Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars
Two thirds of all Americans aged 18-24 cannot find Iraq on a map; 33% couldn’t identify Louisiana; 47% couldn’t find India; 75% think English was the most widely spoken language in the world. People are idiots, and this isn’t a uniquely American phenomenon, it’s worldwide. The majority of human beings on Earth are stone dumb. Being dumb, most people do dumb things, like unknowingly destroy their car.
So we’ve assembled the top 10 everyday things people do to ruin their cars, to help guide you through your own stupidity, into the light. Check it:
1. Not Using The Parking Brake
It’s a little pedal near your left leg, or a lever on your right. Yes, that mysterious device that you’ve never used is actually valuable. When you park on an incline, or even on fairly steady ground, without using the parking brake, you’re putting all of the stress of the car on your transmission. The only thing inside that transmission holding your car steady is a little pin called a parking pawl. By using the parking brake, you lock up the non-drive wheels as well as the drive wheels and take the stress off of the transmission. It’ll add years of life to your cars transmission. Just remember to disengage it before you start driving again.
2. Not Coming To A Complete Stop Before Shifting
So you’re in a rush, and you pull out of a parking space and shift into drive while the car is still coasting backwards. You’ve just added months of wear to your transmission in seconds. Inside your transmission is a complex set of gears, when you shift without stopping like that, you’re asking those gears to work as your brakes, which puts an amazing amount of stress on such a small area. You can also damage your drive shafts, the things that send power to the wheels, by shifting that way. After a while, it’ll lead to sloppy suspension handling, and a worn out transmission.
3. Riding The Brakes Down A Hill
If you are driving on a hill that goes on for a while, you’ll want to avoid riding the brake the whole time. Alternate between braking and letting off the brake so you don’t heat up and wear out your brake pads. It’s a common mistake, because it feels like the safest way to maneuver down a hill, but if the hill is sufficiently long, you can end up almost totally wearing out your pads, since as they heat up, they wear faster.
4. Forgetting To Change The Oil
You need to change your oil every 5,000 miles at the most. That’s really all there is to it. I actually read a blog online that said you can wait until your oil light comes on to change your oil. I’ve worked in the automotive business… by the time your oil light comes on, the oil inside your engine has turned into jet black molasses and is of no use to your engine. In the short term, I suppose it’s not that important, but more frequent changes can actually double the life of your car and greatly increase its performance.
5. Pressure Washing The Engine
I can respect a person’s desire to want a clean engine. It gets grimy under there and a guy with a pressure washer is a dangerous thing for grime - you want to point it at anything even slightly dirty. But a grimy engine that runs right is better than a clean engine that doesn’t run at all. And if you spray a high powered jet of water around rubber seals and hoses and electrical bits, you’re bound to dislodge something important. A modern engine is a complex thing, all manner of sensors and wiring harnesses and components, and it’s no place for a jet of high pressure water. A regular garden hose is OK if you want to wash it down, just be careful with the high pressure business.
6. Starting Your Car The Wrong Way
It seems simple, but you can make a big difference by turning off your radio, wipers, climate control, all of those accessories, when you start the car. Most of the wear on the engine happens when you start the car, and by turning off those accessories, your engine doesn’t have to work as hard when starting.
Another thing people do is revving the engine in the winter. This actually doesn’t help “warm up” the car. Although it does technically make the engine hotter, it’s not the kind of “warming up” that you want. Revving your engine in the winter causes extreme temperature changes right away, which is actually the opposite of what you want. When you start the car, the oil hasn’t yet worked its way through the system, so the engine is working without lubricant. The right way to do it is just let the car sit and idle for about 30 seconds to a minute at the least.
7. Ignoring Your Car’s Sounds
Every sound your car makes means something, if you pay attention, your car can usually tell you exactly what needs fixing. Those squeaking brakes mean you need new pads, and if you ignore that sound, eventually you’ll hear scraping metal, which means you need new rotors, and if you ignore that, you’ll eventually hear the sound of your own scream as you lose your brakes completely and fly off a cliff in a spectacular fireball of death. It’s more common than you think. Listen to your car.
