Driving Style
*EASY*
- Within reason, minimize use of brakes. This means coast when possible instead of slowing down then accelerating. Slowing causes brake wear and accelerating causes transmission wear and extra gasoline consumption. Conserve motion when possible by recognizing impending road situations.
- Do not weave in and out of traffic. Constant lane changes wear steering and suspension parts faster. This is usually accompanied by frequent speed changes that are detrimental. It also makes your driving unpredictable to others. It is preferable to drive at a steady speed in the same lane.
- If your driving habits include mostly short trips of under 5-10 miles that do not permit your engine to fully warm up and reach operating temperature, then it is important to take your car on the highway every week to let the engine reach normal temperature and boil off any sludge formations. The sludge formations will clog the oil pump screen and oil passages, thus impeding lubrication if left unchecked.
- Avoid short, cold weather (below freezing) trips that would not permit your engine to fully warm up and reach operating temperature. Extend the trip duration if necessary to achieve operating temperature.
- After a long highway trip, let the engine idle for one minute before shutting it off. This will cool off any engine hot spots and also minimize the chance of vapor lock the next time the car is started. On engines with turbochargers, the idle time will help cool down the turbocharger so the oil will not be cooked by the hot turbo components.
- Avoid driving in dusty conditions. If a dust storm occurs, do not attempt to drive through it. Turn off the engine and wait for the storm to pass.
- Investigate unusual noises immediately. They could become big problems if left unattended.
- If your household contains multiple cars and multiple drivers, and one driver is known to possess bad driving habits, it may be beneficial to restrict that person to driving one vehicle. That way, the bad habits will reduce the expected life of only one car.
- Once again, in multiple vehicle households, if a short trip must be made (say, under 5 miles) and one vehicle still has a warm engine from recent use, select this vehicle as the one to take. This prevents cold engine wear and contamination buildup in the other vehicles. The warm engine will undergo practically no wear.
- After starting your car, drive it easy (no high speeds or hard accelerations) until the engine reaches operating temperature. This is indicated by the dashboard temperature gauge or absent that, when the heater is able to throw heat. Full warmup usually takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on outside weather. The idea is to minimize engine wear that is most rapid when the engine is cold. A faster engine warm up means less wear.
- Keep a maintenance log of all work done on your car. This will help you plan future maintenance needs, budget accordingly, keep your car in good working order, and identify problems.
- Do not put heavy items in a car top carrier. This will raise your car's center of gravity and could cause handling problems or loss of control. Furthermore, air drag is increased, which reduces mileage further than the extra weight alone. Every extra 100 pounds reduces mileage by about 1/2 mpg.
- Before driving, briefly inspect the floor under your car for fluid leaks. You can do this by glancing for fluid leaks while approaching your vehicle from afar or when leaving your parking place. Also look for partially flat tires or foreign objects near them that could cause damage as you drive away. If a leak is found, identify the fluid and check its level to be sure your car is temporarily safe to drive. Whenever your hood is up and you are doing maintenance or repairs, take a few extra minutes to check the various engine compartment fluid levels.
- Be observant as to abnormal conditions including sounds, odors, vehicle handling, and dashboard gauge or warning light readings. Immediately correct any problem before major damage occurs.
- Replace worn parts before they break to avoid further, more expensive damage later on.
- Avoid short trips and stop and go traffic; use highway driving whenever possible, but not immediately after starting the engine. Highway driving with a fully warmed engine presents optimum conditions that permit gasoline to burn completely and leave little or no oil contaminants behind. Conversely, low speed stop-and-go driving permits the tips of the spark plugs to become carbon fouled (assuming no other mechanical problems) since the plug has not reached operating temperature (over 900° F.). These carbon deposits alter the spark plug gaps and cause misfiring.
- Use extra momentum when climbing hills. If traffic permits, start accelerating before the foot of the hill is reached. This is easier on the engine and is better for gas mileage.
- Ride over road obstacles with great care. If travelling over speed bumps and other obstacles such as railroad tracks, traverse them squarely, mostly to preserve front wheel alignment and minimize body torsion. The vehicle speed and height of the bump will determine whether the suspension bottoms out or the wheel rims become bent. Driving at an angle over bumps, especially at high speed, also tends to twist the car body diagonally, the weakest axis of the chassis. Parts could be loosened up, or it might cause squeaks and rattles later on.