10 Common Mistakes Many Car Owners Make
Sometimes, while using the cars, the owners keep complaining why their cars often need to have repairs without knowing that it could be from their faults. In this article, we will show 10 common mistakes you probably make.
10 mistakes that wrong way drivers usually make
1. Starting up and driving immediately
After getting in the car, the car owners often start it up and drive right away. This habit is not good because the car engines need to have 10-15s to get oil to critical components and let RPMs drop down. Even the old cars need more time. Specifically, in the cold or even freezing weather, the oil gets really thick so, giving your cars 20-30s to start up is necessary.
To avoid the wrong way driving, please follow this guideline: start it up → give car engines 10-15 seconds to get enough oil → put seatbelt on and do other stuff → drive.
2. Not waiting for cars to warm up
It is often seen that the owners start the cars and drive away. Then, they wrap it up or push car hard before it warms up. In fact, you should wait until engine gets to operating temperature before pushing car hard or speeding up.
In emergency situations, it is obvious that you have to do what you get to do; however, never beat on cold engine, which leads you to be wrong way driver.
3. Putting premium in a car when unnecessary
Putting premium in a car while it only needs regular is a waste because it brings no performance benefit or no better fuel economy. All octanes are the measure of how hard it is for gasoline to explode. Hence, check carefully manufacturer’s guidelines on premium to follow.
4. Changing your oil every 3000 miles
Today’s oil is better than they were back then. So, the habit of changing your oil every 3000 miles is thing of past. For your car, the oil could last 5,000 or 7,500 miles, even with full synthetics oil, they can last up to 15,000 miles. Stop changing your oil every 3000 miles from now on could save you a lot of money.
5. Irregularly inspecting your cars
Because you drive every day, you cannot take it for granted that tires are not flat, oil is correct or there have enough coolant and windshield wiper fluid. Instead, you should do these following steps in parking lot:
- Check 4 tires
- Turn lights/flashes on/off
- Check blinkers/headlights/taillights
In doing so, you can save your time, money and even your life.
6. Not checking tire pressure
Another wrong thing that car drivers usually do is not to check tire pressure until it gets overinflated. Be aware of checking the guidelines of manufacturer inside door jamb of driver’s side. For example, for Ford cars, they always warn the owners to check tires when temperature changes 10 degrees or more.
SEE MORE:
>> 8 Bad Driving Habits That Are Killing Your Manual Car
>> What Is the Relationship Between Tire Pressure and Temperature?
7. Do not check your car tires
It is the wrong concept for not checking the tires. If you don’t take close look, you might think tires are still good but in fact, they need to get replaced. To check tread depth, you can use a penny to see how much deep the tires are. If it reaches 2/32 (32nds of an inch), you will need to change the new one.
Besides, you also need to check cracks and slashes on the tires.
8. Forget the spare tire
Spare tire is often forgotten until you need it. So, after a long time, when you use it to change the old one, the tire gets flat. You need to regularly check the spare tire and fill it up with air if the air is coming out.
9. Not reading user manual
Reading owner’s manual is a fundamental thing when owning a car. Because every car is different and especially when you change the car to another, it is important to spend 2-3 hours reading manual to know functions of all buttons and gauge in your car. Then, you also know the differences between 2 cars.
10. Cleaning your cars improperly
Many car owners just use paper towels without any liquid on the paint. It is also one of common mistakes that car drivers probably make. Your car would be destroyed by these bad habit of washing. Please remember that it is essential to use microfiber cloth and have some type of lubricant or liquid before cleaning off your paint.
