How you drive your car will naturally affect its performance, particularly when it comes to your automatic transmission. To avoid inadvertently damaging your vehicle and needing premature transmission service, break these bad habits.

3 Damaging Driving Habits for Your Transmission

1. Switching Gears Mid-Movement

When pulling into a parking spot, you might switch from drive to reverse to go in backend-first. If you shift without coming to a full stop, the gearbox sustains wear. The transmission band also has to bear the brunt of the stop instead of the brakes. As it wears down, its grip will decline, which can lead to gear slipping. Unreliable gears can make driving dangerous, so seek transmission service if yours are slipping.

2. Shifting to Park Without Stopping

Similarly, switching from drive to park without stopping will degrade the transmission parts unsuited for the brake’s task. Shifting to park engages the transmission’s lock pin, but if the vehicle is still moving, the mechanism is all that stops it. The force and weight of the car can even break the pin.

3. Overusing Neutral

Many people believe shifting their cars to neutral while waiting at a red light or going downhill will save gas. Once, that may have been the case. Modern cars now have smarter computerized systems designed to preserve fuel and will only supply gas when you engage the accelerator. However, your car will still burn a bit of gas when in neutral. Compare that to no gas used when you stop with the brake or roll with gravity down a hill in drive. Not only does the constant shifting result in faster gearbox deterioration, but driving in neutral can also sometimes be risky since you won’t be able to react as quickly to other vehicles.

In addition to taking care of your car on the road, get transmission service to help its performance at AutoTech. Based in Kealakekua, HI, for over 14 years, the ASE®-certified mechanics provide a range of auto repairs, from oil changes and wheel alignments to brake service and vehicle inspections. Call (808) 322-8881 to make an appointment for transmission service, or find out more about their offerings online.