Nearly all people have poor driving habits that can result in damage to their vehicle. However, the more informed you are about what can cause damage the better driver you will become, helping to elongate the life of your car. There are several bad habits that many drivers have that can cause a transmission to suffer from premature wear and tear. These issues could result in a need for transmission repair or even a rebuild much earlier in the life of the transmission than it normally should. Be aware of these bad driving habits that take their toll on the transmission!
Driving in traffic
While this isn't so much about a bad habit as it's just the way things are in today's stop and go world, driving in traffic, especially with a stick shift, can cause major damage to the transmission. But there are things you can do to help avoid excessive wear on the clutch. Be sure to leave plenty of room between you and the next car so you can continuously drive without having to constantly shift gears. Try to keep the vehicle in second or third depending on the car and the speed and be sure to keep your foot off of the clutch!
Keeping your foot on the clutch
Perhaps one of the worst habits that people seem to have when driving a manual transmission vehicle is riding the clutch. This entails you not completely removing your foot from the clutch pedal after you shift. Even slight pressure on the clutch can result in minor contact between the flywheel and the pressure plate, which can generate excessive heat and result in premature wear of the clutch leading to a need for extensive repair.
Resting your hand on the shifter
By leaving your hand on the shifter of your standard transmission vehicle you are putting excess pressure on the sliders inside the transmission. This will cause them to wear out prematurely because of the preloading of the shift fork. If this is a habit you have you will notice a vibration coming from the shifter when the car is moving and in gear.
Parking on a hill with an automatic transmission
People tend to forget that there automatic transmission vehicle has a parking brake. Many people who park in a up and down facing spot on a hill will just put their car in park and leave it at that. This puts the weight of your vehicle on the transmission, causing excessive wear. The best way to park your vehicle on a hill is to bring it to a complete stop and while your foot is on the brake pedal engage the parking brake and then let your car settle up against the parking brake. Once the car has come to a stop against the brake you can than shift into park.
By breaking these habits you will help extend the life of your vehicle. However, all transmission will eventually need service or repair. If you do need transmission repair in Denton, TX, visit Strande's Garage. We offer high quality auto repair for all makes and models. To request an estimate for superior car repair in Denton give our team a call at (940) 566-2156 today.