8. Letting The Interior Go
You’re in a rush again, and you eat most of your disgusting egg and cheese bagel, and toss the rest in the wrapper on the passenger seat. Lovely. You know who you are, your car is filthy, never been vacuumed, 15 air fresheners hang on the mirror, and yet, no air freshener made by mortal man can stop the sickening wind within your car. You need to clean it. If you don’t vacuum your carpets and clean out the garbage every so often, you’ll develop a smell that is impossible to destroy. I’ve worked in the auto salvage business, and I know that there exist smells that are so obscene, so inhuman, that no shampoo can vanquish them. The only way to stop them is to never let them develop. Clean your car, for the sake of all mankind.
9. Running Your Car Down To Empty
There’s actually a bit of a debate about this one. The old wisdom says if your car gets down to E, the sediment in your tank will get sucked into the system and foul your fuel injectors. Although some mechanics says thats not true. Either way, running down to E does pose other problems. You cut the life of the fuel pump considerably, since the fuel actually cools the pump.
An interesting note: Most cars can drive another 60 miles+ after they hit Empty, automakers call this extra gas the “buffer zone”. US cars have the largest “buffer zone” of any vehicles. German drivers, for instance, like to know exactly how much gas in is the car, so their “buffer zone” between the gauge’s E and the actual empty tank is much smaller.
10. Driving Past Attractive Women
This is a common mistake, especially among younger male drivers. Attractive women can be incredibly damaging to your vehicle, they can cause the driver to install bizarre over-sized woofers or 22 inch rims, or even spontaneously crash the car into a nearby tree or telephone pole. When you’re driving, be careful to avoid swimming pools, beaches, college campuses, anyplace where beautiful girls assemble in any significant numbers. Your car will thank you.
Also check-out: 10 WTF Bumper Stickers
GASP, is that the tail end of a VOLVO I see in that water? The horror, the pure, unadulterated horror…
Words by Suzanne Denbow on October 3, 2008 at 2:41 pm | #
I’ve noticed that pressing the gas instead of the brake has pretty disastrous results as well (possibly per that picture above)
Words by vlane.com on October 3, 2008 at 8:13 pm | #
Great information, all quite usable and helpful. Now, if you could only get people to quit using aero mod kits on cars that are never going to go fast enough to benefit from them.
At least, no one hangs dice from their mirrors anymore. See the Wikipedia entry for “Auto accessories, paleo era.”
Words by Terry Parkhurst on October 3, 2008 at 11:19 pm | #
You forgot the common practice of using the “drive” transmission position as a brake for “reverse”.
This will ruin a transmission a lot faster than not using the parking brake.
Words by agnerrah on October 4, 2008 at 8:35 am | #
This is awesome, I am about to forward it to my friends at work…
Words by Sadrack B on October 4, 2008 at 3:02 pm | #
The number 10 had me laughing for a good five minutes before I moved on.
Words by Nik on October 4, 2008 at 3:04 pm | #
Nice.
I really liked the parking brake suggestion.
Damn good, mate.
Great article.
Words by name on October 4, 2008 at 3:08 pm | #
The parking brake normally only engages the rear 2 wheels. Not all four as your article indicates.
Words by Sam on October 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm | #
Of course when you’re all grown up you can get to drive a car with a manual transmission
Words by Mark on October 4, 2008 at 3:31 pm | #
Maybe they also need less buffer because their country has 1/27th of the U.S.’s surface area.
Words by jen on October 4, 2008 at 3:39 pm | #
Some of this article is good. Some of it is crap.
2. This is what syncros do. If you have a good tranny, it’s no problem. As long as the tranny has spun down, you’ll be fine. The engine speed is irrelevant as long as you apply the clutch slowly.
6. This is utter crap. Almost every car since the 70’s and 80’s have a switch in the ignition. When you start the car, the switch kills power to EVERYTHING but the starter/start solenoid, and the engine itself. Don’t believe me? Turn on your radio, and start your car. It will turn off. To be fair, this is for American cars. But I can’t imagine it doesn’t apply to any others.
Words by Try Again on October 4, 2008 at 3:45 pm | #
Being a car guy myself, I only DON’T have a problem with 8, 9 (mostly, the buffer zone bit is far too general and optimistic) and 10. If the author reads this, you’re welcome to contact me and we can debate about it
1-7 there is too many flaws in it for me to recommend it to any true auto-idiots :\
Words by Formula350 on October 4, 2008 at 3:51 pm | #
Learn to drive a shift transmission and lessons 1 and 2 become redundant.
