5 Driving Habits That Ruin Your Engine (Most Drivers Don’t Know!)

[@jamesstuart3346]

Great list but the number one killer of engines is short trips where the engine does not reach operating temperature. Condensation gets in the oil, dilutes it, causes sludge, and pffft need new mill

[@MehdiS-music]

That is absolutely true and most people do just that.

[@warrentrout]

Slowing down with the brakes will kill your mpg. Much better to just let off the gas a couple seconds early

[@twoninetwosevenone]

Couple of second ???

[@johnmitchell8925]

Most modern transmissions are designed to automatically downshift on steep grades. It doesn't affect your engine mounts or transmission reliability

[@RedEyeC]

Engine braking at freeway off-ramps (and a slight deceleration) will double the life of your brakes.

[@kensmithmail]

On downhill long steep gradients I would advise engine breaking as well as foot braking to avoid brake fade which could over heat your rotors, "disc's" and brake pads which can lose breaking efficiency and be dangerous.

[@dalecormier5567]

Doesn't the fuel pump always suck fuel from the bottom of the tank regardless of the level of fuel in the tank?

[@Bill-im6nt]

AS you move about the tank gets bounced and stirred, the lower filled tank concentrates the bad stuff and more gets sucked in as a %.

[@rustysworldofentertainment850]

#2 is what I've warned my partner about. Her Prado's transmission will cost $10k to replace; her brake pads about $240 for all four. Allowing your cruise control to brake the car downhill is both ineffective and damaging. Low rev problems are fixed by driving a manual.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Interesting video. The biggest issue is the engineering behind new engines. They are designed for high horsepower. The way to get longevity and good fuel economy is with sufficient torque low in the revs. I custom ordered an 89 Mercury Grand Marquis with the 5.8 litre V8 and the heavy duty towing package. The performance axle ratio was 2.73:1. With this the car was rated for 6,000 pounds of trailer. Horsepower was "only" 215 at 4,600 rpm. Torque, however, was 390 lb/ft at 2,200 rpm. With a power band of 2,400 rpm, the 4 speed heavy duty AOD transmission was able to stay in overdrive without lugging. On the open road the car returned 40 miles to the Imperial gallon, or 34 miles to the US gallon. In metric terms, it was 7 litres per 100 km. There is nothing like that out there now

[@rustysworldofentertainment850]

That would have been a great car. I hope you still have it.

[@nayirmada5124]

Large displacement normally aspirated engines which typically made maximum power & torque at lower revs, were ideal for cars in those days, for good reliability when travelling long distance across the North American continent. Nowadays, stricter exhaust emissions & lower fuel consumption regulations have forced auto manufacturers to downsize engine displacement, using forced induction to help maintain power & torque. Thus, we now see V8s gradually giving way to V6 turbos which deliver similar power & torque at higher revs, but may not be as reliable.

[@heavyprogressive76]

That's awesome thanks fer sharing man

[@Greatdome99]

Not true. Modern engines are designed for both 'best economy' AND 'best power"--just not at the same time. They are smaller, have fewer cylinders, variable valve timing and use turbos to boost power. Turbos by their very nature don't work at low speeds--only at the high end. That's where old V8s have the advantage.

[@stewartbrown6869]

Great advice and always learning

[@jsmariani4180]

I think the biggest problem with low RPM driving is lugging the engine. At 30 mph on the level in town my engine is running at 1200 rpm. That's not a problem.

[@herbertdiaz4318]

In my case do all city driving and my engine doesn't go above 1,500 rpm . is that hurting it in the long term or not ?

[@kenhoward3512]

@@herbertdiaz4318 "All city driving" at 1,500 rpm or lower can't be good. I live in a low speed limit city, too (25 to 35 mph) and purposely take my car on the freeway at least once each week for 50+ miles of higher-speed driving to help fuel detergents clean valves and injectors (port injection) and to fully heat up oil to burn-off engine oil contaminants.

[@roadie3124]

@@herbertdiaz4318 It's probably not doing it a lot of good. In the days when the owner's handbook gave some useful information, the Jaguar Mk 2 handbook, 1966 version, said that you should, once run in, take the car onto the freeway and drive for at least 30 minutes, preferably one hour, with the revs at 5,000 or just above. You'd be doing around 120mph, but we lived in Germany at the time and we had autobahns. 😁 We've got much better oils these days, but I still think it's a good idea. Mind you, 120mph can make you unpopular with the police, depending on where you live.

[@Bill-im6nt]

@@roadie3124 With the higher rpms in modern engines, a quick speedup gets the RPM way up there, a bit of red line helps clean things out.

[@zevfarkas5120]

When you see a light turn red, let up on the gas (I don't think that's _excessive_ engine braking) and gently use the brakes to come to a smooth stop. (Back when Dad, OBM, taught me how to drive, if I kept feeding fuel to the engine when I was going to have to stop, he would sarcastically say "give it gas till the light". I got the message, and still use that phrase when someone makes the same mistake.)

[@billydee8051]

I do the same thing. On my 4-speed car, I let off the gas and take the car out of gear and just stop using the brakes when I get close to the light.

