure that the tyres are up to the right pressure (not under or over inflated). The longer the car is kept parked up without moving, the more likely the tyres are to develop flat spots. These occur when the weight of the car is pressing down on the same spot on each tyre day after day. After a time, the tyres may become flatter in this spot, causing a bit of a bumpy drive when you do come to use the car next. This won’t happen after a few days or weeks of non-use — rather it would take months. However, it’s still something to be mindful of.

Brakes that aren’t being used often become rusty and corroded, particularly if you’ve been driving in wet conditions and then left the car parked for a couple of days. This isn’t anything to worry about, however it’s important that you use the brakes cautiously the next time you drive. You should ensure that the brake pedal doesn’t feel spongy and use the brakes frequently over the first few miles to get most of the corrosion off.

How can you prevent issues if your car isn’t being driven?

If you know that your car isn’t going to be driven for some time, there may be some things that can be done to ensure that, the next time you use it, it’ll still be in excellent condition.

Firstly, you should fill it up with fuel. Water is less likely to form in a petrol tank that’s full. Over time, too much water can cause further issues with the vehicle, including damaging the injectors and rusting the engine on the inside. A full tank also means that you’re ready for any journey without having to worry about a stop at the petrol station.

Starting your car once a week and allowing the engine to run for 15 minutes could prevent the battery from losing charge. A quarter of an hour is the minimum recommended time, otherwise the battery may not charge enough. If you choose to do this, you should stay with the vehicle to avoid opportunist thieves from taking it. You should also avoid starting it in your garage, as the fumes from the exhaust can build up. Instead, pull the vehicle onto the drive and then let it run for 15 minutes. Driving it will keep the tyres lubricated, which may prevent cracking, and keep the fuel flowing through the injectors. Where possible, try to take it on a fast road, such as dual-carriage or motorway as this will properly heat the engine up.

About Age Co

We sell products and services designed to help people make the most of later life, and we give our profits to the charity Age UK.