I driven both types and while automatics are confortable I can say I feel SO much more in control in a car with a proper transmission a shift stick and a clutch.
Big car or small car it does not matter. Shift transmission in both still feels more controlable that automatic in either.
Words by Duncan on October 4, 2008 at 3:53 pm | #
Inflating your tires is VERY important,
I had an F-150 that I had a really slow loss in air pressure in the right front. Long story short I had to replace all four tires because it was pulling to the right and made all the tires wear abnormally.
Words by Justin on October 4, 2008 at 3:54 pm | #
The biggest problem with running your tank to empty isn’t the accumulation of solids in the tank (which is minimal, if any at all). Rather, by allowing the tank to fill with water vapor in the air you promote an oxidizing atmosphere (i.e. it will rust more quickly). If the tank is kept full of fuel this air is displaced out of the tank and kept to a minimum.
Words by Steven on October 4, 2008 at 4:00 pm | #
Great article!
Item #9: they’re “buffer zone” –> their “buffer zone”
Words by TG on October 4, 2008 at 4:02 pm | #
And THEY’RE and THEIR! Chrissakes!
Words by Jesus on October 4, 2008 at 4:05 pm | #
It’s actually the tail end of a 4 door Civic and I feel like this is all common sense… anyone else?
Words by Anonymous on October 4, 2008 at 4:08 pm | #
The bloke(s) who wrote this article probably know better than anyone. *cough*
Words by Bob on October 4, 2008 at 4:15 pm | #
Save fuel and wear and tear by coasting more - no need to speed up to red lights or stale greens.
And if you’re coasting down a steeper slope, downshift instead of constantly applying your brakes.
Also, keep an empty tennis ball container under the passenger seat in case of traffic jams or long journeys when you HAVE to go. It may save your upholstery…
Words by West Coaster on October 4, 2008 at 4:16 pm | #
Consumer reports did test using New York City taxicabs and proved that it is a waste of money to change your oil as often as the author recommends. The 3000-6000 mile guideline only does a good job in lining the pockets of mechanics and the oil industry.
Words by Bob Bohannon on October 4, 2008 at 4:22 pm | #
Also worth mentioning, as these may be “everyday things” for some people:
Crashing the car while intoxicated
Crashing the car while lighting up a cigarette, talking (even arguing) on the phone, putting on makeup or adjusting the radio
Crashing the car while running a red light
Crashing the car due to “tailgating” (following too close)
Crashing the car due to failing to signal a lane change
Inviting rust damage by never washing the car
Words by Ruggy on October 4, 2008 at 4:30 pm | #
Also, if you do decide to wash your engine, make sure its cooled down. Cool water on a hot engine is an easy way to crack the head or damage other very hot parts.
Words by Peter on October 4, 2008 at 4:31 pm | #
I would use my parking break more often if it wasn’t broken. That can also bring up another bad thing; driving with your parking break on.
Words by Cory on October 4, 2008 at 4:37 pm | #
Well I wouldnt go as far as to say people are incredibly stupid for not doing these things. These are actually some pretty good tips. And at suzanne, that looks more like a honda civic to me than a volvo.
Words by Seth on October 4, 2008 at 4:37 pm | #
On the oil bit, 5,000 miles as a max is subjective. It all depends on the TYPE of oil the car engine has in it. The synthetics can run upwards to 10-13k miles no problem. But it is good for proper ownership to periodically check your engine oil. Ambient temperature, driving style, and age of the engine all make a difference in how long your oil will keep. However, for a driver who doesn’t drive that much and expects to keep the same oil the whole year, that is also another mistake. the oil ages as it sits in the pan and loses its ability to properly lubricate the engine. — If you want to keep your engine in peak performance…dont be a shitty driver.
Words by mechanix on October 4, 2008 at 4:39 pm | #
I like how TFA mentioned not revving the engine in winter. I would also add:
Never rev the engine.
No fast starts from stop light/signs
Accelerate at an even pace, it is not a race up to the speed limit
Drive nice and easy, no stomping on the gas, while the car is cold in all weather.
