Reality check on car-care myths Consumer Reports

Reality check on car-care myths Consumer Reports

To paraphrase Mark Twain, it's not what you don't know that can come back to bite you; it's what you know for sure that ain't true. When it comes to maintaining your car, misconceptions abound. And even the best intentions can lead you to spend more money than necessary or even compromise your safety. Here are common myths that can do more harm than good:




Myth: Engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles



Reality: Despite what oil companies and quick-lube shops often claim, it's usually not necessary. Stick to the service intervals in your car's owner's manual. Under normal driving conditions, most vehicles are designed to go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Changing oil more often doesn't hurt the engine, but it can cost you a lot of extra money. Automakers often recommend 3,000-mile intervals for severe driving conditions, such as constant stop-and-go driving, frequent trailer-towing, mountainous terrain, or
dusty conditions.



Myth: Inflate tires to the pressure shown on the tire's sidewall.



Reality: The pounds-per-square-inch figure on the side of the tire is the maximum pressure that the tire can safely hold, not the automaker's recommended pressure, which provides the best balance of braking, handling, gas mileage, and ride comfort. That figure is usually found on a doorjamb sticker, in the glove box, or on the fuel-filler door. Perform a monthly pressure check when tires are cold or after the car has been parked for a few hours.



Myth: If the brake fluid is low, topping it off will fix the problem.



Reality: As brake pads wear, the level in the brake-fluid reservoir drops a bit. That helps you monitor brake wear. If the fluid level drops to or below the Low mark on the reservoir, then either your brakes are worn out or fluid is leaking. Either way, get the brake system serviced immediately. You should also get a routine brake inspection when you rotate the tires, about every 6,000 to 7,000 miles.



Myth: If regular-grade fuel is good, premium must be better.



Reality: Most vehicles run just fine on regular-grade (87 octane) fuel. Using premium in these cars won't hurt, but it won't improve performance, either. A higher-octane number simply means that the fuel is less prone to pre-ignition problems, so it's often specified for hotter running, high-compression engines. So if your car is designed for 87-octane fuel, don't waste money on premium.



Myth: Flush the coolant with every oil change.



Reality: Radiator coolant doesn't need to be replaced very often. Most owner's manuals recommend changing the coolant every five years or 60,000 miles. Of course, if the level in the coolant reservoir is chronically low, check for a leak and get service as soon as possible.



Myth: After a jump-start, your car will soon recharge the battery.



Reality: It could take hours of driving to restore a battery's full charge, especially in the winter. That's because power accessories, such as heated seats, draw so much electricity that in some cars the alternator has little left over to recharge a run-down battery. A "load test" at a service station can determine whether the battery can still hold a charge. If so, some hours on a battery charger might be needed to revive the battery to its full potential.



Myth: Let your engine warm up for several minutes before driving.



Reality: That might have been good advice for yesteryear's cars but is less so today. Modern engines warm up more quickly when they're driven. And the sooner they warm up, the sooner they reach maximum efficiency and deliver the best fuel economy and performance. But don't rev the engine high over the first few miles while it's warming up.



Myth: A dealership must perform regular maintenance to keep your car's factory warranty valid.



Reality: As long as the maintenance items specified in the vehicle owner's manual are performed on schedule, the work can be done at any auto-repair shop. If you're knowledgeable, you can even do the work yourself. Just keep accurate records and receipts to back you up in case of a warranty dispute on a future repair.



Myth: Dishwashing and laundry detergents make a good car wash.



Reality: Detergent can strip off a car's wax finish. Instead, use a car-wash liquid, which is formulated to clean without removing wax.

i saw a noticeable difference between running 91 and 87 when i owned the FJ.

I don't notice a difference with premium fuel in the 1ZZFE. It's dependent on the motor.

me too i didn't notice a different in running 91 for my 7afe. Some of friend claim that it helped in fuel economy and give them more power.

Toyota used 91 when they did the horsepower rating and it says on the gas door to use 91. I guess FJ owners were complaining about the use of 91 since the other Toyota models use the same engine. Toyota issued a clarification saying regular was ok to use, but I didn’t see a benefit to using regular. Once I put all terrain tires on the FJ it got 15mpg on 87. I switched to 91 and was getting 17.9 to 18.6 mpg for everyday driving and 20-21 mpg on the highway with all terrain tires.

I use premium, don't have to floor the poor 1zz as much and it runs quieter

Are you sure you feel a difference? The 1ZZFE was designed on 87 octane.

My car doesnt run any different between the two. But with 87 i average 26mpg and with 91 i average 29-30

I have been using 91 for 4 years now. My car runs noticeably smoother, is definitely quicker from a moving start, and above all my fuel consumption is so better than 89.

My mechanic who has always owned toyota's says on small cars 91 is much more fuel efficent than the rest. He does the same in his camry and in his sienna he says it dosent do as much because of the weight of the car. He uses 87 for that car.

I also dont agree with the articles 3,000 mile oil change. AT 2,500 miles my oil is dark black and i have to change it ahead of 3,000 miles. On COLD STARTS I CAN feel the age of the oil just by the sound the engine makes.

Which brings me to cold starts, i give it 6 mins and it runs smooth real smooth. Starting it off the bat hurts the car my car so much. Even the suspension is cranky.

i don't think there's any difference benefit with running 91 on a car designed for 87. the FJ was a special case since it said to run 91, but some people didn't understand why it needed it since the tacoma and other models use 87. i think other people here with corollas only think they're feeling a difference.

the color of the oil has no bearing on the break down. that's oil 101 stuff.

I thought one of the dangers of not letting your car warm up is that it creates sludge in the oil. Is this right? I always wait until the car idles aroung 1000 before driving off.

i tried 87 because of you guys,

IT definitely burns a lot quicker. Like the difference is beyond obvious. Try it if you don't believe me.

I'll try 91 octane again just to see. I'm averaging 32 mpg combined city/highway on 87. If it doesn't increase my mpg, it's a crock of sh*t.

I use BG MOA and change my oil every 3500 miles. Do I need to change it that often? No. But 7500 miles is pretty long. If you assume the average person drives 30 miles a day, 7500 miles would take them 214 days to drive. 30 x 90 is 2700 miles. So in any average 3 month period, most people are going to drive 3000 miles anyway.

A lot of people are going to suggest changing it every 3-4000 anyways so as to not let crud build up in it.

See, that's why people's shit blows up at 50k miles. I let mine warm up for 4-5 minutes in the winter, 2 in the summer. You HAVE to let everything start flowing before you jump in the car and ram down on the throttle. I remember a guy with an M3 bmw in my old apartment complex. 5 degrees outside, he comes out. Starts his car, gets in, revs it all the way to redline twice, gets out, scraps off a window, gets in, revs it all the way to redline twice, gets out, scraps another window, rinse-repeat.

I've never heard this one, and would call bullshit the instant somebody every said this.