At any given moment in our lives, we develop certain habits that aren’t beneficial to ourselves, especially when it comes to car ownership.

While most responsible drivers follow adequate maintenance to keep their vehicles running like new, some other drivers develop terrible driving habits that unintentionally reverse proper care.

It is in your best interest to be aware of those bad driving habits and get rid off them to feel better about yourself and your car.

The following bad driving habits not only affect your approach to good auto maintenance, but also wears out your vehicle in the long run.

If you are not sure whether you are providing adequate maintenance to your vehicle, here are 5 bad driving habits that you need to watch out for.

Running a vehicle low on gas

Running a vehicle low on gas until the light comes on is not a smart idea. You could overheat your fuel pump.

Since the fuel pump is located in the fuel tank, when you fill up the tank, the fuel itself cools the pump.

If you let the gas on your vehicle get too low, you will be contributing to an overheating that gets even deeper during the summer, causing your vehicle to wear out even faster.

Hard acceleration

If you are the type of driver who immediately starts accelerating rather than following a slow, gradual acceleration, you will be ruining your car’s engine, especially if you just started driving.

This habit wears your car faster as you are not giving enough time for the fuel to reach all areas of the engine, which attenuates during winter season.

Of course you won’t be damaging your reputation as a driver but you will be replacing your tires more more frequently than you should have.

Warming up your car for several minutes

Leaving your car idling for a long time not only wastes gas but also pollutes the environment.

You will be using less gas by turning your car off and restart it again than letting your car idle for 60 seconds or more.

Auto experts advise to warm up your car no longer than a minute before heading out to the road.

In fact, driving is what gets your engine warm from the beginning.

You should increase your speed gradually so as to get the oil go through all the engine components and let the heating system blow warm air inside your vehicle.

Not warming up your turbochargers

There is an increasing number of car engines with turbochargers and many drivers ignore that these type of vehicles should not be driven so hard from the start.

A fast spinning forces your turbo to deteriorate which is the reason why experts recommend to start off slow and give the oil time to warm up.

At the same time, turbos can get really hot and it is advisable to let them cool down periodically.

Tailgating and braking

Many drivers develop this habit by driving closely to the vehicle in front of them so as to avoid other vehicles cut in front unexpectedly.

However, accelerating and sudden stopping generates heat on the brakes which also causes warpage in the rotor, leading to pulsation.

Such pulsation also has a negative effect on the steering components and bearings owing to constant vibration.

If you follow this habit, you will be replacing your braking system more frequently, and spend more money on fixing your suspension and steering systems.

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