If you drive a manual transmission when you choose to up shift can affect your mileage drastically. Shift out of first at about 10mph. I let the cars momentum carry me up to 23ish before shifting to third. Same for fourth and fifth gear too. I get over 35mpg in the city!
Words by vornan19 on October 4, 2008 at 4:57 pm | #
First time I ever had a reasonable explanation as to why to use the parking brake.
Why didn`t they teach me that in drivers education class?
Thanks mate!
Words by dennis on October 4, 2008 at 5:23 pm | #
“75% think English was the most widely spoken language in the world.”
That depends on what you mean by “most widely spoken.” Yes Mandarin has the most total speakers worldwide, but it is only spoken in 5 countries, whereas English is spoken in 115. Just sayin’..
Extracted from included link
————————————————-
The following is a list of these languages in terms of the number of countries where each is spoken. The number that follows is the total number of countries that use that language (from Weber, 1997):
1. English (115)
2. French (35)
3. Arabic (24)
4. Spanish (20)
5. Russian (16)
6. German (9)
7. Mandarin (5)
8. Portuguese (5)
9. Hindi/Urdu (2)
10. Bengali (1)
11. Japanese (1)
Words by Spence Walters on October 4, 2008 at 5:41 pm | #
i had an idiot friend that claimed the parking brake was for “emergencies only”, i am glad i can use yet another article to call bullshit on his great wisdom of cars….
Words by rofl-saurus on October 4, 2008 at 6:20 pm | #
Don’t forget crashing them into houses!
Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org
Words by hall monitor on October 4, 2008 at 6:20 pm | #
im an amaerican , i buy my cars so i can destroy them at my will
Words by Lasher on October 4, 2008 at 6:42 pm | #
i cant fucken spell
Words by Lasher on October 4, 2008 at 6:43 pm | #
Changing oil frequently will not increase your cars performance, although it will maintain it.
Words by mechanicman on October 4, 2008 at 6:54 pm | #
I have never heard of a transmision parking pawl failing…they are
quite strong and the function works well.
The biggest reason to use your parking brake once in a while, if you live
in a wet climate, is to ensure that the associated cables, etc haven’t rusted up and become inoperable.
Other than that use the transmission’s Park position as that is what
is designed for.
Words by Bob Downs on October 4, 2008 at 7:25 pm | #
@Suzanne Denbow:
Nope, it’s a Suzuki
Words by Jonathan Barnett on October 4, 2008 at 7:41 pm | #
The parking brake use is mandatory in Australia. I was always puzzled by North America’s reluctance to use it.
By the way, English is the most widely spoken language in the world judging by geographical distribution. It just isn;t spoken by the most people.
Words by Bubba on October 4, 2008 at 7:44 pm | #
Good article, although you could go a little easier on the “everyone is an idiot” thing. Afterall, I’m in the software industry and I’m sure I could expound for days on all the stupid shit YOU do to your computer! (Note this is just a hypothetical, you may also be into computers, etc., but I seek merely to highlight the fact that there is some piece of equipment or appliance that we all use on a daily basis that we’re probably using “stupidly”).
Systems like cars and computers are too complex for a layman to know some (SOME, not all) of these things. And then even when they do know them, they’re often just not cognitive of the consequences at all times.
One could argue that your (ab)use of the English language in this article is a good example :).
Words by Andrew on October 4, 2008 at 7:59 pm | #
Great article! The oil change period will always be argued, but 5000 miles is a good number to use unless you’re tech enough to know more specifics. All three of our cars get changes at 4-6K, and the oil looks, feels, and smells nasty at that point. I’d like to do it more often. Compared to engine repair, 25 bucks for a change a couple times a year is cheap insurance.
Words by Bill Vincent on October 4, 2008 at 8:02 pm | #
Thanks for posting this, though your intro is a bit misleading. Most people never get told these things, and if they aren’t an auto mechanic, how are they supposed to know what puts stress on the transmission. What’s stupid is that this kind of knowledge isn’t taught commonly for new car owners. I’ve always been under the impression the parking break was just an extra safety check for steep inclines.
Words by Ryan on October 4, 2008 at 8:32 pm | #
what about leaving the AC plugs in the cigar lighter? i leave 2 plugged in, 1 mp3 player and 1 GPS using a splitter. do they drain the battery power more than i think they do?
