5 Common Myths About Car Maintenance
Have you ever wondered about the truth of all the statements you’ve heard in the media about vehicle maintenance? Where do you go for the answers to your questions? The auto repair technicians at your auto shop will be happy to help you determine fact from fiction. To give you a head-start, take a look at a few of the more common myths about car maintenance and the facts behind them:
- Myth: Replace oil every 3,000 miles. Thanks to advancements with synthetic versions, your car can operate thousands of miles over the 3,000 mile mark. However, make sure you’re using a synthetic or conventional oil that’s specified by your owner’s manual, and change it according to the oil product’s durability schedule. But if you do a lot of stop-and-go driving, trailer-towing, or travel through mountainous or dusty areas, 3,000 miles between oil changes is a good idea.
- Myth: To keep your warranty valid, you have to go to the dealership for vehicle maintenance. You can take your vehicle to the auto shop of your choice. What matters is that the maintenance is performed on the schedule that’s specified in the owner’s manual. Be sure to keep documents of all work performed.
- Inflate tires to the pressure shown on the tire’s sidewall. The psi figure on the side of the tire is the maximum pressure the tire will hold safely. If you’re looking for the automaker’s recommended pressure that balances braking, handling, gas mileage, and ride comfort, it’s usually on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb or in the glove-box.
- Myth: Premium is better than regular-grade fuel. Most vehicles run fine on regular-grade fuel (87-octane). if you use premium in a vehicle that doesn’t require it, you may actually decrease fuel mileage and promote carbon and deposit build-up in the valve train and combustion chamber, resulting in higher maintenance costs. However, if you try to save a few cents by using regular fuel in a vehicle designed for premium, you may end up paying out hundreds of dollars on engine damage.
- Myth: Warm up your car before driving. In today’s vehicles, driving is the fastest way to warm up an engine, and the sooner it warms up, the sooner it delivers the best mileage and performance.
Have more questions regarding the myths about car maintenance? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive for more information about our vehicle maintenance services and to schedule an appointment. Since 1997, our auto shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN and in the surrounding areas of Milaca, MN, and Zimmerman, MN.
Have you ever wondered about the truth of all the statements you’ve heard in the media about vehicle maintenance? Where do you go for the answers to your questions? The auto repair technicians at your auto shop will be happy to help you determine fact from fiction. To give you a head-start, take a look at a few of the more common myths about car maintenance and the facts behind them:
- Myth: Replace oil every 3,000 miles. Thanks to advancements with synthetic versions, your car can operate thousands of miles over the 3,000 mile mark. However, make sure you’re using a synthetic or conventional oil that’s specified by your owner’s manual, and change it according to the oil product’s durability schedule. But if you do a lot of stop-and-go driving, trailer-towing, or travel through mountainous or dusty areas, 3,000 miles between oil changes is a good idea.
- Myth: To keep your warranty valid, you have to go to the dealership for vehicle maintenance. You can take your vehicle to the auto shop of your choice. What matters is that the maintenance is performed on the schedule that’s specified in the owner’s manual. Be sure to keep documents of all work performed.
- Inflate tires to the pressure shown on the tire’s sidewall. The psi figure on the side of the tire is the maximum pressure the tire will hold safely. If you’re looking for the automaker’s recommended pressure that balances braking, handling, gas mileage, and ride comfort, it’s usually on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb or in the glove-box.
- Myth: Premium is better than regular-grade fuel. Most vehicles run fine on regular-grade fuel (87-octane). if you use premium in a vehicle that doesn’t require it, you may actually decrease fuel mileage and promote carbon and deposit build-up in the valve train and combustion chamber, resulting in higher maintenance costs. However, if you try to save a few cents by using regular fuel in a vehicle designed for premium, you may end up paying out hundreds of dollars on engine damage.
- Myth: Warm up your car before driving. In today’s vehicles, driving is the fastest way to warm up an engine, and the sooner it warms up, the sooner it delivers the best mileage and performance.
Have more questions regarding the myths about car maintenance? Contact our ASE Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive for more information about our vehicle maintenance services and to schedule an appointment. Since 1997, our auto shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN and in the surrounding areas of Milaca, MN, and Zimmerman, MN.
