New Car Care Tip: How to Drive Your New Vehicle
Who isn’t excited to get behind the wheel of a new car? It’s exhilarating! But what can you do to keep your car running like you just drove it off the lot?
You’ve probably heard that you need to break it in gently. Or, that new cars are ready for a big work out right from the git-go.
It is true that decades ago new vehicles did need to be slowly and systematically broken in. This was to let the engine settle into to its full capacity.
Well, new cars do need some breaking in but it’s really minor. For starters, it’s important to let the engine loosen up with some easy driving initially.
Find some time to drive it around the neighborhood a bit before you tax it on the freeway.
And no, idling is not a proper warmup. Drive. Your. Car. You want to try and keep this practice for the first 1,000 miles, if possible.
Stop and Go New Car Care Tip
Stop and go traffic finally has a purpose! Use that time to help smooth out the rough edges of your brakes. Frequent stops are excellent for that. Again, the first 1,000 miles is a good measurement for how long to do this.
About your brakes…normal driving conditions help to evenly wear the brakes. But riding your brakes and high speed stops, these aren’t good for a new vehicle.
What about driving your new car fast? The days of driving a brand new vehicle at 55 MPH are gone. Use the passing lane yes, but don’t test the maximum speed of the car to an unreasonable amount.
You want to make sure you feel comfortable with your new car to drive it faster. Know and understand what each of the controls do before you put the pedal to the metal.
The Reason for an Early Oil Change
Lastly, change the oil after the warm up period of 1,000 miles. While many vehicles are calibrated to have the oil changed after 6,000 miles, you’re likely to find metallic flakes in the oil once it’s removed. That’s a natural and necessary occurrence to wearing down the brakes’ rough edges.
And as always, schedule regular maintenance. At Joe Bowman Auto Plaza, our talented Chevy certified technicians can keep your vehicle in “like new” condition.
With new car care, keep your vehicle purring well into old age. Want to learn more about us? Visit us on our website. Or stop in at our Harrisonburg dealership.
