You probably have some of these bad habits at the wheel and don't know they can cause breakdowns in your car

Most of the time we don’t even notice, although we know they can hit our wallets, and many others out of ignorance, but also through laziness or convenience. The fact is that there are vices and bad habits that we pick up while driving which take their toll, and end up causing breakdowns that ultimately hit our wallets and shorten the vehicle’s lifespan.

These are the most common bad habits that can cause breakdowns in your car. Try to avoid them.

1 Not using the handbrake

The parking brake is there for exactly what its name says: you should always use it after parking, to leave the car secured. Not doing so and trusting that the car is already locked by leaving a gear engaged is a bad idea, as it puts the strain on the transmission components and can cause damage, especially when parking on very steep slopes. This applies to cars with a manual parking brake as well as those with an electrically operated handbrake.

2 Running the fuel tank down to the reserve

Are you one of those who runs the fuel tank down to the reserve? It’s not a good habit. When only a few litres remain in the tank, the pump that sends fuel to the engine, which sits submerged in the tank itself, has to work harder and is less well cooled. On top of that, the chances of air bubbles or impurities entering the system multiply, which is not good for the engine’s injection system or the fuel filter. So you know: if you’re going to have to refuel sooner or later anyway, better not to run it down to the reserve.

3 Not slowing down before a speed bump

By regulation, speed bumps, speed reducers or “sleeping policemen” must comply with the rules established for them. But it’s common to come across speed bumps that seem to have been placed without any criteria, and which are hard to cross without scraping the underside of the car, even in an SUV. Crossing these speed reducers –of whatever type– without slowing down puts extra strain on the suspension, which will shorten the life of your shock absorbers and can cause damage to the suspension mounts.

4 Mounting or getting too close to kerbs when parking

It may seem trivial, but parking by driving up onto the pavement or getting too close to kerbs is a very common practice that can cause far more problems than you might imagine. The easiest damage is scratching the alloy wheels, but it is also very easy to damage the tyres. The edge of a kerb is as sharp to the tyre sidewall as a knife. Small cuts, or the deformations they suffer if they hit the kerb or have to bear the weight of the car, can cause internal deformations that end up in cracks, bulges or non-visible damage that can have more serious consequences, such as a blowout.

But it’s not just the tyres. If you’re not careful when parking and the wheels hit the kerb violently –and you don’t need to be going fast to do so– it can also negatively affect steering alignment and tyre balance, or cause damage to shock absorbers, ball joints and other suspension elements.

5 Not keeping a safe following distance

Besides being dangerous, driving too close to the vehicle in front is like buying lottery tickets for the chance of ending up with a cracked windscreen. Windscreen cracks are usually caused by loose gravel thrown up towards the glass, something as easy to avoid as leaving enough distance and, above all, increasing it when driving on roads in poor condition or areas where dirty asphalt or loose gravel is visible.

6 Not cleaning the car after driving off-road

It’s true that almost nobody uses the popular SUVs off-road. But those who do would surely pass quickly through the car wash or use the pressure washer to clean the car instead of leaving it dirty for days on end. Mud that gets stuck inside the wheels ends up unbalancing them, which is bad for the tyres, steering and suspension. Similarly, a drive along a dirt track can let in large amounts of dust that render the air filter practically useless.

7 Switching off the engine suddenly without waiting a few seconds after motorway driving

If you’ve ever done spinning, at the end of the class the instructor will always remind you not to stop abruptly, and to keep pedalling lightly until your heart rate comes down. Something similar happens with the car engine: it’s not good to switch off the engine as soon as the vehicle stops, especially in turbocharged engines after they have been subjected to high demand. It’s advisable to wait around a minute, so that components such as the turbocharger shaft are not left without lubrication when the oil carbonises from the high temperature.

Don’t worry if the car has start-stop and in the situation mentioned –for example when reaching a toll booth after motorway driving– the engine switches off. If it does, it’s because it can. Many modern systems keep the cooling system of the turbocharger active even after the engine has been switched off.

8 Revving the engine before it has reached operating temperature

There are no excuses, not even if you’re in a hurry. Especially in winter, when the temperature is very low, starting the engine and setting off is not good. Even less so is working the engine at high revs by pushing through the gears when it hasn’t yet reached its optimal operating temperature. The oil under those conditions doesn’t flow smoothly through the lubrication circuit, and very serious failures can occur. Think about it. Can you really not spare 60 seconds while the oil warms up to fasten your seatbelt and select a radio station?

9 Driving in high gears with the engine at very low revs

It is also a cause of one of the most common breakdowns today, especially in diesel engines: driving with the engine at very low revs, particularly in high gears. Besides the overstrain on the engine, which can lead to breakage or greater wear, in these situations the engine produces a lot of carbon build-up, which ends up taking its toll on components such as the EGR valve, the catalytic converters or the particulate filters. As a rule, the ideal is to keep the engine, whenever possible, at a rev range close to where maximum torque is produced.

10 Keeping the clutch pressed when stopped

You’ve surely found yourself in this situation more than once: stopped at a traffic light, in first gear with the clutch pressed, waiting for it to turn green. Or in a traffic jam, moving forward half a metre before stopping again. But you should know that while you keep the clutch pressed, internal friction occurs and its components are put under strain that can cause unwanted failures. Believe it or not, the clutch wears much more that way than by pressing and releasing the pedal as many times as necessary. When you stop, it’s better to select neutral and forget about the clutch pedal until you have to move off again.

11 Using the gear lever as an armrest

Are you one of those who drive with your elbow resting on the window? Or perhaps one who rests a hand on the gear lever? Bad idea. Your hands should always be on the wheel, mainly for safety reasons. But in cars with a manual gearbox, resting your hand on the gear lever can lead to premature wear of some transmission components, due to the pressure we unintentionally apply to the lever. It’s unlikely, but the possibility exists. Better to avoid it.

12 Shifting quickly from reverse to first –or vice versa– when parking

Another very common manoeuvre that wreaks havoc on gearboxes: selecting first gear without waiting for the vehicle to come to a complete stop when you’re manoeuvring into a parking space and moving in reverse. Or the reverse, engaging reverse while the car is still moving forward, even at very low speed. You’ll hear the gearbox, especially the gears and synchronisers, complain with a characteristic sound when the gears “grind”. And if they complain, it’s for a reason.

13 Overusing neutral or the brakes on long descents

Many drivers have the bad habit of overusing the brakes on long descents instead of using lower gears to take advantage of engine braking. Not to mention those who put the car in neutral, with the mistaken belief that this saves more fuel, along with the safety risk that entails. Using a lower gear to help maintain speed is not harmful to the engine even though it revs higher, whereas overusing the brakes increases wear on the discs and pads, and can cause the discs to warp or shorten the useful life of the brake fluid, reducing the system’s effectiveness.

14 Driving with an excessive load

It’s common sense: the heavier your car, the greater the strain on all mechanical components: engine, suspension, brakes… And of course, higher fuel consumption too. It’s not a matter of leaving your MPV’s seats at home or doing without the spare wheel. But don’t leave things permanently in the car that you won’t need.

15 Not checking tyre pressure

One of the worst habits a driver can have. Firstly, because as the only point of contact with the road, the tyres form part of the vehicle’s so-called “safety triangle”, together with suspension and brakes. Secondly, because something as simple as checking the pressures once a month, or adjusting them according to use –speed and load– extends tyre life and ensures even wear.

Other information of interest

–10 tips to avoid scares when taking your car to the workshop
–New MOT: the changes that affect you from 2018
– By following these tips you can look after your car’s windscreen.