Three Common Ways to Ruin Your Car

I rely on my car to take me to work in the morning, run errands in the afternoon and sometimes pick up supper on the way home in the evening. Most days this ritual goes off without a hitch, it’s not until my car breaks down does it dawns me just how dependent I am on my car. Where I live any form mass transit is not practical. If you rely on your car as much as I do it can be tough hear that your car needs a major repair. Now imagine getting the devastating news that your car is ruined and you could have prevented it! This happens more that you think. Here are a few common ways we ruin our cars.

1. Overheating the Engine

This is probably the quickest way to ruin your car without knowing it. Ignoring this problem can warp cylinders or destroy your head gasket which can easily lead to repairs that start at a few thousand dollars. Engines overheat for a variety of reasons. One common cause is a faulty thermostat.  While this problem is inexpensive to fix on most cars ignoring it will cost you thousands of dollars. Another common cause is problems with the radiator. These problems can be me more complex and expensive, but it’s still peanuts in comparison. A more long term cause is the breakdown that happens to your anti-freeze over time. There are a couple of ways that you make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Start by having your radiator serviced and anti-freeze flushed as often as recommended by the preventative maintenance schedule found in your owner’s manual Watch the temperature gauge on your car and make a mental note of the normal range for your car. Your car running above normal temperature is a clue that something may be wrong. If you car does overheat pull over immediately and have your car towed to a repair shop. Don’t risk driving to a repair shop because even a few miles could cause significant damage. Take it from someone who learned this lesson the hard way early in life.

2. Neglecting your transmission

After the engine, your transmission is the most complex and expensive part of your car. The vast majority of cars today have automotive transmissions and we pay little attention them beyond placing are car is drive, reverse or park. What we don’t realize is how many parts are moving in perfect harmony every time we drive down the road. Neglecting your transmission is a sure way to get an expensive reminder of how complex they are. Fortunately taking care of your transmission is fairly easy. Again, start by having your transmission flushed and the filter changed as often as recommended by the preventative maintenance schedule found in your owner’s manual. Another good tip is if you often tow a lot of weight with your vehicle we would recommend following the severe preventative maintenance schedule as a minimum. Getting the fluid flushed and the filter changed is a preventative maintenance item that is often overlooked so if you are buying a used car get it changed right away unless the previous owner has a record of it being done recently.

3. Forgetting preventive maintenance

All of us have busy lives and sometimes preventive car maintenance has to take a back seat to other important events, but don’t put it off for too long. Failing to take care of the small and inexpensive repairs recommended in your owner’s manual can quickly lead to major problems down the road.  Ignore it at your own risk. This preventive maintenance schedule is the best guide on what needs to be done and when for your car.

No one wishes to get stranded on the side of the road. Besides dealing with major repairs can be a big headache. Avoid these three common mistakes so you can focus more on the important things in your life.

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