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Are You Killing Your Car.


wyze
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Ok so this article contains a few obvious pointers but there are a few things that I have to admit to doing myself and I never realised it was killing my car.

So have a read of the list, do you agree with the points raised? (Does putting your hand on the gearstick really cause damage? How important is it to cool down a turbo after a spirited drive?)

Are you damaging your car

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I doubt that point with the hand on gearstick will cause extra wear on the gearbox. It might do if you have the gearbox right under the gearstick and the gear stick has direct contact with the gearbox. That sounds like it will not be a problem if you have a front wheel driven car with cables from the gearstick to the gearbox.

I have learned that it is less dangerous to put load on the engine when it is rather cold than it is to not let the engine to cool of before you stop it.

Well, I have to admit that I accelerate a bit too fast when the engine is not warm enough. I try to not doing it, but obviously I live too close to the motorway. And mostly I have to use the motorway to work etc... I have noticed that doing that the engine use more oil than if I am not that heavy feeted.

I also drive too short distances. From home to school in the morning and in the evening driving the son to different activities. I try to get him to understand that things are within walking distance, but it is hard for a 6 year old to understand that especially when it is dark and rainy. It was easier when it was warm and we could use the bikes.

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  • 8 months later...

Some people have no mechanical sensibilities whatsoever. My neighbour (quite a few years ago) was one such person. Being in a car with her in the driving seat was a hair raising experience. She had been taught in a car with automatic transmission and treated the pedals in a manual like on/off switches. The engine would be revving its nuts off or nearly stalling before she remembered she had to change gear. She even habitually went up to the top floor in multi-story car parks because there were fewer cars up there for her to hit while trying to park!

Some of those points sound a bit like the old "don't let the handbrake click as you pull it because you'll wear the ratchet out." Most probably technically correct but hardly relevant unless you're applying it a thousand times a day.

As far as the hand on gearstick problem - shouldn't have a hand on the gear lever all the time anyway, the steering wheel is designed for two hands...

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Some people have no mechanical sensibilities whatsoever. My neighbour (quite a few years ago) was one such person. Being in a car with her in the driving seat was a hair raising experience. She had been taught in a car with automatic transmission and treated the pedals in a manual like on/off switches. The engine would be revving its nuts off or nearly stalling before she remembered she had to change gear. She even habitually went up to the top floor in multi-story car parks because there were fewer cars up there for her to hit while trying to park!

Some of those points sound a bit like the old "don't let the handbrake click as you pull it because you'll wear the ratchet out." Most probably technically correct but hardly relevant unless you're applying it a thousand times a day.

As far as the hand on gearstick problem - shouldn't have a hand on the gear lever all the time anyway, the steering wheel is designed for two hands...

what i hate is hearing people snatching a handbrake on as if they are trying to pull the lever out of the car.just needs light pressure on footbrake when applying hand brake.you can feel what pressure your applying.

does gear linkage no good if the gear lever is held all the time.

in the old Bedford lorries,the handbook used to advise against this habit as causing wear the the gear change linkage as the gearbox is fitted o the engine which is rubber mounted so box moves some,so holding the lever can cause wear.anyway thats what they claimed.

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I doubt that point with the hand on gearstick will cause extra wear on the gearbox.

Oh yes it does, take a look at the RAV and Avensis 5th gear issues, caused by people leaning on the gear stick, it is a well known cause of jumping out of fifth

Kingo :thumbsup:

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Resting your hand on the gearstick with the car in neutral shouldn't cause any additional wear on the gearbox but when it's in gear then the risk of wear and tear increases but the pressure would have to be directional to have any effect.

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Hurray...at last. A good reason for having an automatic :)

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Ok so this article contains a few obvious pointers but there are a few things that I have to admit to doing myself and I never realised it was killing my car.

So have a read of the list, do you agree with the points raised? (Does putting your hand on the gearstick really cause damage? How important is it to cool down a turbo after a spirited drive?)

Are you damaging your car

The items listed are very good points. I always let my Turbo cool down for at least 10 seconds (30 secs if on M-Way of uphill driving) and never rev it just befor you turn off as again the Turbo will be starved of oil. Driving in the correct gear is something I as a driving instructor teach to pupils ever day of the week so that when they have there cars they are not putting undue wear & tear and costing money that they need not spend.

Placing your hand on the gearstick will cause (As other have said) wear on the gear linkage over a period of time. And is dangerous while driving and will result in a failed "L" test.

Off with me driving instructors hat now! lol :!Removed!: :D B) :driving:

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Have to agree with all of those and the sad thing is that I do all of them (make my dad do them) except the 1-mile journey because we never do anything less! :lol:

I get so annoyed when people don't look after their cars, and it's only these few simple things that keep it going and save money.

KP

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