Here’s the bad news: without even realizing it, you’re likely doing damage to your engine every time you drive it. There are a few things all of us do that reduce the performance and reliability of our engines and can destroy them over time. Be aware of the top five things we do that should be avoided:
- Lack of fluids: Letting our engine oil, coolant, transmission fluid and other fluid levels drop below the minimum levels is a common problem. It only takes a moment to check and top-off your fluids, so take care of your fluid levels on a regular basis to avoid fluid starvation, overheating, insufficient lubrication and more. Obviously, the number one culprit here is leaks, and we have all sorts of products to help you address pretty much any type of leak your car develops. Seriously. We’ve been at this game for over 70 years.
- Ethanol in your gas: While you don’t have the choice at some gas stations, ethanol in gas can be a real problem. That’s because most engines aren’t specifically designed to run with up to 10% ethanol, which tends to encourage water accumulation and can attack internal engine surfaces, gaskets, hoses and more. Certain additives help reduce the damage ethanol causes. We recommend a good fuel system treatment, like Rislone’s Complete Gasoline Fuel System Treatment, which only has to be used every 5,000 miles.
- Cold starts: Nothing is harder on your vehicle than repeated cold starts. Due to the increased viscosity of oil at cold temperatures, your oil pump can’t get oil into all moving parts fast enough on cold days. If you live in a very cold climate, consider installing an engine block or oil pan heater to avoid cold starts.
- Oil sludge: The major cause of oil sludge is failing to change your oil at regular intervals – and yes, we know it’s a pain to get your oil changed. As oil breaks down, sludge can block oil passages and reduce the ability for your pump to circulate oil through your engine. Driving with sludge in your engine starves it of lubrication and can cause major damage that requires costly repair or engine replacement.
- Poor maintenance: A general lack of maintenance — low fluids, failure to change plugs and wires, failure to change filters, etc. causes your engine to work harder to deliver the power you need. Taking care of regular maintenance doesn’t have to cost a lot, and over time, it can actually save you money.
Bar’s Leaks offers a range of engine seal and additive products that can help clean, seal and restore your fluids so that they function properly. Use our handy online locator to find a local distributor or contact our team today using our simple online contact form to get more information on how to avoid destroying your engine.
