Good Driving Practices. Do they really matter

[Raj]

For a long time, I've been known for being overly meticulous about how I drive and maintain my cars. With Barbie, this obsession has reached a whole new level. As part of my "GDP" (Good Driving Practices), I now follow these standard steps religiously:

1. Warm-Up: After starting the car, I wait for 60 seconds before shifting gears.
2. Gentle Driving: I keep the engine below 2000 RPM until the temperature needle reaches the midpoint. (This is the hardest part since I have to drive around the village for 10–15 minutes before hitting big roads.)
3. Gear and Handbrake Routine: When parking, I follow this sequence: shift from P to D, release the handbrake, engage the handbrake again, then shift from D to P.
4. Cool-Down: After parking, I let the engine idle for 60–120 seconds before switching it off.
5. Shut-Down: Switch off AC, seat heaters and audio before switching off engine.
6. RPM Limit: I try not to exceed 3000 RPM—not exactly a GDP, but more of a personal rule to avoid unnecessary wear and tear. Staying within speed limits typically makes this easy to follow (Even at 80mph rpm is below 2000).

Of course, I have a longer list of good maintenance habits, but these GDPs are the ones that stand out to passengers—and occasionally make things a bit embarrassing. I sometimes wonder: am I the only one this obsessed, or do I have company out there?

 

[Shayne]

1. oil starts circulating as soon as engine starts .
2. helps clog up with egr crap .
3. dunno must be an auto thing .
4. Lets turbo spool down before oil stops pumping .
5. extends battery life some i guess .
6. prevents egr crap getting burned away a blown out .

No right or wrong in any of it just my personal thoughts .

 

[pompeyprado]

The engine warm up is an interesting one.
There's also a contradictory opinion that it's actually better for the engine to be driven straight away, as then the oil warms up quicker and provides better lubrication quicker provided you're gentle with it until it's warmed up. Versus idling with no load and therefore spinning for longer while cold. My personal view, is somewhere in the middle. On a cold day like it is in winter, I'll give it a minute or so - not necessarily up to operating temperatures but not stone cold, and then I'll take it really easy unti it is up to temps.

Leaving it running before shutting down is definitely good practice with a turbo. Probably not necessary though if your last few miles were gentle. On my sports cars I always would allow at least 10 minutes of gentle driving or Idle before shutting down after a 'spirited' drive. I had an Audi where the turbo would literally be glowing after a hard drive. I know some Japanese sports car enthusiast actually fit a device that allows you to turn off the ignition and lock up, but keeps the engine running for a set amount of time for this purpose.

The other one (important for sports cars I guess) is I would never apply the hand brake immediately after a 'spirited' drive. Again, I've had my (non ceramic) brakes glowing before, and probably not good to leave the brake pads touching those rotors at that temperature!

Luckily there isn't much spirited about how I drive my 150, so unlikely to cause any problems there!

 

[Raj]

I experimented with various engine warm-up times and have now settled on waiting 60 seconds before doing anything everytime irrespective of engine temps/cold or normal start. This was based on a video from the Car Care Nut channel, where he recommended a 60-second wait to allow the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) to warm up/be picked up and flow smoothly.

As for engaging the handbrake before shifting into Park, the reasoning is that the Park gear mechanism is relatively small. By applying the handbrake first, the vehicle's weight is supported by the brakes rather than the Park gear, which could otherwise bear the full load.

I came across information suggesting that the Park gear lever or its slot is a small component. If the car's weight rests entirely on it, there's a risk of it breaking, potentially requiring a complete transmission replacement. While I'm not certain if this is entirely accurate, felt like a precaution worth taking.
.

 

[GeekOKent]

When you turn on the ignition the car dies everything it needs to, and let's you know via the dash lights that is ready to go. At which point you start it. And leave.

Just drive it. It's what it's there for. Maybe... be sympathetic to the conditions and intent.

 

[pompeyprado]

Your handbrake reasoning is sound - it is indeed a something that shouldn't in my opinion be used to hold the car stationary as it can lead to failure . I don't think applying the handbrake when in neutral/drive makes too much difference as the hand brake will still prevent the car from exerting force on the parking gear pinion since you're transferring the strain from the foot brake to the parking gear and there is some give in the parking gear anyway (will roll slightly forward and back while in it without the handbrake). Either way, I see your logic and I don't think what you're doing is harmful in any way.

One way to test if it makes any difference, is while I'm drive with the footbrake applied - put it in park but don't apply the handbrake. Then shift to park, and see if the car is able to roll forward even a very slight amount? If it can, then it wouldn't matter if you applied the handbrake or p gear first.

What does urk me very much is when my American partner refuses to use the 'emergency' brake at all when parked! Seems to be an American thing, using only the park gear.

 

[MGC]

Oil warm up to temp is essential on a highly strung performance engine but is going to have less of an effect on the Land Cruiser. Modern oils essentially start performing at lower temps nowadays. Still good practice to warm up though.