[@robertpearson8798]

Driving consistently at too low an RPM might be an issue with a manual transmission but I don’t see how it could be a factor with an automatic.

[@MehdiS-music]

Here in Europe we use mostly manual transmission and specially Nissan had an issues with a specific manual trans fitted to their 1.4 - 1.6L engines (1990-2007) that would shatter the 5th gear if driven under 80km/h and that still is a very common problem that many people still do not about and end up with a blown up trans while trying to save fuel.

[@battlegroundone]

​@@MehdiS-music why not put it in neutral

[@Ricsar3]

So replace the oil every 5k depending on driving habits. And definitely change the oil filter when you feel that it's not as responsive. And repeat Repeat and repeat

[@JW-jc8kr]

You change your oil filter every time you do an oil change

[@robertstorey7476]

I've always used the engine braking effect with only minimal use of brake pads without causing any problems. I can't see it puts any more strain on your engine and transmission than any other kind of driving. Also its short journeys that mainly cause carbon to build up not low revs.

[@kenhoward3512]

Short journeys combined with low revs are typical in city driving, leading to carbon buildup.

[@ai_vfx856]

Straight to the point, very informative, short and concise. Just subscribed 😊

[@MehdiS-music]

I use a manual transmission and love engine braking, good mpg, quick deceleration and it actually helps clean deposits from the engine when downshifting hard, and oh that roaring engine sound when downshifting on a manual trans! Here in Europe we do not like automatics that much and driving a car with a manual gearbox is much more fun!

[@zevfarkas5120]

Thanks for pointing these things out. I've been driving for more than 40 years (scary thought...), mostly sticks, and I picked up a few things I didn't know. (Too embarrassed to say which ones... ;) )

[@johnlyndem228]

Thank you sir for the video

[@davidblyth5495]

When he taught me to drive and he saw my use engine braking, my father asked me which are easier and cheaper to replace - the engine or the brake-pads!

[@bobjohnson1587]

And you answered...

[@Bill-im6nt]

My Dad taught me the same thing, and how to do my own brakes!

[@Ricardo-xy3lj]

Thnx for the warnings !

[@DavidBauer-m7n]

My stupid car with an 8 speed automatic transmission is programmed to keep the engine at low revs. It doesn’t shift down soon enough and constantly lugs the engine. For example, it shifts up to 7th gear at 40 mph and runs at between 1000 and 1500 rpm. I know they do this to increase gas mileage, but it is very infuriating. When I go around a tight corner at 30 mph and then try to accelerate there is absolutely no power because the car is still in 6th gear. This is the manufacturers fault and I will never buy another car from that brand.

[@nayirmada5124]

The automatic transmission should have what is known as the kick down feature, where the gearbox automatically shifts down 1 or 2 gears to allow the engine to rev up into the required power band when it detects that the driver has floored the gas pedal in order to accelerate from a low speed.

[@Biggles732]

​@@nayirmada5124that should happen but things never work properly these days. I've learnt to avoid buying vehicles built after 2002 and the bus I regularly ride gives me concern at how long it takes to shift into a lower gear when going up the hills , it's of course a diesel automatic , I've asked and I'm told that their buses do have long life.

[@londontaxifilms7313]

@@nayirmada5124true, but with these multi speed transmissions, going from 6th to 5th, or even 4th, doesn’t help. I question the logic of anything over 5 speeds.

[@REALtuppennyblue]

Remap

[@heavyprogressive76]

​@@REALtuppennyblueyeah I'm sure a good tuning shop could reprogram and do wonders for your trans and make you happy in the process

[@stevenweiss2148]

The last one is the worst. 'Lugging the engine in top gear' probably the worst out of the rest of them combimed

[@williamrice4608]

Sometime back are read where letting off the gas while driving now and then helps bring up oil to the cylinders and this helped the rings to seat properly during break-in. Why would this be harmful under normal driving conditions? Can you help me out on that?

[@mariog4707]

I agree with all except the point about low fuel. The fuel pump “sucks” the fuel out of the tank at the same location regardless of the level so it doesn’t suck the “crud” out any more when it’s low than it does when it’s full. It used to when you had a reserve so you switched to a lower tap in the tank but not for a long time.

[@9a8c]

With more fuel in the tank, the gasoline sloshing around in less likely to pick up the sediment. You can test this by filling a small coffee cup or other drinking container and then adding a tablespoon of dirt. Then take a drink after stirring it. Do the same again with half the amount of the same liquid and the same amount of dirt. Take a drink after stirring. Tell me which one did you have more dirt in your mouth. 😁

[@gregh7380]

What I've heard elsewhere and here is that the pump is cooled by the fuel - it needs at least a gallon and something or it will burn out or have a shorter life.

[@chancergordy]

@@9a8c Nah! Fuel level makes no difference to where the crud ends up, at the bottom of your fuel tank where the pick up pipe is.

[@davidanderson8469]

The pump's longevity is extended by the cooling effect of gasoline.

[@oldtvnut]

@@chancergordy The pickup point is on a float so that it takes fuel from the top.

[@edschulhof6303]

Interesting video. If I ever buy a car with an automatic transmission, I will keep these suggestions in mind.

