Every mechanical bit requires constant maintenance and care to function properly. The same applies to a vehicle’s engine also. They also require constant care and maintenance to function at their full efficiency. An engine is considered to be a heart of a vehicle because without it nothing will work and the car won’t move. So, it is important to give them the required attention. Some people on other hand have bad habits that are bad for your engine.

Riding the clutch

This mistake is usually done by people who have just learned how to drive a car. What they would do is use the clutch pedal as a footrest. Driving with a foot on your clutch speeds up the wear and tear of the clutch plate and can damage other mechanical bits. Some manufacturers have now started to offer a dead pedal that you can use while driving. There are also some after-market options available now if your car does not come with a dead pedal. Repairing a clutch is very costly and in general clutch assembly or clutch plates are expensive and requires a lot of time.

Revving/driving hard right after a cold start

People tend to start driving hard right after the cold start their vehicle or sometimes they would hard rev a vehicle that has been cold started. This is a very wrong practise because the lubricants in your engine require some time to come up to optimal temperature and start doing their job. Revving a cold engine would just destroy the engine because there is not enough lubrication and the engine oil is also not at the optimum engine. So, it is preferred that you take it slow at first, chance gears smoothly and give enough time to the vehicle to warm up to avoid damage.

Skipping regular maintenance and oil changes

All machines require constant maintenance and engines are no different. Manufacturers provide a certain servicing period for every vehicle. If the owner does not follow that then it might damage some internals of the engine. For instance, not changing the engine oil at regular intervals would cause it to thicken due to which it will lose its lubricant properties and heat absorption properties. The amount of engine oil in the engine will reduce and the engine would lose its smoothness and efficiency. A similar thing is also applicable for the coolant. It also thickens up over time due to which it fails to cool down the engine properly. Also, it can get stuck in the radiator and damage it. If the coolant is not at proper levels then your car would overheat and you could be left stranded.

Engine lugging

Engine lugging is when the car is driving in a higher gear and the person is at full throttle. Many people think that driving in a higher gear result in better fuel economy. Well, yes that is true but a higher gear also drops the engine revs which means that if you want to quickly accelerate, the car would need some time to build up its speed. Engine lugging can heat up the engine as it has to work harder to build up speeds. Also, if the engine is turbocharged then the damage could be even more. The turbochargers depend on the engine revs and if the engine revs are less, it would not be able to spool properly. Thus, damaging the engine. So, it is always better to drop down a gear if you want to build up speeds quickly.

Shutting turbocharged engines immediately

Turbocharging is the new norm in engines. Most of the engines that we get now are turbocharged. It is an efficient and economical way to get more power out of small-displacement engines. People sometimes are not aware that their vehicle is turbocharged. They turn off the engine as soon as they get home. What they should do is let the engine idle for a minute or two. This will help in cooling the turbocharger and the engine oil. You can also just ride gently with a light throttle when you know you are about to reach your destination. Turbochargers are expensive to repair and replace so it is good if people take precautions.