If you’ve worked in the motor trade for a substantial period of time then you will have probably seen your fair share of wrecks. Unfortunately, not everyone looks after their vehicles as well as they should do, with the main reason being that they don’t understand as much about them as motor traders. This means they constantly make mistakes that not only damage their vehicles but also make motor traders cringe. So here are our top five vehicle mistakes we know make all motor traders’ skin crawl:
Coasting
Dangerous, lazy and a great way to wear out your clutch, coasting is the bane of many motor traders’ lives. It seems as though some people are so scared of stalling that even when they are going ten miles an hour they need to put the clutch down when going round a corner. What they don’t realise is this means they have literally no control of the vehicle as they aren’t in gear. How many times have you been a passenger in someone’s vehicle and wanted to shout repeatedly ‘You’re not in gear!’ as they keep their foot firmly planted on the clutch. Next time, tell them to stop it or you’ll make them buy an automatic.
Using Wheels as Pavement Guides
Despite what some people think, it’s possible to parallel park your car without using your wheels to figure out how close you are to the pavement. Windows, wing mirrors and your own spatial awareness are all great alternatives, and none of them will get damaged in the process costing hundreds of pounds. The worst are those that own cars with specially fitted alloys, which in about a week’s time will look and be worth the same as a tin can. On the upside, you’ll never run out of people looking to buy new alloys every few months.
Unnecessary Revving
Even motor traders are guilty of this one sometimes, especially if you are behind the wheel of a car with a very special engine. The sound of a V8 revving can be more beautiful than a symphony, but the sound of a Ford Escort revving is more like nails on a chalk board. If someone starts revving their engine at a red light, all that is going through a motor traders head is the amount of damage they are doing to their engine and how long it will be until that car needs to go in the shop. There is also the small hope an undercover policeman may be nearby to arrest them for dangerous driving and mistreatment of their vehicle.
Not Maintaining your Car
You don’t need to be a motor trader to know that your car needs certain things to keep running, such as oil and water. However, the amount of people that never even open their vehicle’s bonnet to check their levels is shocking. How many times have you had a car come into your garage and noticed that there is literally no oil left, or it hasn’t been changed in about three years? What’s worse is that these days most cars have a sensor that lets the driver know that something is wrong with their oil, however more often than not this gets ignored until they break down.
Using your Car as a Rubbish Tip
The odd water bottle here and there is normal, as is a few tissues and maybe even a spare change of clothes in the boot. However, it’s just not right for someone to be driving around in a car that could double up as a skip. Eventually, these people give up and pay for someone to valet their car, which means that they should take out everything first. This feat is often too much for them though, and the list of weird (and frankly disgusting) things that motor traders have found in such vehicles is too long to mention. If a car like this comes your way it may be wise to invest in heavy duty rubber gloves and a gas mask, as well as double check whether your motor trade insurance covers radioactive vehicles.
Are you a motor trader? Then tell us which of these, or any other vehicle mistakes, makes you cringe on our Facebook and Twitter pages!