Biggest car myths of all time, explained
We all know that servicing your car and keeping it in good condition is important, but are there some things that car owners should know?
Absolutely! When it comes to maintaining your car, there are a lot of misconceptions. And even the best intentions can lead to you spending more money than is necessary or even compromising your safety. Here are some common myths about cars we think you should know!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL?
The first myth I shall discuss is the one that is the unwritten rule to change your oil every 4000-5000 km. This is in fact untrue and some car oils can last up to about 20 000 km. Therefore, you don’t need to stress about it, just stick to the service intervals and you and the oil in your car will do just fine.
DOES AIRCON USE MORE FUEL?
Even I sometimes drive without my air con on on those 30˚C days in the hope to save some petrol. Well, I wasn’t saving a lot of petrol as this too is a myth. There has been much debate about whether to drive with the air con on or keep the windows open in order to save petrol. Using the air con does put more load on the engine, but there is merely a slight decrease in fuel economy and no measurable difference when opening the windows, as opening windows does increase aerodynamic drag. So we just say use the air con and don’t worry about it.
RECHARGING THE BATTERY
Another one is if you jumpstart your car, it will recharge the battery soon. This is unfortunately not so easy. It could take up to a few hours of driving before the battery is restored. Especially in the winter the battery will have difficulty charging due to little power left for the battery. If you are unsure about your car engine, a test at a service station will determine whether a battery can still hold a charge.
SERVICING
This is an important one. The myth that you have to get your car serviced at a dealership is untrue. As long as the maintenance items specified in the vehicle owner’s manual are performed on schedule, the work can be done at any auto-repair shop (as long as the specialist dealer has the correct equipment and knowledge). If you’re knowledgeable, you can even do the work yourself. Just keep accurate receipts and records.
DISHWASHING LIQUID TO WASH YOUR CAR
I know a lot of people who have fallen prey to this one, so don’t feel bad: the myth that dishwashing liquid should be used to wash your car. Dishwashing liquid can actually strip off a car’s wax finish. Instead, use a car-wash liquid, which is especially formulated to clean a car.
TYRE PRESSURE
Tyre Pressure levels are crucial not only to the longevity of your tyres, but to your personal safety when driving. If you are at a fuel station ready to inflate the tyres for the long road trip, but you don’t know the tyre pressure of your car, you automatically think to refer to the pressure shown on the car/in the manual (or just inflate it 2 bar in the front and rear tyres). This can be dangerous as that figure is the maximum pressure that the tire can safely hold, not the automaker’s recommended pressure (and most of the time just inflating it to 2 or 2.2 bar is the incorrect pressure). You should find out the correct tyre pressure for your car and tyres (you can do this from home on the AA website). This provides the best balance of braking, handling and comfort. Correctly inflated wheels also maximise fuel efficiency by about 4%.
BRAKE FLUID
You’d think that if the brake fluid is low, topping it off will fix the problem. As brake pads wear, the level in the brake fluid drops a bit, which helps you monitor brake wear. If the fluid level drops to or below the low mark, then either your brakes are worn out or fluid is leaking. Either way, get the brake system serviced immediately. You should also get a routine brake inspection every 10 000km or so.
We hope these unsolved car-myths have helped you be a better car-owner.
(Sources: AA and Consumerreports, Nicol Louw – Technical Editor CAR magazine)