5 Car Care Habits You Need to Stop Doing Now

For many drivers out there, a car is a sizeable and necessary investment. In a city like Orlando, a car is essential to commuting for work, pleasure, and everything in between. Investing several tens of thousands of dollars on a car can eat into your finances and that's why it's important to do everything you can to better preserve your investment. Using better car care can ensure that your ride can continue to perform for years and years and can help preserve the resale value when it comes time to upgrade or sell. 

Unfortunately for many of us, we're highly guilty of engaging in bad habits that can put the health of your car in jeopardy. Luckily, Toyota of Orlando is here with a list of car care habits you may be unaware of so you can nip them in the bud now before it's too late. 

Bad Car Care Habits You Need to Take Care of Now

Habit #1) Running on Fumes

If you're someone who dreads looking at the digital counter on the gas pump, you're not alone. But, letting your gas tank run on fumes or drying up can actually cause quite a detriment to your ride if you're not careful. Your fuel pump could suffer damage and your fuel efficiency could take a hit between all the trips to the gas station. 

Habit #2) Shifting Like it's Fast and Furious

Whether you're parking or trying an action movie manuver, shifting too quickly between Park and Reverse is highly inadvisable as it can damage your transmission. The constant shifting can cause your transmission to stress unnecessarily the more frequently you engage in this bad car care habit. Instead, come to a full and complete stop before switching between gears on your Orlando Toyota car. 

Habit #3) Carrying A Lot of Cargo

While it's great to be prepared for anything with a variety of outfits and other miscellaneous items, driving with a lot of junk in the trunk can drag your ride down. Not only can this kill your fuel efficiency, it can weigh heavily on your suspension system and cause damage over time. Plus the longevity of your Orlando Toyota brakes will be greatly reduced because of the extra force needed to bring your ride to a full stop. 

Habit #4) Flooring it Like Spongebob

If there's one lesson from Mrs. Puff's boating school you should remember is that flooring it can lead to grave consequences. Aside from the potential to rear end the driver in front of you, this bad car care habit can put stress on your drivetrain and make your brakes work harder to bring you to a complete stop. If you want to save your brakes, gradually lay on the gas instead of putting the pedal to the floor. 

Habit #5) Using Your Parking Brake Inconsistently

Believe it or not, that lever next to your cup holders is more than drifting prop. Your parking brake can actually provide a lot of benefits to your Orlando Toyota car when used regularly for parking. Using it helps distribute your vehicle's weight more evenly and eases the pressure on your brake system. 

If you have questions or want to find more bad car care habits to curb, talk with us at Toyota of Orlando! Give us a call today at (407) 298 0001.