Driving Habits Affecting Your Engine?
Are your driving habits affecting the life of your engine?
Whether you’ve just bought a brand new car or a second-hand one, you’re no doubt going to want to make sure it lasts as long as possible. But have you ever considered how your driving habits might be affecting the life of your engine?
If not, here are some of the most common habits that you might be making which could have an impact on the engine of your car…
Pushing new cars to the max
Whenever you buy a new car, you should be advised to take it easy in the car for a while. That’s not to say you can’t go for long trips or avoid the motorway – just don’t push your car to the limit for at least the first 1000 miles.
Think of your car engine like a new pair of shoes… you’d want to break them in so they’re comfortable to wear and don’t cause you any problems, right? You definitely wouldn’t run a marathon in a brand new pair of shoes – just in case it caused blisters. The same goes for your trainers.
It might seem like a pain to take it easy at the start but, in the long run, it can have a huge impact on the lifespan of your engine. It could even save you money on repairs and replacements further down the line – so it’s definitely worth it.
Regularly going too fast
If you’re consistently driving really fast in your car, you’re forcing your engine to work harder than it should… harder than it’s been designed to do. This puts a strain on your engine and, if you do it too often, can actually limit the lifespan of your engine.
Make sure you stick to the speed limits – it’s not just your engines life that can be prolonged if you do, it also helps to keep you as safe as possible too. After all, that’s why speed limits are put in place!
Weighing down your car
Whether it’s towing something (perhaps a caravan or trailer) or really filling your boot with shopping, luggage, etc., this is going to put a strain on your engine. Doing this on occasion isn’t going to be too bad for your engine, but if this is something that you do regularly, it starts straining your engine.
Not only that, it’s going to increase your fuel consumption which can be quite costly too.
If you can, avoid towing heavy weights very often or weighing down your car.
Driving off ASAP in winter
When you’ve got places to be by a set time, it’s incredibly tempting to just get in your car and drive off in winter – especially when the car is freezing cold when you get in – but this is actually bad for your engine.
Let your car heat up before you start driving… this can be anything from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on how cold it is outside. The colder it is, the longer you should wait.
This gives your engine (and everything else) a chance to heat up, ensuring that you get a smooth drive and your engine isn’t having to work too hard to get you from A to B.
And when you do start driving, take it easy for a while… drive gently and ease your car into the journey.
Engine breaking and staying in the wrong gear
This is mostly for manual drivers… it’s important to make sure you’re in the right gear at all times in order to avoid overworking your engine unnecessarily. Make sure you’re changing gears when required.
And don’t be afraid of using your brakes. If you often use engine breaking as an alternative (where you just let your car slow down, instead of using brakes) it can actually be worse for your engine – not to mention other parts of your car too.
This can lead to repairs having to be made to your car that you could otherwise have avoided.
Although German-manufactured cars are known for being some of the most efficient in the world, it’s still a good idea to take note and do all you can to extend the life of your engine.
From car repairs to car servicing and MOT’s…
If you’d like to make sure your car is in the best condition possible, why not get in touch today and find out how the experts at German Specialists Ltd can help you? From BMW’s to Audi’s, Mini’s to Mercedes, not forgetting Volkswagens too – we can help – just call us now on 0161 476 4422.
