Lindstrom's Auto Body

Debunking Car Myths Once and For All

Some people call these "urban tales", but many folks in the suburbs believe these classic myths about cars, too. Here at Lindstrom's Auto Body in Woodland, we hear some incredible stories from customers about their cars and what might be ailing them. Misinformation in the automotive repair industry is rampant, so hopefully we will be able to debunk some of these car myths right here and now.

1. Putting sugar in a gas tank destroys the engine

I put this one at the top, because for decades I too believed this myth. I mean, it does sound plausible that sugar would at least gum up the works and seriously damage your engine. But, it's not even remotely true. Believe it or not, an engine can run with sugar in the tank for significant period of time, but don't leave it in there. Your car may encounter issues down the road if you keep driving around with sugar in your tank, but it's not going to kill your engine anytime soon.

2. Rolling your windows down in hot weather conserves fuel

On a super-hot day, many drivers turn off their air conditioning systems and roll down their windows to allow in the hot air. My father used to pull this move all the time, and all of us believed that it worked. But, a few years ago, the show Mythbusters proved definitively that there is zero benefit by rolling your windows down and turning off your AC. In fact, the concept completely backfires, because the loss in aerodynamics created by an open car trumps any fuel savings you might receive.

3. All gas is created equal 

Too many people fall for this one and buy regular when their car really needs premium. When you go for a refill at the gas station, you customarily get three choices. Sometimes you will also get a fourth octane choice, or even possibly an ethanol free fuel option as well. But if someone tells you all gas is the same, they're pulling your leg. So, always ask around and find the correct fuel for your vehicle, especially if you have a turbocharged engine, for example. With many cars, regular will be fine, but with most of the newest vehicles, not all gas is created equal.

4. A free flow exhaust system will enhance your gas mileage

This myth has been around for many years and believe it or not, some car experts still accept it as true. Sure, a free flow exhaust system will enhance your vehicle's performance by installing a tuned exhaust, but it will not improve your gas mileage one iota. Pick one--you can either create more horsepower with this system or achieve improved mileage, but you unfortunately cannot have both. Your engine was tuned for maximum efficiency at the factory using an amalgamation of flow and back pressure. Remove the back pressure and you could run into real engine drama in the very near future. So, do your due diligence before installing any exhaust system, because it can hurt rather than help you in several ways.

As they say, knowledge is king, so hopefully you won't fall for any of these four car myths anymore. Here in Woodland and all over the state of CA, we want to provide you with helpful information and timely news that you can use, brought to you by Lindstrom's Auto Body.

Sources: MSN, Japolik and Wikipedia