If you own a car, keeping it in top shape is obviously in your best interest. After all, who wants to spend their precious time visiting service centers and fixing car troubles?
Owning a car comes with its fair share of obligations. There are checks you have to perform each week, month or year to ensure that your vehicle remains in great condition. And similarly, there are things you should absolutely never do, if you want to keep your vehicle as fit as a fiddle.
It is not only to maintain the car but this would allow you to prevent claims that are unnecessary and therefore keep your car insurance premium low. From the Souqalmal car insurance platform, you can get quotes directly from insurance providers within 30 mins and check for yourself
Read through this list to see if you’ve accidentally been committing any of the following mistakes both on and off the driving seat.
Over-inflating the tires of your car
Over-inflating your car tires is just as risky as leaving them under-inflated. When you pump too much air into your tires, not only are you jeopardizing your comfort and safety, but also the life of the tires. Over-inflating can lead to an increase in air pressure inside the tire, which can cause it to wear out unevenly and more rapidly. It will also result in an uncomfortable and bumpy ride for you, since the excess air pressure reduces the tire’s shock absorbing capacity.
Using the wrong coolant for your car
If you opt to buy and use a coolant or antifreeze yourself, make sure you’re using the right brand and type that’s best for your car. The prescribed variety is usually mentioned in your car manual. Using the wrong coolant can lead to corrosion in the engine system. Eventually, it can wreck your engine and impair the performance of your car. It would be a good idea to visit an authorized service center to check if you’ve been using the right coolant or not. If not, a mechanic should assess the damage if any, and flush the coolant if required.
[Related: Should you repair or replace your car?]
Driving with your oil warning light on
When your car display screen shows a low-oil warning light, you must pull over and turn off the engine. It signals that the oil level in your car is too low and it would be dangerous to be keep driving without fixing the problem. The warning light could indicate an oil leak or damaged oil pump as well. If you’re ever caught in such a situation, simply park your car at a safe spot, call for assistance and have your car towed to the repair center.
Driving with less than a quarter tank of fuel
If you’re the type of person who likes living on the edge and driving your car on a nearly empty petrol tank, you probably don’t realize how bad that is for your car. First up, the fuel gauge may not be entirely accurate and the actual fuel level may be lower than what you see on the display. Further, running on low fuel can also cause the fuel pump to wear out prematurely. You should make a point to top off your petrol tank when it reaches the quarter-full mark. In the long run, this can help you avoid costly repairs.
Driving your car when it’s overheating
On the off chance that it’s a hot day and you’re stuck driving in a rush hour gridlock or going up a lofty slope, ‘engine overheating’ is a conceivable possibility. Your car display may indicate overheating in the engine, and if you continue to drive, you’re increasing the risk of damage to your car. The first thing to do if your vehicle starts to overheat, is to kill the air conditioning and open the windows. Next, by turning on the warmer you can channel the heat from your engine into your cabin. Attempt to park your car safely and contact the service center to have your vehicle towed and fixed.
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