The invention of the automobile has allowed humanity to progress rapidly and have new ways to scale long distances comfortably. The convenience, autonomy, flexibility, status, comfort, speed, and reliability of cars make them more pleasurable to drive, compared to other vehicles. Despite the wide usage of cars, the majority of car owners or users have very little knowledge about how they work. Car owners and their auto mechanics go on to develop car ideas that are not true in the actual sense. They believe in these myths because they have been hearing them for a very long time. Their lack of knowledge has made it impossible to differentiate between car myths and car facts. It has also made it difficult to identify the things needed to be known when buying a car, while owning one, and when using one as well.
The automobile world is saturated with several myths, and strangely, some of them are verifiable. While many of the misconceptions developed and spread by car lovers and owners can be described as thoughtless and unreasonable, some of them can be described as facts because of the truth they carry. Today, we will go on to separate authenticity from deception about general motors. They might not entirely be facts depending on certain factors such as the type of car, design, technology, model, and others. However, with the help of car manufacturers’ manuals and other sales literature, we have been able to gather 10 bizarre car myths that have validity in them.
10 Any Brand Of Fuel Can Be Used In Your Car
Many car owners are scared of filling up their cars with the gas from “off-brand” gas stations because they believe the quality of the gas might be low and could potentially damage their cars. But the truth is, you can fill up at any gas station you find, especially if you use modern cars that are designed to run on economy-grade fuel.
9 F1 Cars Are Capable Of Driving Upside Down
It is absurd to imagine that cars can drive upside down, but this is true of F1 cars. Formula One cars are one of those advanced light automobiles that can drive at intense speeds and are often very dangerous to operate. A theory behind modern Formula One cars is that they can develop 3.5 g lateral cornering force due to the aerodynamic downforce they produce. Therefore, we can theoretically but not practically say that F1 cars are capable of driving upside down at high speeds.
8 Electric Automobiles Catch Fire Less Frequently
Electric cars are one of the most popular and cheaper cars, due to the comfortability and low cost of running that comes with them. However, despite their accessibility to the general public, several buyers or car lovers are still skeptical about some of the features of electric automobiles. One of these is fire risks, mostly caused by battery issues. Electric cars are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which make them catch fire less frequently than gasoline-powered cars. However, this is weird because due to the battery, the intensity of the fires is usually more difficult to put out.
7 Red Cars Are Attractive To Police And Thieves
Claiming that the colour of a car is likely to attract police and thieves is a very weird thing to do. However, psychology has proven that there is a link between red cars and public attention. Research by Monash University Accident Research Centre has shown that red cars are very likely to attract thieves and be stolen. Another theoretical study also demonstrated that a compilation of automobile statistics from different law enforcement agencies noticed that red cars get more traffic tickets than any other colour. With this, you should know how to drive your red car with a bit of caution to counteract its tendency to get you in trouble with police and thieves.
6 Concrete Floor Cannot Damage A Car Battery
You might have heard someone tell you a concrete floor does not kill your car battery. Well, this is not a myth! The myth is that a concrete floor will drain the battery of your car and kill it. You have probably heard someone warn you not to leave a car battery on the ground or a concrete floor without using a piece of wood or cardboard as an isolator. This is not authentic. While this might be true of traditional batteries, modern batteries with plastic cases have demonstrated that there is no link between battery damage and concrete. So, it is fine to leave your battery on concrete and put this age-old myth to rest.
5 Idling In Winter Has No Benefit To Your Car
So many people think it is a good thing when they let their (presumably modern) car idle in cold weather. The weird thing about this assumption is that idling in winter can cause a whole lot of damage to your engine’s components. Idling is capable of damaging your head gasket, spark plugs, and even your cylinder rings. It is also capable of burning your fuel and draining your car battery. Modern auto experts suggest that you should test or warm up your car for some time before you start running in winter. Idling in winter thus is not beneficial to your car.
4 Small Cars Are The Most Dangerous Car Choice
Small cars are assumed to be designed to modern safety standards and practices, but the truth is, small cars are the most dangerous in accidents. In a recent study, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety demonstrated that small cars remain the most dangerous type of cars on the market. The study also suggests that drivers are more likely to lose their lives in small cars than large ones. Small cars thus increase your tendency of dying in a crash. The best way to lessen your risk of dying is to drive less.
3 Disconnecting The Battery Does Not Stop Your Engine
You might be one of those people who are usually scared of what might happen if they disconnect their battery when the engine is running. Well, the good news is that if your engine's already running, disconnecting your car battery will not stop the car but will still keep the engine running. However, always remember that if you try starting your car without any battery in it, it won't work because of the absence of electrical supply to the combustion chamber.
2 Putting Sugar In Your Gas Tank Cannot Ruin Your Engine
Pouring substances like sugar in a gas tank can make one assume the car engine will be damaged. But that is not the case. The weird thing is that putting sugar into your gas tank is not capable of damaging your car's engine but it may still ruin some other parts of your automobile. Sugar is a scourge to car engines because it cannot dissolve in gasoline as it dissolves in water. So, while sugar won't exactly destroy your car's engine, it can cause a severe clog that might lead to destroying some parts of your engine that are expensive. However, this damage can be avoided if you are quick to replace your fuel filters.
1 Going Beyond 3000 Miles Without An Oil Change Can Cost You Your Car
You might be wondering why it is important to change your oil every 3000 miles you go. While it sometimes depends on your manufacturer’s manual, it is recommended to change your oil every 3000 miles to avoid damaging your car. The strange but true myth here is that going beyond 3000 miles without an oil change can cause a complete engine failure. Once the oil becomes mud, it no longer extracts heat from the engine, leading to a total engine shutdown that will require the engine to be replaced by a new one. We are sure you do not want to spend money on a new engine.