As a car owner, you have invested thousands of dollars in your vehicle so you need to be sure to maintain your vehicle properly. Keeping your car in top running condition takes a little bit of effort however, there are certain habits that can land your car in the car repair workshop before it’s time for regular maintenance.

It can be easy to fall into some poor driving habits, while tailgating or forgetting to use a turn signal can be an annoyance to other drivers on the road also, no so great driving habits can affect your car’s conditions too.

Here are some bad driving habits that you should drop in order to keep your car safe for a long time:

1. Slamming Over Potholes:

Potholes generally caused by the expansion and contraction of water after it has entered into the ground under the pavement that creates a weak patch. When cars pass over this weak spot, it causes the material to break down from the weight, creates the pothole.

Your car can get some serious damage, depend on the size of the pothole and the speed at which you’re driving over it. Some resulting issues occur due to potholes such as flat tires, bent wheels, or front end damage.

In addition to damage caused by potholes includes:

• Alignment or suspension problems to your vehicle
• Dents in the wheel rims
• Deflated tyres
• Cause fluid leakage
• Odd noises can come

In case you start noticing any of these issues, you may want to take your car to a car repair workshop to have a professional check for damage.

Some driving safety tips for navigating potholes:

• Make sure your car tyres are properly inflated: Check the tyre pressure to ensure they are filled to the recommended pressure for your vehicle. An over-inflated or under-inflated tyres are more likely to be damaged by hitting a pothole.
• Drive slowly and hold on tight: In case you can’t avoid a pothole, try to slow down before hitting it. If you are driving over a pothole, go slowly and hold onto your steering wheel tightly to avoid losing control of the vehicle. Keep your vehicle speed slow helps to reduce the damage caused by potholes.
• Be Visible: Always ensure to have a clear vision to the surface of the road. Keep your windscreen clean and window wipers in an effective working condition for driving in the rain or on wet roads.

2. Avoiding Your Parking Brake:

A parking brake helps hold the car in place and also helps prevent transmission damage. A parking brake can be a lifesaver when ‘hang-driving’ which means driving slowly uphill or a steep incline also, parking brake help the vehicles to stay steady on icy surfaces.

Failing to engage your car parking brake or neglecting to use it forces the entire weight of your car to rest on the parking pawl hence, this eventually causes premature wear on the pawl. A parking brake must be kept in a good operating condition.

3. Speeding Your Vehicle Over Speed Bumps:

A speed bump is a clear indicator that you need to slow down, it is raised 3-4 inches above the road and is intended to reduce driving speed. Speed bumps are often installed in an area with high pedestrian traffic, such as residential communities and parking lots. Speed bumps are intended to slow your vehicle on the road and when you hit a speed bump at a high speed, it can cause the suspension in your car to compress as it attempts to absorb the bump excessively.

Also, hitting a speed bump can put a dent in your bumpers or can damage components in the undercarriage. Speed bumps are a part of driving on the roads, so it is advisable to keep an eye out and slow the speed of your vehicle whenever you come across any speed bumps while you’re driving.

4. Driving On Low Fuel:

Driving your vehicle on low fuel can cause even more harm, it can damage the fuel pump, as the contaminants, debris from the gas that settles at the bottom of the tank will be sent through the fuel pump when the tank is empty.

It is not at all a good idea to drive with the low fuel, this could risk serious damage to the engine or another car part. The fuel in the tank of a vehicle acts like insulation and a lubricant for the fuel pump. The fuel pump will not get the same level of lubrication as it normally would in case you are driving with a low fuel constantly, this can damage the fuel pump prematurely by over stressing it and overheating it.

5. Ignoring Regular Maintenance & Repair:

Ignoring your vehicle problems or maintenance service will cost more over time than investing in your ride. Keep on neglecting car maintenance can be led to an unexpected breakdown of your vehicle and could cost thousands of dollars and leave you stranded on the side of the road.

The leaks, screeches, and dashboard notification lights indicate an issue that can be serious and led to require an expensive car service to keep your car running.

Here are some of the expensive consequences of ignoring car maintenance:

• Engine Wear:
  Without regular maintenance, the engine of your car starts becoming less efficient and led you to spend more on fuel and cause more engine noise and even smoke. Changing oil and filters frequently will keep your car engine clean and lubricated and prevent the engine from severe damage.
• Safety Issue:
  For your safety, regular maintenance of your vehicle is important. A non-maintained vehicle will always work under pressure. This increase in the system’s pressure will start causing wear and tear on different parts and components of your vehicle. Some safety-related aspects such as braking, steering, and suspension should be regularly checked and fixed if any issue is found so that it will decrease the risk for a vehicle crash or accident.
• Reduce Resale Value of Your Vehicle:
  If your vehicle is in a bad condition, it will not have much value. By keeping careful maintenance records you can get a better resale value for your vehicle. Regular washing and waxing done at car workshop help keep a shiny finish to your vehicle and regular vacuuming and shampooing the vehicle’s interior rugs keep your car looking new.

Final Words:

Those were the main risks of not maintaining your vehicle therefore, to avoid unwanted problems associated with your vehicle it is advisable to stick to a regular maintenance schedule. You can also stick to the maintenance schedule recommended by the mechanics of a car repair shop or you can use various tools available online to check the car maintenance schedule.