Think you know how to look after your ride? Think again. You could be shortening your car's lifespan without even realising it. That said, here are 12 things you need to stop doing right now in order to reduce your chances of a vehicle breakdown, minimise wear and tear, and save yourself a trip to the scrapyard.

1. Shifting gears before coming to a complete stop

It may not be physically possible for you to shift gears from Drive to Park or Reverse while you're on the move in some modern automatic cars but for the most part, it's not a good idea to do so in any car.

Automatic transmissions are made up of clutch plates, bands, locking pins, and other moving parts that can wear out more easily if you don't treat them with some tender loving care.

Shifting gears while on the move will place unnecessary stress on these intricate components and will, over time, wear them out or even damage them.

It also goes without saying that you should never do this in a manual car, where the damage will be more pronounced. After all, where do you think the saying 'grind your gears' came from?

2. Driving off with your handbrake still engaged

You may be wondering how some drivers can be so ignorant to leave their handbrakes on while driving. But you'd be surprised at how many drivers actually forget that their handbrakes are still engaged, especially when it rains.

The reduced friction caused by rain water will make it easier for your car to move off but it will wear out your brake pads relatively quickly if you leave your handbrake up.


3. Filling up only when your fuel tank hits reserve

Waiting for your fuel gauge needle to hit reserve before paying a visit to the petrol station can cause more problems for you than you expected. Leaving it till the eleventh hour will not only stress you out at times (think traffic jam at the Causeway), but will also make your fuel pump work overtime and cause wear and tear. In case you haven't noticed, fuel pumps aren't exactly cheap.

And since fuel isn't 100% 'clean', it leaves behind residue and contaminants in your fuel tank, which will circulate your engine and bring all that nastiness to other areas of your car.


4. Inflating your tyres while they're hot

We learn from a young age that when an object heats up, it expands. The same goes for the air in your tyres. Inflating your tyres after a long drive isn't recommended as the expanded air within them will give your air pump/monitor inaccurate pressure readings.

Since the air expands, your air pump will get a higher reading than usual and you'll end up with underinflated tyres once they cool down. Instead of inflating your tyres after a long drive, make it the first thing you do in the morning.

This way, your tyres will remain relatively cool once you pull into a petrol station and you'll get a more accurate PSI reading, or kPa, whichever you prefer.


5. Resting your left foot on the brake pedal while accelerating

Resting your left foot on the brake pedal while accelerating with the right is like trying to swim against the current, which isn't exactly the smartest idea.

Not only does this slow your vehicle down, it also causes excessive amounts of brake fade, which, in turn, leads to a higher number of brake pad replacements over time.

6. Slamming your steering to either side when performing a full-lock

We get it, you like it hard and fast. But don't take it out on your steering wheel, it hasn't done anything to offend you. It's completely fine to turn the wheel fast, but slamming it from end to end is entirely unnecessary.

Constantly banging your wheel to either side will mess up your steering rack and wheel alignment over time, which equates to more repairs and higher costs in the long run. Be gentle with your steering and your car, as well as your wallet, will thank you in the long run.

7. Using water to fill up your coolant reservoir

"I don't need to waste money on coolant, water will do just fine." Sound familiar? If this is you, stop. Right now.