You might be misinformed. Here are 5 misconceptions about cars that are commonly believed to be true!

Nowadays, cars have become so prevalent that users even struggle to find parking spaces. Especially in crowded cities like Istanbul, it is quite difficult to drive a car and find a place to park it. But how well do we really know our cars that have entered our lives to this extent? We have listed 5 misconceptions about cars for you. Here are the details…

5 misconceptions about cars!

1- Run the engine for 5 minutes to warm it up!
Older drivers would know that the young ones were given the car key with the order “start the car to warm up the engine.” Many children have learned to drive the car by moving it back and forth in the parking lot with this excuse. However, with new technology, this is no longer necessary. You don’t need to run your car in vain for minutes.

When you look at your car’s manual, you will see that your engine works with the direct injection method. The reason to warm the engine is for your car to achieve the most efficient combustion. However, cars with injection provide this directly. Instead of waiting for minutes, wait for 20-25 seconds after starting your car and then drive. This waiting period is for the fuel to reach the optimum temperature.

2- ABS stops in a shorter distance than regular brakes!
Actually no. This is another misconception. Of course, ABS is a safe system and we recommend it to be always active in your vehicle. However, the system was not designed to stop in a short distance. ABS is a system that prevents your car from skidding while braking.

3- Antifreeze is only used in winter!
This is another common misconception among the public. Users make this deduction from the definition of antifreeze. The primary duty of antifreeze is to prevent your engine cooling fluid from freezing. So, use antifreeze all year round.

4- Lower the tire pressure for better grip!
This point is purely an urban legend and against the laws of physics. Plus, you won’t save fuel. Instead of believing in these superstitions, maintain the optimum tire pressure of your vehicle.

5- The car doesn’t burn fuel when the gear is in neutral!
The last item on our list is for our budget-conscious followers in light of the rising gasoline and diesel prices. The notion that a car does not consume fuel when in neutral is completely false. When you put your vehicle in neutral, the engine continues to run at idle speed to prevent it from stalling. During this time, it also consumes fuel. However, when your car is in gear and you’re not accelerating – as you will see if you look at the instant consumption table – your car does not burn fuel. Therefore, if your car is in gear while going downhill, you will save fuel.