Cars are complicated machinery for the uninformed. Knowing that each piece in the system is an essential part is one thing, but understanding the function and the process is another. So, we can see that there are a plethora of things that even the experts are not aware of. As we’ve already stated vehicles are pretty complex things for people who lack information. One can consult a mechanic or read online forum posts to educate oneself, but not pieces of advice are logical despite being commonly given to car owners.
Some are even entirely untrue and old-fashioned. This makes perfect sense since there are a lot of features that are not completely explained by the manufacturer. But again, there is absolutely no need for every piece of explanation due to the general concept is pretty well understood. Also, these details are not essential for the vast majority of people. We feel it’s time to expose a few of the car myths circulating in our midst, so you don’t get tricked into ruining your warranty and your car or get swindled through misinformation. Let us take a look at some of them.
Check out our list below.
Top Car Myths That Don’t Apply Anymore Due to Technology Advances
1. You should replace all your car tires at the same time
Simply because one tire needs replacement doesn’t mean you need to replace the other three. Find a replacement tire for the damaged one—same model, brand, and size. That’s all that’s required. The concept of replacing all of the tires at the same time is pretty outdated. But it looks like it stuck in the driver’s mindset. Therefore, it could be said that this is not something any driver should practice.
2. The engine needs to warm up before driving
Modern engines need only seconds to get the oil to move the whole system. ‘Warming up’ only wastes your fuel and your time. This was a characteristic of many cars that were highly popular in the past, so there is absolutely no surprise that many people still think this is an active characteristic for many modern engines. There is no need for warmup whatsoever.
3. You need to change your engine oil every 3,000 km in mileage
This is not anymore true as car engines have advanced; thus, varying in the ideal time to replace the engine oil. So, now the ideal time changes the oil depends solely on the manufacturer and type of engine you are using. It’s needless to say that informing yourself about the vehicle you’re driving and what is the ideal time for changing the oil.
4. You don’t have to change your car’s oil at all
Of course, this is a myth. If you don’t believe me, check this out. Not changing your oil periodically leads to engine failure. As we’ve stated earlier, it is an absolute must to inform yourself about the particularities related to the oil changing and how the engine in question works.
5. Manual cars shift faster
Automatic cars have gone a long way since their invention. There are cars now that can even drive on their own. So, it makes perfect sense that this is a pretty outdated myth that has no ground in this day and age due to all the technological innovations. It can be said that this is not as important that it was in the past.
6. You get more gas if you fill up in the morning
Gas density remains almost the same throughout the day and night. Waking up early in the morning doesn’t really do much on savings. It’s just making you give up on more sleep. We wouldn’t discuss this myth as one that had the support back in the past. Instead, this is just a saying which means that you will have more time to rest in the morning.
7. You should get a car tune-up every year
The yearly tune-up was only needed because old cars had condensers and points. Modern car models do not have these parts anymore. Therefore, there is absolutely no need for doing something like this. You can avoid thinking about it completely and you will not miss anything.
8. Premium gas will improve a car’s performance
Premium fuel certainly is expensive, but it’s not necessarily purer or better than regular gas. Use only the right oil for your engine, one that is indicated in the manual or advised by the vehicle manufacturer. When it comes to quality, you will certainly have some benefits out of it, but that doesn’t mean your engine will perform much better when using premium gas.
9. A huge car is safer than a small one
This cannot anymore be a general truth. Pickups and SUVs may have a high center of gravity, but premium sedans can have added structural and safety features. Plus, safety is directly related to driving attitude. Whatever the type of car you are driving you need to be sure that your driving has enough discipline and carefulness. Drive with discipline and focus!
10. Rolling the windows down in summer conserves fuel
Opening the windows and turning off the air-conditioning does otherwise. It actually makes the engine work more. This makes perfect sense, so we are not sure what was the source behind this myth. It makes absolutely no sense.
11. Overdrive increases speed
Don’t believe the movies. They’re meant to make things theatrical. Overdrive is used for efficient highway driving. The car engine exerts minimal effort to maintain speed over distance.
12. Lower car height is more efficient
It may be theoretically true, but the correct setup is required. Consult experts first or do your research before deciding to modify your car.
13. Hybrid cars are slow
This is another statement that should not be generalized. Modern hybrid cars are more powerful than ever. The batteries are more efficient and lighter. Surely, the speed depends on the parts of the car, but that doesn’t have anything to do with hybrids. So, don’t generalize it.
14. ALL SUVs are rollover risks
Old SUV models were indeed flip-prone. But torque vectoring, electronically moderated all-wheel-drive configurations, modern traction control systems, and even torque vectoring have addressed this worry. Still, it’s important to keep in mind that all cars can flip, especially when you’re overspeeding. And so, we go back to the basic rule: drive with focus and discipline.
15. Manual transmission cars are more fuel-efficient than automatic vehicles
This was true during the early days of automatic transmission cars, but they’ve come a long way, beating manual transmissions in many criteria. Once again, generalization is not something you should do when it comes to vehicles. So, make sure that this is the case with your own car.
16. A clean car is less fuel-efficient than a dirty one
Wrong. Any dirt in anything makes it draggy. Dirt and grime make the engine work more and use more fuel. This makes perfect sense since there are some additional, let’s say, baggage and the engine need to invest more power to move a dirty car. Cleaning your vehicle frequently will actually help you with this.
17. Unbranded gas will hurt your engine
This is not necessarily true provided that the oil brand you’re using is at par with industry standards. Sure, this can happen sometimes, but we are not so bold that we could say all of the unbranded gas could hurt your engine.
18. You need to replace your tire after running over a pointed object
With the development of better and more robust quality car tires, this may not be always true. Whether you replace your tire or not depends on the damage.