I also think it’s good to give the vehicle a good boot when warm every now and again if only to blow out some of the carbon from the exhaust. I think the same is true for using all the other mechanicals such as suspension, windows, diff locks etc. Regular use is good

 

[Towpack]

With the bikes I usually start them and let them run for the time it takes to put my helmet and gloves on, (2-3 mins), warm or cold then ride off. Observing cold tyre precautions is also important when you only have 2!!

In the LC it's usually 30 secs to a minute or so, then go. In freezing weather I use the intake heater (1HD-FT) for a short time and start it with the idle raised with the hand throttle knob (ACSD has been removed) then drive off after 1-2 mins. Excessive idling does little for diesels as they generate little heat with no load, unlike petrol engines which will warm to full operating temp if left long enough.
The important thing IMO is not to rev excessively or labour the engine until the temp gauge has at least moved of he stop.
The advice in the LC owner's manual which is:

Cold start, drive off after 10 secs.

Extremely cold weather, let the engine run for "a few minutes".

Stoping the engine (turbo spooldown/cooldown):

City driving, switch off immediately.

High speed driving, (50+ mph), 20 secs to a minute.

High load driving like towing, 2 mins.
I always adhered to the latter when I towed the caravan.

Parking on hills (manual box) its hold on the foot brake, select 1st or reverse accordingly, engage handbrake and let it take the weight then switch off and release clutch.

 

[karl2000]

Americans never use the handbrake and always seem to just use P on autos

I tend to hold it on the footbrake, into P, handbrake on then off the footbrake. Dont think you need to mess about with Neutral.

 

[pompeyprado]

Other miscellaneous driving practices while we're on the topic:

While waiting to turn across incoming traffic, keeping the wheel straight in case so if you're ready ended, you are shunted straight rather than in to incoming traffic.

When parking on a very steep hill, turning the wheel in to the curb stop you can't roll down hill should your handbrake fail.

Stopped at lights, neutral and handbrake one so your brake light isn't dazzling the driver behind. Also if rear ended you won't roll on to traffic, and on an automatic you don't then just creep forward when your foot comes off the brake possibly in to traffic.

 

[MGC]

Other miscellaneous driving practices while we're on the topic:

While waiting to turn across incoming traffic, keeping the wheel straight in case so if you're ready ended, you are shunted straight rather than in to incoming traffic.

When parking on a very steep hill, turning the wheel in to the curb stop you can't roll down hill should your handbrake fail.

Stopped at lights, neutral and handbrake one so your brake light isn't dazzling the driver behind. Also if rear ended you won't roll on to traffic, and on an automatic you don't then just creep forward when your foot comes off the brake possibly in to traffic.

Good point re handbrake. And leaving in gear is essential especially for the 80 series!

 

[Raj]

Other miscellaneous driving practices while we're on the topic:

While waiting to turn across incoming traffic, keeping the wheel straight in case so if you're ready ended, you are shunted straight rather than in to incoming traffic.

When parking on a very steep hill, turning the wheel in to the curb stop you can't roll down hill should your handbrake fail.

Stopped at lights, neutral and handbrake one so your brake light isn't dazzling the driver behind. Also if rear ended you won't roll on to traffic, and on an automatic you don't then just creep forward when your foot comes off the brake possibly in to traffic.

I used to have this habit of shifting to Neutral and using the handbrake at traffic signals or stops for the reasons you mentioned. However, I experienced a breakdown with an old Avensis many years ago (my only real breakdown experience) The gearbox failed, and I couldn’t engage Drive after signal changed.
The mechanic told me that I had likely snapped the cable by frequently changing gears. He told it’s was simple fix to put the cable back and didn’t even charge much. He advised me that Neutral has minimal use in most situations and suggested avoiding it unless absolutely necessary. Since then, I stopped doing that.

 

[pompeyprado]

Hmm that's a good point. This is actually only my second automatic car I've had. My last one had an auto brake hold feature so I didn't actually have to shift to neutral, it would hold it in drive on the brake automatically. Which had the same effect but without having to shift to neutral.

 

[Raj]

Hmm that's a good point. This is actually only my second automatic car I've had. My last one had an auto brake hold feature so I didn't actually have to shift to neutral, it would hold it in drive on the brake automatically. Which had the same effect but without having to shift to neutral.

I have the same issue now. One car has auto hold and LC dosent. I get mixed up with these two cars. Sometimes I roll forward and apply brakes and sometimes I keep my foot on brake unnecessarily.

 

[nick_the_fish]

If its a diesel then one good driving habit is to rag the shit out of it from time to time to clear everything out, or maybe this is an old wives tale from my childhood......

 

[Towpack]

If its a diesel then one good driving habit is to rag the shit out of it from time to time to clear everything out, or maybe this is an old wives tale from my childhood......

Good practise I'd say, especially if it does most of it's miles around town and short journeys. When the MOT is looming I fill up with the "super diesel" stuff, add a dose of Dipetane and give it a bootfull on the motorway for a few miles just prior to the test itself.

 

[frank rabbets]

I bought a new petrol Golf 10 years ago. When covered in ice I used to let it idle on the drive whilst I had tea. This took 20 mins to thaw it out.

Now I get in, start engine, and run it straight up to 3,000 rpm and it thaws in 2 1/2 mins.

I've always had a difficult relationship with sanity.