Car Myths

Myth #1: Premium Gas Pays For Itself

Here's the logic: Use only the best gas and your car will need fewer tune-ups and get better mileage, thereby paying for those extra cents per gallon. The car runs more efficiently, burns better. With today's computers and everything being electronic, the better the ignition point, the better the fuel economy. Plus the car has less chance to knock and make noise. I run nothing but high test in everything I own. However, some experts disagree. The difference between 87 and 93 octane is so insignificant that you will realize neither better mileage nor fewer maintenance bills by buying supreme. It makes no difference unless the car is supercharged or it is absolutely specified that it needs higher octane. Buy the cheapest -- unless you're in Mexico, where the cheapest is closer to kerosene.

Myth #2: You can go along way on Empty

As a matter of fact, you can. Most gas tanks hold around two gallons in reserve. While it's nice to know that carmakers have thoughtfully built in this fudge room for the forgetful, it's actually part of a much more ingenious marketing strategy. Gas gauges aren't linear. They are set up so they actually stay on 'full' for a long time, mosey on down to half, then plunge quickly to about a quarter, then gradually make their way down to zero, at which point you have about two gallons left. So you feel good about your car because, when it's filled, it stays full for ages, which means you're getting great mileage -- you think -- and when you hit 'empty,' you feel lucky. However, some experts advise against running on empty. What happens is, you can get a car to a point where it is starved for fuel and then it takes a long time to re-pressurize. You actually starve the injectors, you starve everything, and there's a better chance of vapor lock. When the light goes on, get gas, especially in the summertime.

Myth #3: Always Keep Your Tank Full

Fathers of teenagers love to pass down this sage nugget, perhaps recalling all the times they ran on fumes during their wild youth. It turns out to be pretty sound advice, too. You always want to keep fuel in it in wintertime because you don't want water to get into your tank, because tanks sweat. When you pull in and out of your home garage, you can get moisture in it just because gas is cold and when you bring it into a warm garage, moisture can build up and sweat. You'll get some definite running issues with that. Furthermore, let's say you have to borrow a car. You start it up and the gas gauge stays on 'empty.' You might think maybe the gauge is broken. Face it: A car without gas is no car. If you have an emergency in the middle of the night, you couldn't do anything about it. What's more, if you get stranded in a blizzard without fuel to run the heater, your miserliness just might cost you your life.

Myth #4: Always Overfill Your Tires

This car myth masqueraded for decades as an insider's tip for getting better gas mileage with less wear and tear on your tires. You want to keep your tires at the recommended pressure because if they're over-inflated, they wear one way, under-inflated they wear another. Try to get even wear and rotate your tires every 7,500 miles. On the other hand, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference on mileage. As far as wear goes, it's better than under-filling them, and the reason is, for every pound that a tire is under the recommended pressure, it will run hotter and wear faster. If you ran a tire five pounds under the recommendation, it would last probably 20 percent less.

Myth #5: Improve Mileage by Drafting behind 18 Wheelers

Yes, it worked for bicycle racers in that movie, "Breaking Away." But for a car, the effect is negligible while the risks are potentially fatal. In fact, it's a really bad idea because if the trucker has to stop, you can't see what's in front of them and they can't see you. If you're not paying attention, they can out brake you and you're going to drive right underneath the tail and the tailgate is going to hit you right in the windshield. Thank you and good night. Not to mention, if you don't already have a cracked windshield, that's an excellent way to get one.

Myth #6: Water is just as good as Antifreeze

We mere mortals take coolant largely on faith. After all, anything that is tested with little colored balls in a turkey baster is way beyond our comprehension. Left to our own devices, we would just fill the radiator with a garden hose and off we'd go. But not for long. Antifreeze coolant is designed to keep cooling in temperature extremes far better than H2O, and that's good news for your engine. Coolant also helps prevent the corrosion and mineral deposits associated with nature's version. Still, it's not foolproof. The problem with antifreeze is, if you put too much of it in, it actually doesn't cool very well, You've got to get the mixture about right. And don't forget to drain and replace the stuff periodically. This keeps it from gumming up and clogging those heat-reducing cells.

Myth #7: Heavy Hauling requires a Standard Transmission

This maxim caught on in the days when standard transmissions were preferable to some pretty shaky early automatics. Time and technology, however, have turned this into a car myth. Today, some mechanics even recommend automatics for towing. The reason: Cars now have computerized drive train management systems that can calculate gear shifts more precisely than a driver can, thereby prolonging the transmission's life. Just remember to take it out of overdrive. Don't pull a trailer in overdrive.

Myth #8: Always Warm up your Car

Yeah, good old Dad again. And once again, it's pretty solid advice. It gives the oil a chance to get where it's going, into the head and valves. Cold starting and heat cycling is what kills cars. It's better for you, the driver, too. No one likes to get into an icy auto on a winter's morning.

Myth #9: If you lost your Keys, Just Hotwire it Baby!

It may have been a snap to illicitly crank an engine back when Nehru jackets were in fashion, but not anymore. You could do it when the ignition was in the dash," but not these days. Plus, if you have a lot of electronic stuff like fuel injection, forget it. It's really easy to fry it all. It's not nearly the same as it was. So make sure you have a set of spare keys, an up-to-date auto club membership or a mechanic who's willing to repair your auto-boosting damage for a reasonable price.

Myth #10: If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

This is perhaps the very best car tip ever, no myth about it. Most experts agree that this is a good theory. You can probably recall watching a friend go into repairing things that didn't seem to need repairing and make himself a bunch of problems. It's still a good rule of thumb, provided you stay up with the maintenance. Wait until the car gives you telltale signs of problems then respond.

Myth #11: You can go 25,000 Miles without an Oil Change

This may very well be one of the worst pieces of advice to hit the streets in recent years. With cleaner running engines and the emergence of synthetic oils, some car manufacturers have said that engines will run longer than ever before. While this may be true, your car needs a regular oil change to keep the internals clean. This is especially true for Metropolitan drivers who are stuck in rush hour traffic day in and day out. Most experts suggest changing your oil ever three to five thousand miles. The consequence of not changing your oil is sludge buildup. Sludge buildup causes engine performance to deteriorate. In extreme cases, sludge can cause engines to seize completely. So the moral of the story, change your oil regularly.