Drivers tend to pick up certain hobbies as they complete years of license. However, some of these habits, such as pressing the clutch with the car stationary or not respecting the recommended tire pressure levels, are detrimental to the proper functioning of the vehicle.
The Spanish Association of Collaborating Entities of the Administration in the Technical Inspection of Vehicles (AECA-ITV) has drawn up a list of the most common vices among drivers that can cause car breakdowns. Model driving and proper maintenance will minimize the chances of suffering a mechanical failure that forces you to go through the workshop. Next, we tell you the practices that you should avoid.
Driving above the optimum revs for your car's engine, especially when you have just started it, can have serious consequences. The oil must reach a temperature close to 90 degrees - observe the needle on the dashboard - to flow properly through the lubrication circuits. If you drive at high revs when cold, your engine will end up suffering serious wear. It is also not convenient to drive low revs, because in this way you will drown the engine.
In the technical sheet of your car, you will be able to see what its maximum authorized mass is. Driving above this tare increases the risk of rolling over in the event of any incident and could wear out the vehicle's brakes, suspension or transmission.
Neither step on the brake often nor nail it: it is best to use the engine brake when possible. Drive at the proper speed to remain alert for possible obstacles on the road and avoid sudden braking that could lead to a rear-end collision.
One of the worst hobbies of drivers is to keep the clutch depressed with the vehicle stationary, for example, at a traffic light. Instead of putting first gear, the best thing in these cases is to put yourself in neutral and pull the handbrake. Another important vice is driving with your hand on the gear lever. Use the clutch only when you are going to change gear, otherwise, in the long run you could have problems with the vehicle's transmission.
You must drive with the tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer, neither too much above nor below these values. Insufficient pressure causes irregular wear on the tires, which lose grip and could even burst. That is why you should also avoid hitting the tires against the curbs of the sidewalks, for example.
The wheels are the part of the car that is most sensitive to potholes. When you see a pothole in the road, try to avoid it where possible or drive past it at a safe speed. Continued exposure to these impacts could deform the tires or even throw the vehicle out of balance or misalignment.
The bumps at or near crosswalks are there for drivers to slow down. Passing them too quickly leads to wear and tear on the suspension and even damage to the bumpers, the exhaust pipe and other elements found in the underbody of the car.
