Myth: Bolting on a free flow air filter or tuning chip won't void my warranty.
Truth: Using any of the two things above or anything else which alters the working of the engine will straightaway void your warranty. Always stick to manufacturer guidelines to preserve your warranty.
Myth : Modern engines do not require idling at the time of cold start
Truth: Although engines have become a lot more reliable but they still need idling for efficient and longer running. If a car has been stationary for long intervals all the oil would be sitting in the sump and instant driving would mean great amounts of wear and tear on engine components due to lack of lubrication. Always idle your engine for a minimum of 30 seconds in the summers and 1 minute in winters.
Myth: Premium fuels are good for the engine and improve fuel efficiency and performance.
Truth: No such concrete proof is available in favour of premium fuels. While the additives in premium fuels can help clean your engine regular usage of the same is not mandatory. Once every 1500kms should be enough for the engine's hygiene. Higher octane fuels too are required only for vehicles which have a high compression ratio. Most of the vehicles on our roads today do not sport such compression ratios and remember that even if you are getting an extra kilometre from every litre you are paying extra also for it so in the end any gain gets offset.
Myth : Turbo vehicles do not need idling when stopping even if mentioned in user manual.
Truth: Always follow all the instructions in the user manual religiously. A turbo vehicle needs proper idling during start as well as stops since a turbocharger uses oil for lubricating the bearings. Lack of idling can cause premature wear and tear to the turbo since it wouldn't be properly lubricated. At the time of stopping the turbine in the turbo keeps spinning (it can spin even at 50,000 rpm) and sudden shut-off would stop the supply of oil and hamper lubrication. Idling allows the turbine to come down to lower speeds and hence prevents damage.
Myth: Restarting an engine consumes more fuel than idling it so I don't need to do this on every stop light.
Truth : Modern engines are far more efficient than older engines and consume very little petrol to restart when warm. Hence it is strongly recommended to shut your engine at a stop light of more than 40 seconds.
Myth: Hybrids are cheaper to maintain than petrol cars
Truth : There is no substantial data to prove the same yet. One needs to keep in mind that in a hybrid car too there is a petrol powered engine which will ask for maintenance as any other engine would. In addition you do have a battery and motor to maintain in a hybrid car unlike a petrol car.
Courtesy : Economic Times
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