[@kenhoward3512]

As you know, you're gonna have very few (or no) choices, going forward.

[@johnmitchell8925]

Running your car with minimal fuel in the tank can overheat the fuel pump causing it to fail prematurely, that's it

[@anonimm1031]

Good content.

[@pierrerouvroy2433]

yep that's about it for driving habits, I do not use eco mode on my car because it keeps the rpm below 1500... it does not make a big difference in fuel consumption between normal and eco mode.... oh! yes change your engine oil at every 3000 miles and the tranny oil every 50 000 miles the n you should be good to go !!!!

[@AVportau]

worst habit that will kill an engine is revving it upon start up when the engine is cold and oil hasn't lubricated the motor fully.... the guy across the road from me has already killed 2 motors and the 3rd one is just about ruined too... start the vehicle and let the auto idle/choke do it's job. you don't have to get to full working temperature and some warm-up is better than no warm-up at all.

[@jamesj.litteriojr.433]

Awesomely Put!!!!! PERIOD 👍

[@lazziebardakos2956]

How does one constantly drive under 1500 revs?

[@Bill-im6nt]

Might be that thing that button says eco-mode in my car, was going to try it sometime … maybe ...

[@michaell3711]

Yeah,,, it's done quite frequent by especially older drivers or those with compromised visions.

[@winstonelston5743]

I had a Roadmaster that stayed around 1400 at 70 mph on the level.

[@chancergordy]

Number 3. ... .. I disagree about sucking up all the crud in your fuel tank. It makes no difference to the fuel pick up pipe where your fuel level is. Crud would be sucked up wherever regardless of your fuel level and the fuel pick up pipe is at a fixed position, low down inside your fuel tank? Maybe you assume crud floats? I doubt it. Low fuel or fuel starvation might bust your fuel pump though. 👍

[@Biggles732]

The concept of lugging is a difficult one to explain to some persons.

[@johnmitchell8925]

Lugging a modern turbo engine is not good.. if your climbing hills or pulling a trailer just keep the rpms up by using a lower gear that way you don't over boost your engine meaning there will be less stress put put on major engine components

[@oldtvnut]

Good point for special use - but modern auto trans will do just fine for non-towing everyday use.

[@gabrielv.4358]

Driving always at low RPM will grenade your engine. Worse if you drive less than 5 miles

[@andrewemery7459]

Good job

[@desperatedan3985]

Im fed up with the yellow warning light coming on, had it checked on various occasions, nothing found as usual🤔🤔🤔

[@kevinbarlett6233]

I drive a Hyundai sonata 2008. People don't need to buy a new car. It's ridiculous. Maintain but my friend you forgot to mention to never charge up a hill on 4 cylinder engine. It's good to burn oil but not good on timing belt and more. People just need to relax and stop being in a hurry.

[@josephdonnelly2663]

I own and drive an old 52 year old car a couple of times a month on short trips on the street. It's a V-8 car with 4 speed manual shift. Am i hurting the motor by not driving at freeway speeds? I do wind first and second a little bit. but at 40 mph i shift into 4th and barely use the throttle. It has 3.54 rear gear so it revs high at freeway speeds.

[@HypocriticYT]

Low fuel kills the fuel pump with time. The pump depends on fuel to keep the pump cool.

[@franshagen7540]

If you always drive on low fuel you dont have the sludge and dirt build up in the tank in oposstite of always having a full tank and then once in long time you drive on low fuel levels.

[@jamesj.litteriojr.433]

Also remember this..."A redline a day keeps the mechanic at bay and keeps the carbon away!" Redline is there for a reason people. Use it daily.

[@tomellis4750]

The fuel in a full tank weighs around 50kg, which increases fuel consumption. A nearly empty tank improves it, but can lead to greater evaporation. Can't win.

[@laural5177]

How do you increase the RPM in an automatic car? I know how to do it with a stick shift.

[@jamesstuart3346]

Shift to any gear lower than D. You may also be able to switch off Overdrive

[@raysteensma6882]

On the fuel gauge isn't it E for ENOUGH and F for FINISHED?

[@static_Tricolor_camry]

Good point. I seen idiots who thinks they are a car enthusiast, driving their car on empty. My car never sees empty, it gets at least $20 in gas when it's at 1/4 after putting $20 in gas it goes to a quarter tank of gas. Never on empty.

[@PaulHayman-tq5kb]

I My self I will let the fuel tank capacity Run down As the fuel is fresh and while Mr and Mrs average Will fuel keep full at All Time and All The sluge isin the bottom of the tank and help keep fuel injection specialist in in worky

[@kensmithmail]

Renew the fuel filter regularly it is designed to catch the sludge then does not matter whether the tank is full or nearly empty

[@davidanderson8469]

The way the world is going a full tank makes sense.

[@winstonelston5743]

@@davidanderson8469 Keep in mind, also, the more air space you keep in the tank, the more condensation you get. Water and gasoline don't mix, but alcohol water dispersants aren't exactly the best thing for your fuel system, either.

[@carl_valentin]

Or just don't buy american cars.

[@05fordgtx1]

Well not everybody can afford to fill up the fuel tank