Routine maintenance or some standard problems with your car will lead you to bring in your vehicle at your local Milex Complete Auto Care or Mr. Transmission shop. However, there will sometimes be some unexpected circumstances that require service that can be preventable.
With our busy daily lives, we don’t always think about simple things we may be doing that can hurt the performance of our car. Here are a few things to keep in mind and prevent an unnecessary trip into the shop for service.
Driving near empty. Many people will wait to fill up on gas to when the needle hovers around “E,”. Maybe that is the sign that it is time for a refill. Other times you may be too busy to stop, or the price at a certain station may be a few cents high. Aside from taking the risk that you will not run out of gas or be unable to find a station nearby when you really need it, driving with a nearly empty tank can also damage your car.
The reason? The fuel pump is no longer sucking up gas when there’s nothing in the tank; it’s sucking up air. That can make the fuel pump hotter than it should be, and that can wear it out and break it. Try to keep your tank as far away from the “empty” as realistically possible.
Carrying a lot of extra, unnecessary weight in your car. Sometimes a car’s trunk can wind up looking like a storage closet, as you end up putting things in there and neglecting to take them out. One day you look and realize you’ve been hauling around some sports equipment, gardening tools and a few boxes of paperwork that has been all left in the trunk each day. The weight adds up, which means you’re putting stress on the car – and the heavier your car, the more fuel is gobbled up.
Leaving the wrong thing in your car. Sometimes you can leave the wrong things in your car, which can lead to problems. Double check to make sure you grab all your groceries when taking things inside, so you don’t accidently leave perishable items in the trunk or back seat. Other items can be sensitive to extreme hot or cold conditions, which can lead to leakage or explosion. An extreme case came in a recent news story about a 19-year-old who left a can of dry shampoo in her car. It got very hot inside the vehicle, and the shampoo contained some flammable ingredients. The bottle exploded and left a hole in the roof of the car.
Is it likely the same thing might happen to you? Probably not, but it’s a good reminder to all of us to think about what we leave behind in our car.
You also don’t want to leave valuables in your car, particularly if they are visible from the outside. If a thief sees them and your car door is locked, you could come back to find a broken window. That is another reason to keep in mind window tinting services from Alta Mere The Automotive Outfitters. Window tinting provides an added level of privacy and safety from potential thieves peering into your car to see what is available.
Colliding with a deer. If you live in an area populated with deer, you know all too well that this is something to pay close attention to when driving. The Insurance Information Institute has a lot of tips for avoiding deer. We won’t list all of them, but some of the highlights:
Be aware of the time of day that deer are most likely to be active: Sunset to midnight and shortly before and after sunrise.
Deer like to hang out with other deer: If you see one deer and pass it, there will likely be others nearby.
Deer have antlers, but you have a horn: If you see a deer, the Insurance Information Institute suggests slowing down and blowing the horn. Also, brake firmly and try to stay in your lane. You could make things much worse for you and your car if you end up in another lane and colliding with a car.
Ignoring obvious signs that your car needs to be looked at. One of the easiest ways to hurt your car is to simply put off getting regular oil changes or to put off getting your car inspected when you hear strange sounds, feel vibrations or see something wrong, like a check engine light going on.
If that’s the case, please drop by Milex the first chance you get. Hopefully it is nothing, but if it is something, spending a little money now could save you a lot of money later.
Don’t ignore the warning signs. Something is wrong with your car. If you keep putting off having your car looked at, you’re going to want to have your local tow truck company’s phone number on speed dial.
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