Red cars cost more to insure
Ever found your dream, red car only to be told it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg to insure it? You probably shouldn’t have listened. There is no evidence that red cars are more expensive to insure or that colour impacts your car insurance premiums - that’s why it’s a question car insurance companies will generally never ask.
Manual transmissions offer better fuel economy that automatics
This was once true, back when automatic transmissions were new to the roads and not as advanced as they are now. However, due to advancements in automatic transmission technology this is no longer the case, in fact in many cases the opposite is now true.
You need to change your oil every 3,000 miles
This myth may be one of the most common misconceptions, so common in fact that it has its own Wikipedia page. With the ever-changing and ever-evolving motor technology that we have access to today, most cars on the road can drive up to 7,5000 to 15,000 miles without an oil change.
Using your phone while refuelling is dangerous
The FCC (The Federal Communications Commission) concluded: "There is no documented incident where the use of a wireless phone was found to cause a fire or explosion at a gas station." So that’s that…but to stay on the safe side and to spare yourself a ticking off from petrol station employees, it’s probably best not to test this theory.
Refuelling in the mornings costs less
The idea that filling up your fuel tank costs less in the morning stems from the fact that gasoline expands when heated. Therefore, in theory, refuelling in the morning when it’s cooler and the fuel is less dense will allow the driver to get more EPG (Energy Per Gallon). However, fuel is usually stored underground where it remains at a steady temperature and does not fluctuate enough to make a difference. Although this isn’t the most absurd myth we’ve heard – it’s completely false.
It is better to drive with a warm engine
We’ve all done it – let our cars warm up with the heating on full force before we shoot to work on a wet, icy morning. Turns out this isn’t necessary - not unless you’re driving a car which dates back to the 80’s.
Older engines relied on carburettors which needed to be warm to function. However, we’ve moved on since then and with the help of electronic fuel injection our cars adjust to temperature conditions using sensors. They’re also beneficial as they improve mileage and reduce emissions.
