Bad Habits That Can Break Your Vehicle

​You may be an experienced driver, but you may have developed some shortcuts or habits that are just bad for your car. You may not know it, but these actions put a massive strain on your vehicle and may eventually break it. They may shorten your car's lifespan and increase your overall spending for maintenance and repairs. If you want to extend your car's life, save a few dollars, and be safe while driving, here are a few driving habits you should avoid.

​Running On Empty
You may feel a sense of adventure or accomplishment when you can extend your drive even when the fuel gauge is lit. You feel like you got the most value out of that last time you loaded up on gas. In your head, it may be an adventure. However, in reality, all you are doing is putting your engine more at risk. Your fuel tank will accumulate sediments over time. They will settle at the bottom of your tank. As your gas is used up, your engine will be sucking gas from the bottom of the tank, where all the sediments reside. They may be sucking up the items as well that can cause clogs and damage to your fuel line and engine.

Carrying Unnecessary Load
You may feel like you have an extra closet at the back of your car. Your trunk may hold a lot of luggage space, but it does not mean you should be filling it up always. The extra weight puts added pressure on brakes, suspension, and other components. This does not even include the fact that your car has less fuel efficiency since the car is heavier.

Shifting Gears Improperly
Since there are two types of transmission, automatic and manual, let's tackle them separately.

For automatic vehicles, there is one general rule. Do not shift when the car is moving. A lot of us are guilty of this especially when parking. The constant shift from drive to reverse is done while the car is still rolling. This causes heavy strain on the drivetrain which can be avoided by waiting until your car is fully stopped.

For manual cars, you should avoid riding the clutch, having your hand on the shifter at all times, and using the wrong gear. Unnecessarily stepping on the clutch makes you launch faster, but it also damages multiple parts. Leaving your hand on the shifter adds extra weight and wears out the bushings and synchronizer faster.

Conclusion
Driving right not only protects your car but keeps you safer. The same can be said about car insurance. At Insurance Services of the West, LLC, we do our best in making sure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (425) 681-0996 or Click Here to request a free quote.