Buying a new car is a significant investment. So, to maximize the vehicle’s efficiency and prolong its useful life, it is essential to take special care of its most important organ: the engine.
Proper treatment of the heart of our cars will allow fewer visits to the mechanic and, therefore, less investment in repairs that can be avoided.
Here are six actions that will ensure that the life of your vehicle’s engine is extended:
#1.- Give it special care the first few miles.
After you’re handed the keys to your car for the first time, one of the first things you’ll want to do is speed down an open road.
However, to make your vehicle’s engine last longer, it is necessary that during the first 1600 miles, you make use of a low range of revolutions and vary the speed every certain distance.
By doing this, you’ll be able to utilize all the gears instead of just one set. This will keep your engine’s components moving and allow them to operate appropriately.
Experts at Youramazingcar.com say that you must also drive at no more than 100 miles per hour during the first 1100 miles. This will allow your vehicle’s fuel to work properly up to 320,000 miles instead of half of this figure.
This is because your car works internally as an organism, so the parts must sometimes take a little time to adjust to each other.
#2.- Use the right gasoline for your car.
The right gasoline for your car’s engine to perform as expected depends on the vehicle’s octane rating. That is the fuel’s capacity to resist detonation.
Thus, a fuel with a high octane rating will be able to resist a higher level of compression and vice versa. So, if you choose a fuel with an octane rating unsuitable for your car’s engine, it will detonate.
Furthermore, when the right gasoline is not used for a given car, there are two scenarios: The fuel you put in the vehicle is more expensive than necessary, and you spend money for the sake of it, as this will not bring better results.
#3.- Warm up your car’s engine before moving on.
When your car is in a cold climate, it is common for the engine to take a while to start since it needs more energy than usual.
So, you must start the engine and let it warm up for no more than a minute. If you don’t do this, the engine will be subject to a higher risk of damage since it is not provided with enough lubrication.
Then, move forward smoothly without accelerating so the car can finish warming up without overexerting itself.
#4.- Do not accelerate more than necessary.
Accelerating sharply causes you to use more gasoline and pollute more, and causes your vehicle’s engine to wear out at a higher speed.
This happens because over-accelerating forces the engine to pump faster. In addition, you force the pistons and other moving parts of the car to work more quickly than optimal.
Hence, the best way to keep your car’s engine from overexerting itself is to maintain an average speed that does not exceed 80 miles per hour.
#5.- Drive with little load
If you reduce the maximum amount of weight inside your vehicle, you also reduce the workload of your engine, in addition to boosting fuel efficiency.
Especially if the route you will be driving on is inclined. The weight of any car multiplies in proportion to the inclination of the terrain on which it travels so that the engine works harder.
On the other hand, vehicles with powerful engines and more powerful trucks are specially designed to load and tow high tons.
So, their engine will not be affected while they spend more fuel. However, small cars run a higher risk of engine damage when more weight than recommended is placed on the vehicle.
Additionally, mechanics from Raceonthebase recommend checking the manual to be clear about the average weight allowed so as not to cause damage.
#6.- Make the gear changes properly
This advice is especially for those who drive an automatic car. It may sound a bit obvious, but it is essential to have the right gear when you are going.
Otherwise, if you drive in low gear and have high gear, your car will start to shake, which will cause unnecessary stress on the engine and ultimately damage the cylinder heads.
The same happens when you quickly shift from a high gear to a shallow gear, as this causes the revolutions per minute to drop, and the car slows down without braking.
