Five Mistakes Drivers Make with their Cars
Whether it’s a shiny, new sports car or the old family pickup, a car should be treated with a modicum of respect. We wouldn’t allow anyone to throw rocks at our car, even a very old or worn one, yet we sometimes ‘throw rocks’ at our cars by treating the car poorly.
Some of the biggest mistakes are listed below:
Driving it too Hard
Whether it’s slamming it into reverse before the car is at a complete stop or hitting curbs on a regular basis, rough driving can take its toll on a vehicle in the form of tires, repair bills or unnoticed damage. Take a few seconds to let the car warm up instead of peeling out of the driveway. Avoid reckless speed-and-brake habits in heavy traffic. Don’t dock your car on the concrete parking space stop or sidewalk. The car will last longer and be in better shape.
Not Doing the Maintenance
In our last blog, we offered some maintenance tips to teach young drivers. But, those maintenance suggestions are suitable for every driver. One thing some drivers do is check the fluids and tires every single morning. While we recognize that everyone doesn’t drive a fleet truck, it isn’t out of the bounds of reason to check the fluids on a car once a week or when it’s time to fill the gas tank. It doesn’t take much more time to walk around the car to look for a nail in one of the tires than it does to look in the closest mirror for breakfast jam or toast crumbs.
Not Keeping it Clean
We all have that friend who starts to paw the pile of rubble from the passenger seat into the back seat like a digging dog when we happen to need to ride in their car. Old food spoils, almost-empty cups leak and make stains, newspapers can contain bugs, and before long, the car begins to suffer. The easiest way to avoid spots, stains, and smells is to ‘pack it out’ whenever exiting the vehicle. If the trash can’t be removed immediately, it should be a priority item, perhaps by bringing a trash bag to the car on the next ride.
Not keeping it Locked
An unlocked car is an invitation for every thief and derelict within ten miles to rifle through the contents of the vehicle. A car deserves more respect than that. Keep it locked. Even if there is nothing of value in the car, a sneaky thief could read loose mail (see our previous tip) or the car insurance card or registration, which will tell him exactly where the owner isn’t when the car is parked there. Or, as one unhappy car owner discovered, he could set fire to the upholstery just for fun.
Not having an owner’s manual
Even when a person buys a canary, he or she takes the time to read the 14-page book on how to care for it. So, after spending $28,000 on a car ($521.75 a month before taxes), a wise driver takes the time to read every jot and tittle of the owner’s manual--because it’s excellent to know what the lightning bolt warning light means and the location of the emergency flasher knob.
Hopefully, this has presented another perspective on car kindness, which can be compared to a series of tiny little gestures during every ride which may eliminate freeway breakdowns, blowouts, and unscheduled engine replacement.
If you are in the Phoenix Metro area and want a no-hassle cash offer on an old, wrecked, unwanted, salvage or burned car, SUV, van or truck, give us a call at I Buy Junk Cars 480-771-8290.