One of the first things that you learn when you start driving is basic car maintenance. Learning how to do things like fix a flat tire or change your oil is a great way to keep your car on the road. Basic maintenance is not difficult but a lot of people forget that the routine should change slightly depending on the time of year. The maintenance you do on your car during the winter is not always the best thing for it in the summertime. Since people tend to learn these skills from their family and friends, some interesting myths have been passed down regarding what should and shouldn’t be done in different seasons.
The following 5 are the most common myths that you will probably come across:
You should always use the thickest oil you can find for use in the summer months. Not true. Most new cars have been designed to run with 5w20 but some older cars were designed for use with thicker oil. Always read your users manual to see what the manufacturer recommends and do not just change your oil viscosity based on it being a few degrees warmer outside.- Running the air conditioner uses less gas than putting the windows down. A myth but not by much. Since lowering the windows on a vehicle slightly increases the drag and running the A/C uses a few extra horsepower, they come out pretty even .
- Turning on the heat helps cool the engine. Oddly enough, true. Essentially the heater helps to absorb the excess engine heat but it does keep the cabin toasty as well, which could be a problem in summer.
- Since heat expands, you actually get more gasoline per fill up in the morning cool than the afternoon heat. Wrong. The gas is kept underground which stays at a constant temperature throughout the day.
- Water is fine to use in place of coolant in the summer. False. Regardless of the season, you should always use a half and half mixture using coolant and water. That way you get the beneficial additives in the coolant that prevents corrosion and wear.
Make sure that you always keep up with scheduled maintenance no matter what time of year it is, and always have a trusted Marietta car service center perform regular tune-ups on your vehicle to make sure that it’s always running smoothly.
