Myths About Cars You Should Stop Believing
Most of us learn about car care from people around us. It’s only natural to want to get advice from people that we trust, but this can often be detrimental. You see, with advances in cars and technology, a lot of age-old tips & tricks have become obsolete.
Let’s talk about the truth behind 5 commonly-believed car & car maintenance myths.
Myth 1: Your car performs better with premium fuel
The truth: Premium fuel is significantly more expensive than regular fuel. People opt for it under the belief that it yields better engine performance or responsiveness. However, countless studies have shown that it’s not true. Unless you own a high-end sports car that absolutely requires premium fuel, regular fuel will do the trick just fine. It will even save you a few bucks!
Myth 2: You need an oil change every 3000 miles
The truth: It’s true that you need routine oil changes to keep your car running smoothly. 3000 miles used to a tried and tested checkpoint to get an oil change, but that’s not true anymore. With most new cars you can drive up to 5000 to 7000 miles before requiring an oil change. Your owner’s manual can give you a correct estimation of frequently you’ll need an oil change.
Myth 3: Driving with windows down hurts fuel economy
The truth: People think that since having windows down increases drag, it hurts your fuel economy. The truth is having the A/C on uses up more gas than driving with windows down. This myth might make us feel better since in the UAE it’s hard to drive without the A/C, but unfortunately, it’s not true at all.
Myth 4: Your engine needs to ‘warm up’ before you can drive
The truth: Driving is the best way to warm up your engine and get the best mileage out of your car. Letting your car run idle for a few minutes, even in cold weather, does very little to warm up your engine.
Myth 5: Replace tires when the tread depth is at a minimum level
The truth: The minimum tread depth of most tires is somewhere around 2 inches. However, it’s not advisable to wait until your tread depth gets that low to change tires. The truth is anywhere below 3 inches put you at risk, especially when driving over wet roads.
Most of us learn about car care from people around us. It’s only natural to want to get advice from people that we trust, but this can often be detrimental. You see, with advances in cars and technology, a lot of age-old tips & tricks have become obsolete.
Let’s talk about the truth behind 5 commonly-believed car & car maintenance myths.
Myth 1: Your car performs better with premium fuel
The truth: Premium fuel is significantly more expensive than regular fuel. People opt for it under the belief that it yields better engine performance or responsiveness. However, countless studies have shown that it’s not true. Unless you own a high-end sports car that absolutely requires premium fuel, regular fuel will do the trick just fine. It will even save you a few bucks!
Myth 2: You need an oil change every 3000 miles
The truth: It’s true that you need routine oil changes to keep your car running smoothly. 3000 miles used to a tried and tested checkpoint to get an oil change, but that’s not true anymore. With most new cars you can drive up to 5000 to 7000 miles before requiring an oil change. Your owner’s manual can give you a correct estimation of frequently you’ll need an oil change.
Myth 3: Driving with windows down hurts fuel economy
The truth: People think that since having windows down increases drag, it hurts your fuel economy. The truth is having the A/C on uses up more gas than driving with windows down. This myth might make us feel better since in the UAE it’s hard to drive without the A/C, but unfortunately, it’s not true at all.
Myth 4: Your engine needs to ‘warm up’ before you can drive
The truth: Driving is the best way to warm up your engine and get the best mileage out of your car. Letting your car run idle for a few minutes, even in cold weather, does very little to warm up your engine.
Myth 5: Replace tires when the tread depth is at a minimum level
The truth: The minimum tread depth of most tires is somewhere around 2 inches. However, it’s not advisable to wait until your tread depth gets that low to change tires. The truth is anywhere below 3 inches put you at risk, especially when driving over wet roads.
