Austin Driving Habits That Are Damaging Your Car
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How Bad Driving Habits Effect Your Vehicle

Driving is most people’s favorite pastime, but not everyone loves their car. Many drivers have habits and behaviors that are bad for their cars. If you are one such driver, you probably know that the way you drive has a significant impact on your car’s health and your wallet. How you drive can affect fuel economy, maintenance costs, and more. Your driving habits also affect how long your car will last, so it is essential to know what to avoid.

Damaging Austin Driving Habits: 6 Most Common Ones

Excessive Idling

Excessive idling is one of the most common damaging driving habits that damages your car and wastes fuel. The longer you idle, the more oil builds up on the cylinder walls, which reduces the engine’s efficiency. In addition, excessive idling can cause more significant wear and tear on your engine components and even void your warranty. If you are going to be stopped for more than thirty seconds, it is better to turn off your engine rather than leave it idling. You will save yourself some gas money and reduce emissions while cutting down on unnecessary wear and tear.

Riding the Brake Pedal

Riding the brake pedal, also called brake riding, is a damaging driving habit that wears out your brakes faster than intended. Brake riding, when you keep your foot on the brake while driving, will cause your brakes to wear out much more quickly than they should. Though it is acceptable to lightly tap the brakes while driving, keeping your foot on the brake pedal for prolonged periods will significantly decrease the life of your brakes.

Shifting Gears Between Drive Reverse Repeatedly

Another lousy driving habit that may damage your vehicle is repeatedly shifting gears between drive and reverse. When you shift into reverse with a manual transmission, parts inside are called synchronizers to help engage with the transmission assembly to change gears smoothly. If you switch from drive to reverse multiple times in quick succession, it is a damaging driving habit and may cause these gears to break down prematurely over time.

Not Avoiding the Potholes

Driving over potholes and speed bumps too quickly or too slowly can severely damage your car. Going over them too fast can cause you to bottom out and damage the vehicle’s undercarriage while going over them too slowly can put unnecessary strain on the suspension system.

Potholes are hard to avoid, and driving over them too quickly or slowly can damage tires and shock absorbers. Certain cars are more susceptible to damage from potholes, including sports and luxury vehicles. If you are driving over a pothole and have this damaging driving habit, slow down and make sure you are going at a steady speed to minimize the impact on your car.

Repeated Aggressive Turnings

When you drive aggressively around corners, you can damage the suspension and steering components of your car. The suspension and steering system is designed to handle a certain amount of force. If that force is exceeded, parts may break or wear out prematurely. The severity of this depends on how you drive. A single mild-to-moderate turn will not cause much harm, but repeated aggressive turns will cause wear and tear.

As you round the corner, steer smoothly into it and out of it again – this will help avoid your car losing traction or slipping and overcome your damaging driving habit. An excellent way to remember this is to apply the same technique we use as kids with our toy cars on the floor – slow into it and fast out again.

Not Watching out for Standing Water

In the summertime, heavy rains can cause flash floods in many parts. Water often rushes over roads, particularly in low-lying areas or places where drainage is poor. At first glance, driving through deep water may seem harmless — after all, cars are designed to be driven on wet roads. But driving into a flooded street can have disastrous results if the depth of the water is not considered first.

Water gets into the engine compartment and damages electronics and other sensitive components. This is more likely with newer cars because they often have more electronics than older vehicles. Few drivers have the skills to drive safely through deep water, even if you are confident in your ability to drive safely through deep water to avoid this damaging driving habit.

Best Austin Auto Body Shop For Vehicle Repairs

Different people have different driving habits, so these habits may or may not apply to you. At times, it might be good to review your driving habits and make sure you are not inadvertently damaging your car. With proper care, you will not only lengthen the life of your car, but it will also save you money since you would not need excessive repairs along the way.

Not only do we have the expertise and experience, but also the latest tools and equipment to restore your car to its former condition. We have fixed thousands of cars to date, from minor dings to serious collision damage, so we’re confident that we offer the best quality accident repair in Austin, Texas.

We also can help you with insurance claims as well as provide towing services. Get in touch with our team right away!

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