Words by J on October 4, 2008 at 9:33 pm | #
> The only thing inside that transmission holding your car steady is a little pin called a parking pawl.
Haha- you drive an automatic.
> It seems simple, but you can make a big difference by turning off your radio, wipers, climate control, all of those accessories, when you start the car. Most of the wear on the engine happens when you start the car, and by turning off those accessories, your engine doesn’t have to work as hard when starting.
Haha- you’re fucking retarded.
Words by scosol on October 4, 2008 at 9:49 pm | #
Most of these are just common scene for people out side the US I guess. The parking break also isn’t meant to be used as a method of turning.
Words by Darryl on October 4, 2008 at 10:17 pm | #
The parking brake business is how I was taught to drive…not too mention it’s invaluable for getting up a hill in a manual. How do you crazy people not even know where it is?
To Sam, who says the parking brake only engages two wheels not four as the article states -
The article actually states that by using the parking brake /in conjunction/ with having the car in ‘park’ (as I’m assuming that’s what most people do if they aren’t using the parking brake and they’re obviously not driving standard transmissions) brakes on all four wheels are engaged. Which is true.
Words by Liam on October 4, 2008 at 10:51 pm | #
This all seems like common sense to me.
I like vornan19’s comment about coasting and accelerating reasonably.
In general, I’m sure people know that what they’re doing is stupid. They just choose to do it anyway. You choose which is more detestable.
Words by Anonymous on October 4, 2008 at 10:54 pm | #
LOL, I dunno about the driving past attractive women, I kinda like that one myself.
Jiff
http://www.privacy-center.ru.tc
Words by Jimm Mason on October 4, 2008 at 11:15 pm | #
#11: Driving slow in the left lane. Read the signs people, they say slower traffic keep to the right. Then I won’t be inclined to ride your bumper as I happen to be one who enjoys driving faster than the general public. This will increase the life of your car seeing as how I want to shoot out your tires every time you won’t let me pass.
#12: Road Rage. Its not good for anyone. Especially me. But some of us were born with it. Especially me.
Words by Road Rager on October 5, 2008 at 12:02 am | #
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Pingback by Fiona Fingers And Other Reasons To Avoid College Marching Bands - Class Conflict: The Graduate Student Blog - Graduate student Brandon Mendelson - Albany NY - Times Union on October 5, 2008 at 12:45 am | #
you can downshift when going downhill (#3)
also, if you use synthetic you can technically go longer than 5k without an oil change..
Words by Krazd on October 5, 2008 at 2:52 am | #
For all those saying things in this article are rubbish, hes actually talking about a car with AUTOMATIC transmission. Very good advice. All stuff Ive been weary of.
Words by Michael on October 5, 2008 at 3:07 am | #
The illustration shows that stupidity is a worldwide disease. The picture was taken in Budapest, Hungary (I actually live next street). A pipe was broken but the driver thought that it’s only gonna be a small pond she can drive through. As it turned out, she couldn’t. And it’s a Suzuki Swift, by the way.
Words by ddd on October 5, 2008 at 4:12 am | #
Protip #1:Automatic transmission fluid can be used in the power steering pump.
Protip #2:For you Eskimos get a block heater….don’t forget to plug it in @ night.
Protip #3:Use lemon/water to clean your interior etc.. armor all & other products eat/fade interiors.
Protip #4:Use fuel injector cleaner once a month.
Potip #5:Fuzzy dice are cool…..forever.
Words by esoter1c on October 5, 2008 at 5:02 am | #
#10 yeah, anytime i pass by a gorgeous woman i start howling. There’s a famous spanish group which made famous with a song: “due to your skirt i had a crash against another car” “por la raja de tu falda tuve un piñazo contra un seat panda” estopa.
Words by required on October 5, 2008 at 6:42 am | #
@Nik: You laughed at number 10 for a whole five minutes? Seriously, get out more. And moved on to what - the comments? If not, how are you back commenting if you’ve already “moved on”?
My God but the Internet is a breeding ground for morons… and articles like this, containing largely common sense items (debatable or not), tend to draw them out of the woodwork.
I miss Web 1.0.
Words by Zayne S Halsall on October 5, 2008 at 9:51 am | #
More people understand English than ANY other language. I’m not saying that English is the PRIMARY language of most people, but more people understand it than any other. It is the accepted international business language.
