Don't Believe the Hype: The Truth About Maintaining Your Car

As a responsible car owner, you know that regular auto maintenance is important. However, spending time on unnecessary maintenance steps can result in wasting money and sometimes damage to your car. For many people, doing the unnecessary comes from misconceptions about taking care of a car. To help you save time and money, here are some misconceptions about car maintenance you should ignore.

Myth #1: Inflate Tires According to the Pressure Displayed

There is a lot of useful information on the side of your tires. One of the details listed is the maximum pressure allowed for the tire. One of the biggest misconceptions that car owners believe about their tires is that the detail is how much the air pressure should be for the tire.

Although the air pressure listed on the tire is useful information, it is not the recommended for your car. Instead of relying on the tire details, read your owner's manual. It should tel you the correct amount of air pressure to use. The manual's recommendation is based on the needs of your car so that it can accurately break, handle better, and save on gas consumption.

Myth #2: Jump Starting Your Battery Will Charge It

A jump start from another car or a battery charger helps to get you back on the road, but some people believe it will recharge their battery after a few minutes. The reality is that when your car's battery reaches the point that it needs a jump start, recharging it is hours away.

Your car has a lot of components that depend on the battery. The alternator helps in recharging the battery, but the load that both must carry to power your electrical components can put a strain on them. Therefore, it could take hours to recharge. It is important to note that recharging is only possible if the battery still has the capability to hold a charge.

Myth #3: Warming Up Your Car Is Good for the Engine

You have likely heard that your car's engine needs to be warmed for a few minutes during cold weather to help it perform better. Many people believe that unless this is done, problems, such as a cracked head gasket, can occur. However, this is far from the truth.

Your car's engine will rapidly warm up after you start to drive. In addition to this, other components of your car need motion to warm up and operate at their best. Driving the car is the only way to provide that motion. Warming up your car in the driveway before driving it is more beneficial to you and your passengers than your car.