Good car ownership goals are not hard to achieve. All you need to do is stay current on all factory scheduled maintenance. In addition to routine car maintenance and care, you’ll also want to drop any bad habits you’ve developed as a driver over the years.

Continue reading to learn the top 5 things you should never do if you aim to be a good car owner and you want your vehicle to last as long as possible.

Car Maintenance and Driving Errors to Avoid

In some cases, there’s nothing you can do to prevent certain mechanical breakdowns and automotive failures in your vehicle. But for the most part, foreseeable issues can be avoided with quality car care and regular scheduled car maintenance. Talk to your automotive mechanic to learn the best car maintenance schedule for your vehicle.

In the meantime, here are the top 5 things you need to always avoid as a car owner:

❶ Driving With Bad Breaks

Your brakes are one of the most important automotive components in your vehicle. As soon as they start to go bad or show signs of deterioration, it is vital that you take it into an automotive repair shop to have the brake pads and rotors replaced or serviced. One of the worst things you can do as a car owner is drive around with bad breaks or failing brake system. Even if your brakes are squeaking or squealing, it is in your best interest to pull your car over and have it towed to the nearest automotive shop for repairs.

❷ Driving With an Overheating Engine

Just like driving around with bad breaks, driving with an overheating engine is one of the worst things you can do to your vehicle. Your engine is overheating because it is lacking lubrication and generating too much heat and friction. You are basically rubbing metal on metal when you drive around with an engine that is overheating. Furthermore, the fumes produced by the overheating engine can be dangerous to you and other drivers’ because it can obstruct vision on the road. Never drive around with an overheating engine.

❸ Driving On Worn Tires

Your car tires are the single point of impact between your car in the road. For ultimate driving safety and performance, including fuel efficiency, it is important to keep your tires properly inflated. More importantly, bald tires should always be replaced with adequately treaded tires. Never drive around on bald or worn tires, as this is incredibly dangerous and can put more strain on other mechanical systems within your vehicle.

❹ Failing To Refill Vital Automotive Fluids

Your vehicle requires all sorts of automotive fluids to perform safely and efficiently, however 7 are essential to all cars and trucks. They include motor oil, transmission fluid, radiator fluid (also known as coolant), brake fluid, power steering fluid, windshield wiper fluid, and if applicable, battery fluid. It is important to ensure that all automotive fluids are drained and refilled as recommended by the automotive manufacturer. You can find this information in your car’s owner’s manual, or you can ask a local mechanic.

❺ Ignoring Warning Lights

Your vehicle is designed with innovative indicator and warning light systems for reason. The car’s computer can detect all sorts of electrical glitches, mechanical failures, and defects within your vehicle. Once an issue is detected, the corresponding warning light will illuminate on your dashboard. One of the worst mistakes you can make as a car owner is ignoring any type of warning light. Sometimes the underlying issue is something as simple as tightening the gas cap, so don’t be afraid to have your car diagnosed when this happens to you.

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