Words by someguy on October 5, 2008 at 10:15 am | #
Great tips, especially number 10, which made me wreck my car and lose my girlfriend in one hit.
Words by Ryan G on October 5, 2008 at 12:29 pm | #
“75% think English was the most widely spoken language in the world.” If you are going to call people idiots you may want to try getting your grammar correct first. It should be “think English is” or “thought English was.”
Words by Matt on October 5, 2008 at 2:35 pm | #
Modern engines have an oil analysis system which actually tells you when to change your oil. Oil these days is a very good quality product even if its bought in a dollar store. On non-synthetics you can go 7500 easily, synthetics 10,000 miles or more, depending on driving habits.
Just because oil turns black doesn’t mean it has stopped working. Oil turns black almost immediately after you put new oil in your car.
Words by Rick Cain on October 5, 2008 at 4:40 pm | #
I see a lot of people riding their clutch at stop lights on hills instead of using the brake.
Words by dudehammer on October 5, 2008 at 8:01 pm | #
[...] Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars Two thirds of all Americans aged 18-24 cannot find Iraq on a map; 33% couldn?t identify Louisiana; 47% couldn?t find India; 75% think English was the most widely spoken language in the world. People are idiots, and this isn?t a uniquely American phenomenon, it?s worldwide. The majority of human beings on Earth are stone dumb. Being dumb, most people do dumb things, like unknowingly destroy their car. So we?ve assembled the top 10 everyday things people do to ruin their cars, to help guide you through your own stupidity, into the light. Check it: Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars [...]
Pingback by Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars - Personal Finance Forums on October 5, 2008 at 9:19 pm | #
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Pingback by How people ruin there cars - StrafeRight Forums on October 6, 2008 at 12:08 am | #
Wow! This is great! As a woman, men tend to believe I am not as able to manage car issues. I can diagnose a car of any type for most anything just by driving it or listening to it or to what a person says is wrong with it. I just do not have mechanic skills to boast about… anyway- I have been trying to “teach” these tips to my husband, yeah boys that’s right, I know more about cars than my very masculine husband! lol It’s okay, we laugh about it. I came across this on digg and oh man, it is cracking me up and it is so good, I am forwarding it to him, oops, then he will see this (not good lol) um… I mean, I am so printing this! LOL Have a great week!
hahaha
Words by Wendy on October 6, 2008 at 12:23 am | #
On #5, one of my first jobs was washing cars at a local dealership and we washed the engine of every new and used car that came into that lot and I never ever had a problem with a car afterwards. We are talking hundreds and hundreds of cars and I bet most dealerships do the same thing. If it was ruining cars all the time they wouldn’t be doing it.
Words by Mark on October 6, 2008 at 10:05 am | #
Dennis Simanitis did a column some years back where he actually measured brake temperatures. The result was that pulsing heats up drums and discs more than steady pressure, no matter how long the interval.
Pulsing adds a great deal of heat quickly, and it takes long enough to dissipate that the net result is greater heat gain. You’re also more likely to warp your discs that way, and will wear out pads faster.
Words by proscriptus on October 6, 2008 at 10:15 am | #
1. Cleaning your engine when the engine is still hot is a horrible idea.
2. Running the car until the car hits empty/bottom of the gas tank is a bad idea; it happened to my girlfriend. There was so much sediment at the bottom of her gas tank that when it was siphoned, the gas filter clogged, stalling the car completely. It took us a while to clean all the gunk and get it running properly again.
Words by steelfrog on October 6, 2008 at 1:04 pm | #
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Pingback by You blog like a girl » links for 2008-10-06 | Nina from the block, yo. on October 6, 2008 at 2:30 pm | #
Except no.3 all points are reasonable. No.3 is not. Nobody should put costs and money before safety. If the brake pads wear off in a month, so be it, I will gladly pay for new ones, but i will not do a perilous and unconfortable descent by braking intermintently. At least I will be safe downhill and be prepared to further slam the brake if needed.
Words by Cata on October 6, 2008 at 5:57 pm | #
How about respecting the “buffer zone” when going to the restroom? If there’s more than one empty stall next to mine, then I would prefer that you put at least one empty stall between us. There’s no reason so sit next to someone unless you have no choice.
