Driving have been warned over a common mistake which could cause expensive damage to their car. Insurance premiums and petrol costs are increasing, while routine maintenance, MOTs and services quickly add up to start draining your wallet.
It is worth doing everything you can to avoid more expensive car bills if you can. New RAC advice is urging drivers that one common bad habit could actually land you with an expensive bill: resting your hand on the gearstick.
It seems almost everyone is guilty of keeping one hand on the gearstick - especially in a manual car, as most British vehicles are. But it could end up damaging your car in the long run, according to the breakdown experts, Yorkshire Live reports.
How Nottingham are you? Take our quiz to find out here.
The gearstick is connected to a 'selector fork' which is designed to make contact with a 'rotating collar'. If you rest your hand on the stick, you risk putting pressure on the selector fork, which causes unnecessary wear and tear.
Many cars' owner's manuals specifically warn against the practice, so the best thing is to check if your car manual has any advice concerning your make and model in particular. Other habits that the RAC says can damage your car include overloading it - ie packing too much weight into the boot or on a roof rack - which could harm the suspension.
Flooring the car in too higher gear - also known as 'redlining' can also cause damage. Most modern cars have a 'shift' indicator which cheerily suggests when you should change up a gear. If you ignore it, you risk doing damage to the engine or transmission.
If you drive an automatic, bad gear habits can still affect you too. You must always ensure the car has come to a complete stop before changing between drive and reverse. Simply swiping the gear selector to R before you've completely stopped can damage the automatic gearbox, and those are very expensive to repair or replace.
Finally, and this is a key one in winter; revving the engine when it's cold can also damage the car. And some drivers refuse to use their car for very short journeys in winter because the oil and various moving parts don't get enough time to properly warm up. If you try to rev the car or run it too hard and fast while parts are still cold, it can cause damage.
Read next:
- New traders in as unique shop bounces back from liquidation
- Part of the city centre where a number of shops have closed
- Gym demolition in restoration of railway station with rich history
- Life in the Nottinghamshire village that is 'so unique' it attracts shoppers from across county
- 'Mid-range hotel' among calls for city's former Debenhams building
