Stopping hard at red lights causes your car damage
When most of us think about vehicle damage, we picture auto accidents and fender-benders, or maybe a runaway shopping cart colliding with it in a parking lot. Of course, there are plenty of other ways that your car can be damaged – a rock kicked up by the truck ahead of you can crack your windshield. An animal in the road can do some serious damage. Road debris can also be devastating. However, there are many things that you might be doing that are damaging your car without even knowing it. Here are some of the most surprising (and most easily stopped) ways that you’re causing your car damage.
10. Unload Your Stuff
Most of us carry more than a few things in the car at all times, but you might be taking things to the extreme. The more weight you keep in your car, the harder you’re forcing the engine and transmission to work. That costs extra fuel, yes, but it also adds unnecessary wear and tear. Lighten up.
9. Not Using Your Parking Brake
If you’ve ever parked on a hill and just put the transmission into park, you’ve felt the vehicle roll backward and then stop with a “thunk”. That’s the weight of the vehicle resting on the transmission, and it’s damaging the system. First, put the transmission in neutral, and then engage the parking brake. Finally, put the car in park and avoid excessive wear.
