Today’s car engines are pretty robust and can stand up to all kinds of motoring abuse on the road. Even many road-going cars perform well on track day events. In fact, I might even go so far to say that it is difficult to kill an engine today!
Still, it’s not impossible if you are hell-bent on destroying your car’s powerplant. But, what if you want to ensure your engine’s longevity? There are plenty of ways to make your car’s engine “bulletproof” in case you wondered.
The following are some examples to help you maintain and care for your car’s engine:
Stick to the Recommended Service Intervals
The most crucial thing you can do to ensure your engine’s longevity is to maintain it! One important aspect of maintenance is servicing. Your car maker will dictate how often you should get a service performed on the engine.
For instance, they might request you give your car a full service every 12,000 miles. Today’s oil technology means that intervals are longer than say twenty years ago. Still, that does not mean you should never get an oil change!
By sticking to the service intervals, you reduce the likelihood of your engine seizing on you.
Perform Weekly Checks
Each week (or weekend) you should carry out some weekly checks on your car’s engine. The things you need to maintain are:
- Fluid levels
- Drive belts
- Battery, alternator and starter motor and
- The coolant system.
Regular checks will ensure that you can spot any problems early on and have them resolved.
Wrong fuel? Flush out the fuel system
You would need to be quite dedicated to destroying your engine if you put petrol in a diesel car and vice-versa. Still, using the wrong fuel in your car is a bad idea. It’s also a sure-fire way of killing the fuel system components.
If you’re guilty of filling up with the wrong fuel, don’t start your car! Instead, what you need to do is call out a company that can drain the system for you.
I don’t recommend doing the work yourself unless you are a mechanic and have the skills and equipment to do so. You will also need to dispose of the spent fuel in the correct manner.
Select the Right Gears for the Job
If you drive an automatic, your car will do the gear selections for you, and so you can skip this section. But, what if you drive a vehicle with a manual gearbox?
As you know, you need to select a gear according to your speed and driving conditions. The trouble is; some people end up choosing the wrong gears! That results in the engine revving too high, or so low that it will stall.
You will also end up killing your clutch. In some extreme cases, you could damage the transmission as well! If you’re useless at changing gears, consider trading your car in for an automatic.
I hope you have enjoyed reading today’s blog post. See you soon!