A car specialist has warned people could be racing towards an expensive repair bill by ignoring one simple winter rule. The damage could slowly build up over time and eventually set drivers back more than £2,000 to repair.
This straightforward mistake is something millions of drivers do unknowingly during winter mornings. A former car salesman turned photographer has cautioned that repeatedly making this mistake could result in "seriously damaging" a motor in the long run.
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."
Drivers in a hurry might begin their trip if they've escaped the irritating condensation problem or temperatures aren't low enough for ice to form on the windscreen. However, setting off before the vehicle is properly ready could send you closer to a significant mechanical problem further down the road.
Pete added: "The car actually gives you a really good indicator as to when you should be able to drive off." This guidance appears to cover both older and more modern vehicles as it depends on one tool virtually every car has.
Pete said: "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."
Many drivers may not realise that letting the car 'warm up' beyond just letting the heating kick in could lead to serious issues that could end up costing them dearly.
Pete added: "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 replacing a worn-out gearbox isn't cheap. Depending on the make and model of your car, a new gearbox could set you back anywhere between £500 and £2,800.
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 expense to consider is the labour cost, as mechanics require a certain level of expertise to carry out this intricate and time-consuming task.
