What’s the Worst Automotive Maintenance Myth You’ve Heard?
Just because your cousin tells you dumping water in your engine is good for it doesn’t make it true.
When it comes to car maintenance, you can't trust everything you hear. While pouring 20 gallons of water into your engine to clean out carbon buildup or only changing your oil every 15,000 miles
could work without catastrophe, neither are recommended nor worth the risk. When it comes to maintaining what is usually the second-biggest purchase you'll ever make, it's best to stick to the practices outlined in the owner's manual or by reputable guides like the ones right here at The Drive.
This got us wondering: What's the worst automotive maintenance myth you've ever heard? Did an unscrupulous dealership service advisor try to sell "blinker fluid" to you with a straight face? Or perhaps certain members of your family insist on putting premium fuel in their perfectly regular cars that do not need it because they swear it "improves performance."
Did your uncle loudly and proudly declare over Thanksgiving that washer fluid is a sham and that anybody who doesn't just put water with a sprinkle of baking soda in there is a sucker? Or maybe you've also met that buddy of a buddy who spent a summer washing cars (badly) three years ago and, to this day, thinks he is an automotive shaman and goes around telling people that public restroom-grade brown paper towels are a perfectly acceptable tool to use to dry your car after a wash.
Whatever it is, we wanna hear it so leave a comment below! The funnier, the better. The more potentially damaging, the better—just make sure nobody thinks you're the one giving the advice.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
