People could find themselves speeding towards an expensive car repair by not following a simple rule this winter. Some have claimed the damage done over time could cost over £2,000 to fix in certain motors.
This simple mistake is something that millions of drivers will do innocently on winter mornings, if they find themselves lucky enough. An ex-car salesman turned photographer claimed that doing it often enough could end up "seriously damaging" a vehicle in the long term.
Pete, who goes by @capturing_cars online, said: "Did you know that jumping into your car, starting it up cold, and simply driving straight off can be seriously damaging to your vehicle long term? Luckily, what you should be doing is very simple."
People who find themselves in a rush might start their journey if they've managed to avoid the annoying condensation build-up or it's not cold enough for the windscreen to be frozen solid. But, starting before the car itself is ready could lead to a major mechanical issue later down the line.
Pete said: "The car actually gives you a really good indicator as to when you should be able to drive off." This rule seems to apply to both older and more modern cars as it relies on one feature pretty much every car should have.
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Pete continued: "All you need to do is start up your car for the first time in the morning, and you'll see that the revs are sitting just over a thousand RPM. It will stay there for a little while. I tend to wait in my car for a couple of minutes, which is longer than overly required."
After a while, people will notice that the revs will eventually drop from [1,000rpm] to just below 1,000 RPM. That's the car's way of giving you a good indicator as to when it's warm enough that you can put the car in gear, drive it, change gear, etcetera."
Some motorists will be unaware that letting the car 'warm up' beyond just letting the heating kick in may lead to serious issues that could end up costing them.
Pete said: " If you don't do this, nothing's gonna happen immediately, but over time, it will cause significant damage to your transmission. If you're not letting it warm up enough, there's more cold friction unnecessarily being caused that can, as I say, damage the gearbox."
The cost of a new gearbox, if it ends up needing to be replaced by this wear and tear, isn't a cheap job. A car's gearbox replacement typically costs between £500 and £2,800 - but this all depends on the type needed for a specific car make and model.
Manual gearboxes are often less expensive to replace than automatic or more complex modern transmissions. The price varies based on whether you choose a brand-new, reconditioned, or used gearbox.
Another cost to factor in is the amount of labour that will be involved in the repair, as mechanics need a certain level of expertise to complete this important, complex and time-consuming process.
