There are a few things that you just don't do in a manual transmission vehicle. You do not lug the engine. You do not try to shift gears without pressing the clutch. These lessons you learn early on, or you end up in the service center with a broken car.
There are a few bad habits you might never unlearn, however, because they take a long time for damage to become apparent. Talk to a mechanic though, and they might shock you with some stories.
One of the most common habits is resting your hand on the gear shift knob.
It can be such a ubiquitous habit, you may question whether there is anything wrong with doing it. The gear stick is connected to a selector fork within the transmission. When you change gears, the selector fork presses against a rotating collar, and pushes it into the gear you want to choose.
Usually, contact between the fork and moving piece is brief. Leave your hand on the stick, and let the weight of your arm sag down on it, and you may be inadvertently causing the selector fork to rub against the rotating element, causing wear and tear which can be expensive to repair.
Do you have any bad driving habits? Visit us at Wedekind Motors and find a pre-owned car to suit your driving style.