Like any other machine, your car requires maintenance and servicing on a regular basis. Since you use your car daily, it can be difficult to imagine your day without it. This is one of the big reasons why people miss out on regular car servicing. You must keep in mind that regular maintenance will ensure that the smaller problems are refined and you will not have to bear the brunt of an expensive repair job.
The lack of complete knowledge about car servicing and its essentials is also one of the reasons that people are not particular about. While many people have a fair idea about what is needed, there are a lot of myths about car servicing. Below mentioned are five such myths that most of the car owners have.
Myth 1: Changing Oil Every 3000 Miles
If you believe that the car oil needs to be changed every 3000 miles, you have fallen prey to the advertisements of the car oil companies. If you read your car manual, you’ll see that most car companies advise that the oil change needs to be made at intervals of nearly 7500 miles if the car is used for regular driving only. A 3000 miles benchmark may be suited to cars that are used for commercial purposes or towing etc. While the change of oil does no damage to the engine, it costs you more every time you get it done.
Myth 2: Car Wash with Laundry Detergent
Your car servicing usually includes the car washing however certain individuals want to save money on that by doing the washing part at home. Using domestic cleaners like laundry detergents is not advisable as it can affect the polish of the car. So, while cleaning the dirt, you might put the paint and the polish of the car at risk.
Myth 3: Battery Charges Immediately After Jumpstarts
Many times, the reason you must give your car for servicing is because it has not been used for a while. This would mean that the battery has died. Usually it is given a jumpstart and you can start driving again. A common myth is that the jumpstart is enough to recharge the battery. You must understand that the jumpstart just helps to get the car ignited. So, to get the battery charged, you’ll have to drive around the car for a bit longer. An hour of driving will adequately charge the battery post which you can continue daily operation to get the battery back to its full capacity.
Myth 4: Coolant Needs to Be Changed with The Oil
This myth seems to have been derived purely out of convenience. Most car owners believe that the coolant needs to be changed with every engine oil change which is not true. Ideally, the coolant must be changed once in five years or may be after every 60,000 miles. You can refer to any car manual and you’ll be surprised to know that how much incorrect information is presented in the form of myths.
Myth 5: Tires Should Be Inflated to The Pressure Mentioned on The Tire Sidewall
A common myth is that the number mentioned on the sidewall of the tires is the amount of pressure that the tire should be inflated to. It is the number that indicates the maximum pressure capacity of the tire which means you must ensure that you fill a little air than the number indicated on the sidewall. Also, excessive pressure can lead to the tire bursting.
