Today NaijaCarNews.com brings you some car maintenance myths that are actually false but are being peddled as facts.

In truth, some of these myths are from past car facts that have now become obsolete and useless due to technological advancement in cars.

Even though there is nothing exactly wrong with some of these car myths, they are still false information being spread about.

On the other hand, some of these car maintenance myths are costing car owners more money than necessary.

Truth is if there were ways to save money or enhance performance of any car, the auto makers would have done the job before releasing their cars to the market.

If you've been duped before and now based on some of these car myths, you might want to read on to find out how to save yourself some money.

Read on to find out 8 car maintenance myths that are actually false:

1. Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles

There has been a popular car maintenance myth which suggests that car engine oil should be changed every 3000 miles covered or even more conveniently, every 3-4 months.

This has been discovered not to be entirely true.

Engine oils for cars manufactured in the last one decade or there about can now be changed every 5000 to 7500 miles depending on the car manufacturer. Now, that is a great deviation from the previously believed fact that engine oils should be changed every 3000 miles.

Engine oil now can be changed in a longer inverval for improved quality of both itself and the car's engine

The reason for this is that over the years, car engines have gone through some technological advancement to allow for better engine and oil performances.

Also, synthetic engine oil manufacturers have improved chemical compositions of engine oils to allow for better performance and longevity.

So, engine oils should be changed as per recommendations of the owner’s manual. Anything outside of this could actually be a total waste of money.

2. Warm car engines before driving out in the morning

Contrary to this generally accepted car maintenance myth, car engines do not need to get all warmed up before driving off.

Modern car engines warm up faster while you are actually driving than when you are parked.

Also, you need to actually drive your car for your wheel bearing and transmission to get warm in order to operate at full capacity.

So, trying to warm your car engine before driving out especially in cold weathers makes no much difference. By doing that, you will only be wasting fuel that otherwise would have been saved.

For best performance and fuel efficiency, you actually need to drive your car to warm it up faster.

3. All four tires should be replaced at the same time

There is nothing wrong with changing each of your car tires as need be.

Just as changing all four car tires all at once is great, changing each one as at when need be is equally great, as long as they are of the same model, size, and the worn-out condition.

Do your tire rotation every oil change help your tires to last longer

Similarly, you do not need to change your car tire each time you get a puncture. As long as the puncture is within patchable limits, a vulcanizer can always patch it up and it’s as good as new.

Also never forget to do a tire rotation every time you get an oil change.

4. You can wash your car with liquid soap

Even though washing your car with liquid soaps commonly called Morning Fresh might sound like such a convenient option, it is actually a very terrible idea.

Washing your car with any other wash soap other than a car wash liquid will not only save you money, it will also dull out your car paint.

If you wash your car using a laundry detergent, it will not only affect the shine of the car but also dull out the colour with time.

For best results, use a car wash product specifically designed for car wash as it does not strip away the protective wax of your car.

Video: How to clean your car. Car cleaning guide for beginners

5. Driving around for a while will recharge your battery after jump starting

Now, this is another car maintenance myth that is actually false.

The fact is that it takes several hours for a car battery that was jump started to recharge. Anything outside of this is a myth.

Driving around for a while, maybe for a couple of hours will not recharge your drained battery. The reason for this is because car accessories like the radio, lights especially the AC draw a lot of power from the alternator, leaving just a little power to recharge the battery.

Alternatively, you can take your drained battery for electrical charging as driving around for a few hours could still leave you with a dead battery.

6. Transmission fluid should be flushed every 50,000 miles

This is another car maintenance myth that is not entirely true.

Although previously, it is recommended that transmission fluid be flushed for every 50,000 miles reached but with most modern vehicles, that is no longer necessary.

Transmission fluids are now designed with longevity of up to 100,000 miles in most new model cars.

However, this varies from car to car, so it is advisable to always refer to refer to the recommendations in the owner’s manual.

7. Rolling down the windows instead of using AC saves fuel

Although this one is not entirely a car myth, it is not entirely a fact either.

Reason being that the difference between both doesn’t count as much.

It is true that using the AC consumes fuel faster, so also does rolling down the windows increase wind resistance.

When the car windows are rolled down, the wind effect on the car will cause it to burn slightly more fuel to compensate for aero-dynamics.

Overall, the difference in fuel consumption when the windows are rolled down or when the AC is used is not of much significance especially for high way travels.

8. Refueling in the morning is better

This is another one out of the car myths that are actually false which most drivers have come to believe.

 While it is true that petrol expands with heat, many drivers believe that fuelling up in the morning means you are getting cooler fuel and therefore more quantity.

Fuel is stored down under the ground; therefore, heat cannot affect it much

Well, this is not entirely true. In reality, petrol is usually stored underground where it stays insulated from high temperatures.

So, the time of the day when a driver fuels up does not really impact the quantity of petrol paid for. What you pay for is what you get.

>>>Also check out:

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