Words by unbeta on October 6, 2008 at 7:41 pm | #
So in summary:
#1. Only matters if you drive an automatic, and then not very much.
#2. Seems to make sense. Yes, manual transmissions have synchros, but I imagine that the gearbox was not designed with the extra torque of rolling backwards in mind. On the other hand, first gear WAS designed to go from 0 to 3500 rpms in a second or two, so going from negative 10 rpms to 3500 in the same time period is probably not that much worse.
#3. Myth accoring to a prior comment who said that pumping the breaks is worse than steady pressure. No idea whether he’s right.
#4. 5k miles is probably a bit low for the upper limit between oil changes, but you can’t put if off forever.
#5. People pressure wash engines all the time, but having worked on a few cars, I can see how it could knock something loose every once in a while. Since there’s no non-aesthetic reason for doing it, probably better not to, but also probably not a huge deal either way.
#6. Myth. Even if there were no cut-off switch, a car engine can easily move several thousand pounds of steel and glass. The extra energy required to run the alternator a tiny bit harder in order to replace the drain on the battery coming from running the radio for a couple of seconds is minimal. I think the source of this myth is that in old cars with low batteries, the drain from the radio was sometimes enough to keep the starter from getting enough current, thus preventing the car from starting.
#7. Makes sense, though obvious.
#8. Agreed. Clean out your damn car!
#9. Myth. Think logically for a second about how the fuel gets out of the tank to be carried to the engine. Where do you suppose the opening in the tank is located? It has to be in a place that will still be submerged no matter how little gas is left in the tank. The only place that fits that description is the bottom of the tank. If there were sediment on the bottom of the tank it would get sucked in regardless of how full the tank was.
#10. Don’t suppose that I’ll go there…
Hate to be a jerk and criticize something that this guy obviously put a bunch of work into, but figured I’d try to set the record straight.
Words by John Smith on October 8, 2008 at 1:02 pm | #
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[...] According to RideLust, most people are ruining their cars on a daily basis. [...]
Pingback by » According to RideLust, most people are r … thrive on October 8, 2008 at 7:22 pm | #
what are you passionate about?
Words by digthemoment on October 9, 2008 at 3:42 pm | #
sorry guys…..starting your car with accessories on doesn’t hurt the car. the starter has an interrupt and once the car is started the accessories are free to kick in.
on a car with a low battery it appears to affect your start but in actuality all the juice goes to the starter.
Words by jamie on October 9, 2008 at 9:51 pm | #
i want more pix like the one posted at the beginning!!!!!
Words by jamie on October 9, 2008 at 9:51 pm | #
[...] day. Credit the original author. The Best Article Every day | Bspcn.Com aZk. Actually…. Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars And anywayz i didnt say i wrote it __________________ Thats all right, thats ok, I drive a [...]
Pingback by The top 10 everyday things people do to ruin their cars - Just Commodores on October 10, 2008 at 2:48 am | #
[...] Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars [...]
Pingback by Financial Stories From The Last Week - SavingAdvice.com Blog on October 11, 2008 at 7:48 am | #
[...] to your engine. Find out how + 8 other things that decrease your car’s life by reading Top 10 Everyday Things People Do to Ruin Their Cars. October 14, 2008 by latoya in your [...]
Pingback by » How You’re Softly Killing Your Car budgetingdaily.com: on October 14, 2008 at 10:28 pm | #
[...] Referenced from RideLust.com [...]
Pingback by Top 10 Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Cars | SlayerZ Inc. on October 15, 2008 at 12:28 am | #
[...] People are idiots, and this isn’t a uniquely American phenomenon, it’s worldwide. The majority of human beings on Earth are stone dumb. Being dumb, most people do dumb things, like unknowingly destroy their car. [...]
Pingback by Everyday Things People Do To Ruin Their Car | Mick Landers on October 20, 2008 at 1:14 pm | #
[...] good tips to extend the life of your car. Boring, I know but [...]
Pingback by + & - « My Milk Glass Heart on November 1, 2008 at 3:09 am | #
You forgot the most imprtant rule of all. If your car is really expensive don’t let women drive it. This mistake cost me $15,000 to fix the damage caused by my 63 split window Vette hitting somebodys house. No offense intended for those few women who can actually drive.
Words by brian on November 20, 2008 at 11:51 am | #