Common Vehicle Maintenance Myths

We are sure you have heard of some of these common vehicle myths. Every motorist concerned with the overall well-being of their vehicles have had encounters with commonly-held ideas on vehicle maintenance. While a lot of those thoughts concerning vehicle maintenance have some sort of valid verification, others just have to be debunked for the sake of preventing further misunderstandings that may lead to unwanted outcomes in the process of maintaining vehicles. The so-called “myths” of vehicle maintenance have led to costly results for some motorists, with many of them being led to waste their current resources as they spend money unnecessarily in the process. A closer look at some of these myths can help motorists prevent such mishaps in the future as they look to practice cost-effective measures in maintaining their vehicles.

Common Vehicle Myths #1:
Dish-washing or laundry detergent paves way for effective vehicle washing

Dish-washing detergent can provide a lasting sheen to all kinds of dishes and utensils, while laundry detergent can thoroughly cleanse clothes off of all kinds of dirt. All told, motorists may easily assume that both dish-washing and laundry detergents can clean vehicles economically in place of the vehicle-washing liquid. However, most motorists are unaware that dish-washing and laundry detergents both have chemical properties that are harmful to vehicular surfaces. Vehicles can be stripped off of their finish with the use of either dish-washing or laundry detergents, which is why vehicle-washing liquids stand out as the only kind of chemical substance suitable for effective vehicle washing.

Common Vehicle Myths #2: Engine warm-up required before driving

The ritual of warming up the engine first before driving has become quite a convention among motorists already, given the false idea that doing otherwise can give the vehicle poor performance as it runs throughout the day. However, such practice is by no means necessary, and it must be noted that the best way to warm up the engine towards better performance is to do so while driving. Given that, motorists would no longer have to wait for several minutes before leaving, as they enable the effective delivery of mileage and performance for their vehicles. Revving the engine in the buildup to the first few miles after starting is also unnecessary and inadvisable.

Common Vehicle Myths #3: Premium-grade fuel is better than regular-grade

Such is the concern of motorists with greater fuel economy that they have failed to discern the difference between regular-grade and premium-grade fuel. In fact, motorists are just putting up an expensive blunder for themselves in going for premium-grade fuel, since most, if not all vehicles run perfectly great on regular-grade fuel, which is measured by 87 octanes. Thus, opting for premium-grade fuel on claims that it causes greater fuel performance is a misnomer in itself. What premium-grade fuel – obviously with higher octane, does is to reduce problems that occur before ignition, hence its use is best among engines with higher compression. Thus, using premium-grade fuel is advisable for motorists who drive vehicles with high-compression engines.

Common Vehicle Myths #4: Engine oil replacement necessary after every 3,000 miles

Most motorists have held the 3,000-mile rule to changing the oil in high regard, and have even considered it as a standard in motoring parlance. However, such a rule does not apply to all kinds of engines, and treating it as even an average is wrong because it is, by itself, just a mere estimate. What is best for motorists to do with regard to oil change is to consult their owner’s manuals with regard to the peculiarities of their respective vehicles on an oil change. Advice coming from oil change shops should be ignored most of the time, given that such only provide misleading information that serves only their monetary interests. In fact, some vehicles can operate perfectly fine for up to 7,500 miles without undergoing oil change. At the same time, motorists should also understand that while frequent oil change using the 3,000-mile convention is not exactly harmful to vehicles, but it is most certainly harmful to their finances. At best, the 3,000-mile rule is applicable in cases when motorists engage themselves heavily in rough-surface driving or towing, among many similar others.

Common Vehicle Myths #5: Charging batteries is possible even with just driving for a few minutes

Another commonly-held misnomer among drivers is the idea that batteries can be charged immediately after they spend just a few minutes on the road driving. But motorists should understand that battery charging takes more than just a few minutes’ worth’s of driving, with the truth being that driving for long hours may be required before batteries can be fully-charged. Such also depends on the weather, as it is notoriously difficult to bring batteries to full charge during cold seasons, particularly winter. The fact that there are several vehicular components drawing energy from batteries – music players, computer systems and even heated seats during cold weather, only means that they need to be recharged through long hours of driving before they reach full charge. Moreover, vehicles tend to require long hours under a battery charge before their batteries reach full charge.

Common Vehicle Myths #6: Every oil change requires immediate flush-down of the coolant

Motorists tend to stick by the idea that every oil change requires that the coolant is flushed down as well. However, such is not necessarily the case, as several owner’s manuals tell otherwise – at least five years or a mileage cycle of 60,000 miles is needed before the coolant can be flushed down. In that regard, it is best for motorists to check out their owner’s manuals directly. At the same time, motorists must understand that their coolant reservoirs may suffer from occasional leaks, hence the need for regular checks.

Common Vehicle Myths #7: Tire inflation must be level with that indicated by the tire sidewall

For motorists used with replacing and maintaining tires, the psi labels beside every tire serve as highly-useful indicators for determining the proper pressure. However, motorists need to look beyond that by checking the driver-side doorjamb, glove-box, or fuel-filler door for the automaker’s recommended pressure labeled on a sticker. Proper tire pressure can guarantee proper handling and braking, as well as economical gas mileage and superb comfort levels.