Works for Me Wednesday: Be Kind to Your Car

I thought I'd share a few tips from my "I should have been a mechanic" husband today. Over the years, I've learned a lot from him about taking care of my car. Even though he's on something like car #14, that's because in his teens and twenties, he used to buy beaters on their last leg with like 80K on them and drive them until the last leg fell off. Now though, we both buy newer cars and drive them, well, until they die! But they last a whole lot longer these days!

1. It's always a good idea to not allow your gas tank to get too low. He recommends keeping it at least half full, especially in the extreme cold and hot weather. In the cold, a fuller gas tank will add weight to your car, a help on icy roads. In the summer, the additional gas acts as insulation to keep your fuel pump from overheating (something like that - he makes me recite this maxim several times a year!)
2. Whenever possible, drift as you drive. That's right - keep your foot off both the brake and gas. You'll be surprised how easy it is to do this when you learn not to over-accelerate. Instead of jamming on your brakes, you'll find you've already slowed the momentum of the car enough. This is especially useful for residential driving. You'll save wear and tear on your brakes and get better gas mileage.
3. This is my own tip I learned from teaching cable installation - from the driver safety section. When stopping in traffic, get in the habit of ensuring you can see where the rear tires of the car ahead of you touch the pavement. Allowing this extra room provides a buffer in the event of a rear-end hit to your car, and if you accidentally snooze or become distracted at the light, and your foot slips off the brake, you'll most likely NOT rear-end the car ahead of you.

These tips work for us - hope they help someone else today! Happy Driving!