Common Driving Mistakes That Reduce Vehicle Life – V3Cars Guide

Hard Driving Style

Adopting a 'take it easy policy’ is the best way to reduce stress on yourself and your vehicle. Hard acceleration, late braking, and sudden lane change manoeuvres create undue stress on your vehicle components, which increases wear and tear. Yes, we all feel like experiencing the vehicle’s performance occasionally, and driving it enthusiastically, which is absolutely fine. 

The problem arises when we treat our daily drive like a racecar and drive it in an overtly aggressive manner every single time. By doing this, components such as brakes, suspension, and tyres will wear out quickly. So, you will have to rebuild your ride frequently, just like a racecar. Also, frequent hard accelerations will cause the vehicle to gulp down more precious fuel. Since the cons are a lot more than the pros, it’s better to stick to a smooth driving style for the majority time and have fun only once in a while.   

Ignoring Potholes And Undulations

Most vehicle owners, especially crossover SUV owners, tend to get carried away with the thought that their vehicle is ‘built like a tank’ and ‘will last a lifetime’. As a result, we see most drivers on the road driving through potholes and undulations at a speed that is much higher than ideal. Most drivers and vehicle owners are unaware that the severe impact from crashing through a pothole can cause severe damage to the vehicle’s steering and suspension components. Additionally, driving aggressively over speed breakers could cause the vehicle’s underbody to take a bad hit along with the front and rear bumpers and the usually low-slung exhaust system on sedans. Truth be told, nothing is immortal and we need some love and care from time to time. Hence, take due cognisance of the road surface and vary your speed as per the undulations.  

Driving On A Near-Empty Tank

Given the hustle of our daily lives, we all tend to forget to keep track of our vehicle’s fuel level. We get alerted only when the low fuel warning pops up and at times even drive the vehicle while it's in reserve. However, this is a common oversight that must be avoided since driving your vehicle on a near-empty tank can have drastic consequences! 

It will create undue stress on the fuel pump which could end up sucking in air, overheating, and failing. Also, the debris from the fuel tank, which usually settles at the bottom, could end up choking the fuel pump. We should all follow the good practice of taking up once the fuel level drops to the quarter-tank mark. It will not only increase the life of the fuel pump but also mitigate the risk of our vehicle running dry. 

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Not Warming Up The Engine

Never drive away immediately after starting the engine. Always let the engine idle for over a minute before you rev it or start driving. This is necessary so that the fluids can circulate and lubricate the internal moving parts. Not letting the engine warm up post starting up, and revving it aggressively will accelerate its wear and tear.  

Riding The Brakes And Clutch

While crawling in slow-moving traffic or coasting downhill, some of us have a tendency to rest our foot on the clutch or brake pedals. This behaviour is known as riding the clutch/brake pedals. Some drivers tend to keep the clutch pedal engaged even while waiting for the traffic light to turn green! This severely reduces the life of the clutch plates and the brake pads as they get heated up excessively. Don't perceive the clutch/brake pedals to double up as foot rests and they should be engaged only when you need to change gears or come to a stop, respectively. 

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Resting Your Hand On The Gear Lever

Always keep both your hands on the steering wheel. If you drive a manual transmission vehicle, do not use the gear lever to rest your hand. The weight of your hand ends up straining the transmission bushes and an unprecedented breakdown could leave you stranded. 

Carrying Unnecessary Baggage

Majority of the time, our vehicles end up lugging unnecessary weight, which hampers the performance and fuel efficiency. Get rid of non-essential items from your car’s boot, such as any suitcase or bags. While going on road trips, travel light and only carry the essential stuff. Getting rid of unnecessary baggage will reduce strain on the vehicle components, thereby enhancing the overall vehicle life.  

Ignoring Service Schedules 

Always get your vehicle serviced as per the manufacturer's recommended intervals. It doesn’t matter if you choose an authorised service centre or a friendly neighbourhood garage for the same. But, this rule should never be broken. Check the owner’s manual to keep track of the service schedule and which parts should be changed at what intervals. The reason the majority of vehicles breakdown is because they weren’t serviced on time. Prevention is indeed better than the cure.

Ignoring The Warning Signs 

In times of distress, every vehicle will give signs that something is not working like it's supposed to. It will either start displaying warning lights or start making odd noises at idle or on the move. It could never start displaying an odd driving behaviour like pulling to one side at cruising speeds. Get the vehicle checked by a technician as early as possible if it displays any warning lights or makes funny noises. 

Not Keeping Your Car Clean 

Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness. If you want your vehicle to make you feel like a God, then you must make the effort to keep it clean! An unclean car could end up damaging the paintwork and also cause rust formation. Getting your vehicle repainted is a major expense and if the rust spreads extensively, then it can’t be fixed and will need to be scrapped. Dirty interiors will also make your car appear older than it is.  

Also Read: Tips To Extend The Life Of Your Used Car