Driving around Virginia Beach always feels normal. Talk of running errands, commuting, traffic lights, and the extended highway drive every now and then. As such, it is easy to think that your car is getting old on the basis of mileage. However, your driving habits also impact your car’s reliability.

Many of the practices that reduce the life span of a car do not pose immediate issues. They wear out things in a way that you do not even realize till you start to fix them. These are four typical behaviors with significant long-term effects.

The style of braking affects more than the brakes

Many drivers believe that braking habits only impact the frequency of replacing the brake pads. As a matter of fact, aggressive braking has many consequences that are not limited to the brake system.

When you brake fast and hard, it causes the following:

• Overheating in rotors and pads.
• Added stress on steering and suspension components.
• Uneven tire wear.
• Additional stress on wheel bearings and bushings.

Every sharp braking causes the weight of the car to be pushed forward, over and over. That will strain car components meant to be moving more smoothly. In the long run, this leads to looseness, noise, vibrations, and steering problems.

Practice smooth braking instead. This is the type of smooth braking approach an Auto Mechanic Virginia Beach VA would typically recommend:

• Always peek over the hood to know when to decelerate

• Pump on the throttle sooner
• Allow the vehicle to decelerate on its own
• Steadily press the brake. 

This habit alone will prolong the brakes, tires, suspension parts, and even alignment.

The cold starts are when the wear happens the most

It is during the first few minutes after starting your engine that it is most susceptible to wear. When the car has been stationary, the oil leaks from some of its vital parts.

Problems arise when you:

• Speed up rapidly after starting the car.
• Rev up the engine when it is still cold.

You do not have to keep your car idling. However, you should let the car warm up by driving slowly. Practice the following:

• Light throttle
• Lower RPMs
• Avoid sudden acceleration.

This will ensure that the oil circulates fully and that components reach optimal operating temperature evenly.

Cold-starts can cause no visible damage immediately. But over time, it leads to internal engine wear, oil consumption, and low efficiency. Gentle warm-up driving is one of the easiest methods to take care of your engine in the long term. 

Short journeys will wear out a car faster than long journeys

Local errands are easy on a car since they are slow and cover a few miles. They are also some of the hardest driving conditions, mechanically.

This is what happens when a car is driven frequently over short distances:

• The engine does not even heat up to its full temperature.
• The oil contains moisture and fuel contamination.
• Deposits of carbon accumulate faster.
• Exhaust systems suffer condensation.

Although the overall mileage may remain low, such a combination may cause the following: 

• Sludge formation
• Internal corrosion
• Short engine life.

It is the reason why some cars with low mileage still develop frequent problems.

When most of your driving involves short trips, then it helps to go on a long trip with the car every now and then. A steady speed of 20-30 minutes will ensure that the engine oil cleans itself. The moisture will burn off, and the exhaust parts will stay dry.

Idling is problematic for your car

Idling may not appear to be problematic since the vehicle is not in motion. However, the engine continues to work under less-than-optimal conditions.

Here is what happens during extended idling:

• Oil pressure decreases compared to normal driving.
• The combustion process is not complete. Hence, more carbon accumulates.
• The temperature of the engine does not stabilize.
• Oil decays.

According to professional mechanics at the London Bridge Auto and Transmission Repair Shop Virginia Beach, engine idling creates noticeable differences in wear and reliability over time. This implies that wear is taking place without any value or advantage to the vehicle. 

New engines are made to run and perform well when in motion and not when idle. If idling longer than a minute or two, you’d better turn the engine off.

Summing up

None of these habits directly leads to failure. That is why they are so simple to ignore. The damage accumulates gradually. Very gradually! In fact, so gradually that by the time the difficulties emerge, they seem abrupt or even inevitable.

As a matter of fact, most long-term problems are linked to everyday habits:

• Sudden braking rather than gradual braking.
• Severe acceleration on cold engines.
• Frequent small journeys without driving long distances.
• Excess engine idling.

The good thing is that you can adopt better driving habits:

• Drive slowly after starting the car.
• Mix up short journeys with long trips.
• Avoid idle time.

Such minor choices reduce wear in several systems simultaneously. This can make a car last a few more years.