Debunking Top 7 myths about car maintenance

Hello everyone, I am Danish Patavegar currently pursuing MBA in Retail management from Welingkar institute of management,Mumbai. Since, my early days,I have been very passionate about cars and the automotive industry. Recently I got a exciting opportunity to research on the automotive aftermarket ecosystem. So I decided to share my valuable inputs regarding the same

DEBUNKING TOP 7 MYTHS ABOUT CAR MAINTENANCE

1)  Engine oil should be changed regularly after every 5000 miles 

"Change your engine oil after every 5000 miles or three months". This is common advice given by the auto repair workshops to car owners. Many cars in the world can now drive up to 7500 or 10000 miles without the need for changing engine oil. According to Ford Motor Company, drivers with typical driving habits that own 2008 and newer models should change their engine oil every 7,500 miles or six months. While the Japanese automakers have suggested that most of the cars can run up to 10000 miles. Most of the vehicles today use synthetic oils which lasts much longer as compared to the oil used in old car models.

2) Your car should be ready to face different seasons.

You don't have to use different engine oils,batteries,etc for different seasons. As per analytics report by leading auto repair software companies, the car drivers using same car batteries and engine oil throughout the year faced few car repair checkups. Following a proper schedule of car maintenance is utmost necessary for its well-being

3)   You lose your car's warranty once you get it serviced at small independent repair outlets

Majority of car dealer advice their customers, not to visit small repair shops as it will hamper their car's warranty period. This is actually not true. You can anytime visit small outlets for maintenance checks and procedures. Following the maintenance schedule will not void the car's warranty. The only thing here to keep in mind is to have a record of the job cards and invoices in case the vehicle manufacturer asks for it.

4)You should jumpstart the battery to recharge it fully for driving the car 

Some car owners believe that jumpstarting the battery will reduce the time for it to recharge and provide a better driving experience. This is far away from reality. It takes hours for a battery to recharge fully. Music systems, air conditioner and other accessories intake so much of energy that the alternator has a very little time to recharge the battery. Jumpstarting frequently will poke holes in your budget in the form of a new battery!

5) Turning off the AC improves the fuel economy of the car

There is no proven fact to support this myth. However, rolling down the window would increase wind resistance. This acts as a defence mechanism against the car's design in moving forward. To overcome this resistance, the car needs to produce extra torque which results in more fuel consumption. According to a study conducted by auto repair software companies in US, same amount of fuel is consumed while the AC is working as compared with rolled down windows.

6) Premium fuel is always better for a smooth driving performance

Many car owners lose their money to the belief that premium fuel is all that their cars require. Many cars perform smoothly on the regular octane fuel. There is a low requirement to upgrade to premium fuel. Using premium fuel works better with bigger and complex engines having higher compression rates. Based on a survey conducted to map the driver's satisfaction with the car fuel, the findings suggested that 60% of the drivers were happy with the performance of regular fuel.

7) You must always replace two tyres

Two tires of opposite ends are always suggested to be replaced depending upon the treads, distance travelled and air pressure. However, it's not the case. If both the tires are new, then it will be a very expensive deal for the car owners. Today's cars are built for maximum performance and minimal maintenance. A single tire can be replaced if it has been ruptured by use.

Thus, to avoid being misled by such myths, a car owner needs to be continuously aware and updated. Automotive aftermarket players assist in continuously keeping the customers mindful about its vehicles. Many companies like RAMP, GoMechanic, Boodmo,etc. through its blog provide routine updates to vehicle owners.

Many companies also have built mobile application to provide such routine updates to the owners. GoMechanic and GoBumpr have built-in blog post & articles section in its mobile app to make the vehicle owners informed about various technicalities about their vehicle. While going through various PlayStore Apps, I also came across quite an interesting app named Moto App. This app features reminders related to wheel alignment checks, general services, insurance expiry, etc which automatically pops up fr customer's assistance. Apart from regular vehicle related updates available, this app had a unique feature called Community Forum. This was basically a chat room for the owners owning the same OEM brand. Going through few chats, I noticed that people shared their experiences about vehicle servicing and also debunked several myths popularly used by garages to demand excess money.

So, it’s always advisable to keep some of these apps handy to prevent being deceived.