8 Mythes about cars you should stop to believe

8 Mythes about cars you should stop to believe

Cars are part of the family, and they need to be taken care of and maintained like anything else.

Yet it turns out, much of what we think we know about cars is totally wrong. 

Some myths are not longer true, some are simply misunderstandings, and one or two are dangerous. 

Here are 8 myths that are dead wrong!

You might also like: 8 affordable Tips to extend the life of your car (up to 10y+).

Car Keys can’t control your car when you are 30m away!

Picture this. You get out of the car, think about all kinds of things. Then suddenly, you’re not sure if you’ve locked the car doors.

You want to do it again, just to be sure. You press the key several times, because obviously, once is not enough. Then you realize that you are too far away, the key no longer communicates with the car. It’s unfortunate, because you have to turn back.

Except you remember a video you saw, or maybe it was a friend who told you about it before? If you stick your key against your head, will it work or will you just look a little strange? Maybe both?

Well, to your surprise, your friend was right! Sticking your car key against your head or chin increases the range. We can feel the doubt in your mind, but yes, it works! So now, why does it work?

No need to understand electromagnetism in detail, just how your remote control works. It sends a signal through radio waves that have a certain frequency. This frequency varies from one remote control to another. The signal has a certain range, which you had exceeded when you had your doubt.

For the range to increase, the signal must be amplified and that’s where your head comes in. Our body is made up of a lot of water, in all organs and especially the skin.

The electrons in the water, which is conductive, act with the electromagnetic signal from your key next to it, and amplify it. I spare you the equations, but in short, you turn into a giant antenna.

The tires don’t wear out, If I don’t drive my car!

It is possible to know your tires date of manufacture thanks to the « DOT » index. This index was set up by the United States Department of Transportation, and it is located on the sidewall of each tire.

The DOT provides information on the manufacturing plant, size, tire brand, and the last 4 digits to determine the age of a tire.

For example, for 1210: the first 2 digits represent the manufacturing week (12th) and the last 2 digits represent the manufacturing year (2010).

But, you might say, does the date of manufacture of the tire influence its quality end its safety?

Yes.

A tire that is more than 10 years old must be replaced for safety reasons. Indeed, its performance deteriorates with age. How? the rubber can harden and crack.

In fact, most tire professionals recommend that tires should not exceed six years from manufacture to sale to the end customer. But the state of conservation varies so much according to the storage conditions that no period of time can be fixed by law.

Car maintenance? Check our 8 practical tips to save money and drive safely.

I have an all-wheel drive, so I don’t need to worry about the quality of my winter tires

FALSE. The advantage of an all-wheel drive vehicle is mainly on a snow-covered road or when climbing a steep slope. In such a case, having the four wheels working for you is an undeniable asset.

This is also the case in curves where an all-wheel drive vehicle will have better stability. That said, in most situations, especially on ice, having four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive doesn’t change anything. It is the winter tires that will make a difference.

It makes sense when you think about it.

Tires are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road. In addition, when braking, all-wheel drive has no impact on performance (after all, all four wheels will brake whether you have a 4×4 or a front-wheel drive/propulsion vehicle).

So when you brake, what counts is the grip of the tires, which will be the same no matter how your vehicle is driven. At best, say that an AWD vehicle will be even more enjoyable in winter with good tires, but be sure to slow down anyway and adopt good driving practices when the road is icy.

That water engine! The Almighty solution.

« The water engine exists and it just needs to be developed. » « This invention is not being implemented because oil companies are buying up all the patents to continue to earn billions on oil and protect their business. »

 Here is in a few lines the myth of the water engine… This engine would allow you to run by filling your tank with water, free and inexhaustible. The only problem is that water is a stable molecule and contains no energy. Anyway, you might as well put rocks in your tank, it’s the same thing.

Think about it.

If it existed, car manufacturers would have taken possession of this invention and made it for a long time… despite all oil lobbies (which in our opinion are not that powerful…)

Why? Well, because if a manufacturer owned such a technology, it would be certain to increase its sales 10 times, 100 times, for many years (while its patent is still valid). That would be a trillion dollar company, without doubt…

Large cars necessarily consume more fuel than small cars.

Wrong. Okay, not quite. A lot of family cars, SUVs and 4x4s continue to consume more fuel than the smaller, lighter models. Nevertheless, manufacturers have made quite an effort in recent years to reduce the consumption of these large engines.

Why? They are losing sales because those cars are often demonized in terms of pollution.

Moreover, thanks to technological developments and hybrid engines, these bulky vehicles now consume less fuel than a small city car from 10 years ago! That makes you think.

But they definitely need a well stored garage, check our tips & tricks to optimize your garage space

Automatic transmissions are less fuel-efficient.

Less and less true. The latest automatic transmissions consume the same and often less fuel than the same models in the manual version. And why, you might ask? Driving is more flexible, more ecological.

On long journeys and highways, an automatic will allow you to make some significant savings. In addition, what a comfortable ride. And your left foot and right hand can take it easy. Well, almost!

Inflating your tires above normal pressure improves fuel economy

We can never repeat it enough! Checking your tire pressure regularly is a must. In terms of safety, but also in terms of consumption. Under-inflated tires increase rolling resistance. Result? You consume more.

Tires do influence energy efficiency. In fact, for every five pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure loss, consumption can increase by 2%. On the other hand, inflating your tires to a higher than normal pressure reduces the car’s handling and affects ride comfort, not to mention that the tire can burst.

Make sure your tires are always inflated to the recommended pressure.

Cruise control saves fuel SYSTEMATICALLY

It is true that driving at a constant speed and avoiding sudden acceleration and braking can help improve energy efficiency.

It can therefore be said that the cruise control achieves this objective… on flat ground. However, if you are driving on hilly terrain, this device can accelerate your vehicle faster than if you controlled your own speed taking into account the slope.

In conclusion, use the cruise control, but don’t be addicted to it, especially in mountainous areas!

Leonard da Vinci did NOT invent the first car

The « Fiat de Léonardo » was made by fascist Italy. The first ride-on cart designed around 1478 was based on three wheels with many gears and rope systems stretched like a crossbow.

But it was only in 2004 that a historian, Carlo Pedretti, and an American engineer, Mark Rosheim, finally managed to get it up and running. They succeeded to produce it thanks to complex computer modelling. So it can move forward on its own once it is reassembled.

Last, pulling into a fuel tank does NOT create an explosion

Blowing up a car by shooting it is almost impossible. To succeed, you have to do it in a very special way… pull into the tank at full speed and in full wind. In addition, the design of a tank prevents explosion.

So don’t worry about it.

Next >> Car cleaning: 10 easy tips to wash your car like a pro.