Treat your car with care and avoid doing these things to your vehicle!
For most people, their car is their lifeline. As one of the most expensive items people own and often the first big ticket purchase, people want to protect their car and keep it on the roads for as long as it can.
However, it’s easy to get complacent when driving and many motorists can start to develop bad habits and neglect their vehicle. Here are the top six things you should never do to your car!
Rev your engine to warm it on cold days. The myth of warming your car started in the days of carburetors, which did need some warming. However, with new gasoline vehicles, most manufacturers recommend starting your car and driving it ‘softly’ to prevent extra wear and tear.
Go more than 3 months without an oil change – or 6 months for synthetic oil. The oil in the car lubricates those thousands of components in your vehicle, allowing it to run smoothly and efficiently. When the oil is left for too long, it can thicken and can cause more damage to the car.
Continue to drive your car when it’s overheated. If you do so, you’re potentially causing all sorts of damage to your engine that you don’t want to deal with. It not only becomes a safety issue, but it can hurt you financially.
Ignore a tire pressure warning. This easy fix (refilling your tires’ air pressure) can save you a lot of inconveniences, time, and money. Ignoring this warning can increase your braking distance, cause uneven wear on your tires, and waste fuel by uneven driving.
Ignore check engine and warning lights. These light notifications are for the driver to be warned that something is wrong. Therefore, ignoring these warnings can put you in a world of hurt when something bad happens down the road. Taking your car in to get evaluated is a lot safer than breaking down when you were already warned.
Run on empty. In general, most cars will have two gallons left when their indicator reaches empty. However, running on empty can cause problems with your gas pump. The fuel pump relies on gasoline to keep it lubricated and cool, therefore running out of fuel can cause your gas pump to fail.
Protecting your car is doesn’t fall entirely to you; quality auto insurance can protect you through every pothole down the road. For a tailored motorist policy, contact Chambers & Company Insurance Brokers in California today!