Common Car Maintenance Myths And Mistakes

Myth: Low brake fluid? Just fill it up

Reality: Low brake fluid is the indication of worn out brake pads. Topping up the brake fluid reservoir does not solve the problem of worn out brakes. In any case, you are better off checking for leaks and have the brake pads inspected.

Myth: Winter time is service time

Reality: This myth originates from colder regions of our planet and from a time when car's health deteriorated with the coming of chill, just like its owner. Modern cars can withstand extreme weather conditions and still run with virtually no problem. Modern oil and fuel are also more resistant to freezing. So, unless it has to do with equipping your car with winter tyres if you live in colder regions, your car does not always require special attention during winters.

Mistake: Tyre pressure gauge is not a necessity

Reality: We all know lower tyre pressure means lower mileage. It also means poor road grip and lower comfort level. Your vehicle performs the best when the tyre pressure is kept optimum. A good practice is to check tyre pressure every alternate day, if not everyday. The optimum tyre pressure for your car can be found in the user manual.

Myth: Warm up the engine before you get going

Reality: This practice originates from a fact that colder engines are harder to run than warmer engines. This is because the oil in the engine turns thick as the temperature drops. However, driving has the same effect as running the engine in idle. The oil takes hardly any time to warm up and start flowing. The ideal thing to do is to drive slowly until the engine warms up.

Myth: Coolant Lasts Forever / Needs to be changed with every oil change

Reality: Radiator coolant in modern cars not not need to be changed as often as before. Most car manufacturers recommend changing the coolant once every four years or so. So, the answer is, no. they do not last for ever. And, no, you do not need to change it everytime you change the oil.

Myth: Change motor oil are often as possible.

Reality: Changing oil often does not hurt the engine. However, you do not need to change it as often as once every couple of months. Modern lubricants can perform well for at least as long as six months. The best thing to do is to follow the car manufacturer's guideline about changing oil.

Myth: Battery starts charging soon after a jump start

Reality: It might start charging, but the rate at which it charges is very slow. For the battery to reach full capacity it might take more than a few hours. Charging time might go down slightly if you do not make use of features that require electricity. Such as, using the air-con, turning on seat heating etc,. It is also advisable to get a load test done on the battery to assess the charge carrying capacity of the battery.

Myth: Household cleaning detergents are good for cleaning cars too

Reality: Laundry and dishwashing detergents are not suitable for cleaning cars. These may harm the body paint and remove the wax finish of the car. Use only car wash liquid for your car.

Myth: High octane fuel improves mileage and improves engine performance

Reality: Premium grade petrol and diesel are not magic potions. Most regular cars will not benefit from high octane fuel. High octane fuels are meant for high performance vehicles such as sports cars and bikes that have high compression engines. High octane fuel can be compressed to a higher degree than ordinary fuel and will not explode prematurely inside the engine. They do not improve mileage even here.

Myth: Putting an automatic car in neutral in traffic signals helps prevent wear and tear

Reality: It is just the opposite. The name automatic should be taken literally. The automatic gearbox does everything for you. In fact, changing from neutral to drive and back unnecessarily causes wear and tear.

Myth: Fuel additives are good for engines

Reality: If someone is trying to sell you an aftermarket fuel additive at the fuel station next time politely refuse. Fuel additives are marketed as things that prevent deposits and build ups. You should know that regular fuel already comes with additives that take care of deposits. As for anti-freeze additives, you would not require them unless you are off on a trip to the higher reaches of Himalayas or Antarctica.

Myth: Regular engine tune ups are a must

Reality: It depends on your definition of regular. Modern cars under normal conditions perform just fine without engine tune ups for as long as an year or even more. Also, most mid-range and high end car engines are maintained by electronic chips which take care of all the fine tuning automatically.

Myth: Engine oil flushes are not necessary

You might have seen bottles of engine oil flushes being sold at service stations. These are meant to prevent sludge build up in the engine. Again, like fuel additives, these are unnecessary.

That's it for now. Do let us know what you think about the myths featured in the list.