As millions of Americans continue their practice self-quarantine, auto owners are driving less unless visiting an essential business nearby. Conducting essential ensures your car runs smooth as states implement the next stage of their social distancing plan. 

As many Americans are driving less and spending more time at home — now is a great time to conduct essential maintenance of your car.

With a lot of suggestions floating around the internet, we decided to debunk common car maintenance myths that can potentially cause worse than good. 

Myth #1: Warm-up your car’s engine before driving in the cold

Many people believe letting your car run for several minutes before using it in cold climates is suitable for the engine. In reality, doing that has no benefit other than heating the inside of the car. Having your vehicle sitting in the driveway uses gas to go nowhere, wasting money and gasoline. 

Tip: Cars nowadays warm up faster while the car is driving. Parts such as wheel bearings and transmission are some examples of parts that require movement to fully warm up. The best way to properly warm your car up in the cold is to drive as normal.

Myth #2: Wash your car with dish or laundry soap

Many confuse this as a way to save money but washing your car with dish soap or laundry detergent damages your vehicle’s wax finish. The result can lead to paint chipping off, and rust marks. 

Tip: Purchase car-wash liquid to avoid causing damage. Using this is a great way to get a quality wash you might receive at a detailer, while still saving money. The car-wash liquid is designed not to strip away the wax finish of your car.

For further car, maintenance insights make sure to check out car Maintenance tips you can do at home.

Myth #3: You should fully replace a tire if you run over a nail.

Many repair shops might try and convince you that the entire tire needs replacing because of a puncture-related to a nail or other sharp objects. In most circumstances, this is not the case. 

Tip: Many tire shops can repair this kind of damage with a rubber patch. This patch goes on the inside of the tire. The patch costs about $20.00, where a new tire can run you at the minimum $100.00. Requesting this, instead of buying a brand new tire, is a great way to info/how-bad-is-low-tire-pressure/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>maintain your tire while saving money properly. 

Myth #4: Your air filter is dirty and needs to be changed

Often when getting your oil changed, mechanics try and persuade you to replace your car’s air filter. Although there will be times where you might need to, we recommend checking your car’s manual before committing.

Tip: Modern cars can go around 25,000 miles before a new filter is needed. The appearance of a dirty filter does mean a replacement is required. If anything, that means the filter is doing its intended job of cleaning the air from toxins. An easy test you can do at home to see if your filter needs to replacing is the light bulb test. Take a 100 watt light bulb and turn it on. If light passes through at least half of the filter area, your filter is in great shape. 

Myth #5: Vehicle servicing at independent repair shops will void your warranty

Servicing your car at an independent repair shop will not void your warranty. Some dealerships will indicate that your vehicle can only be serviced with them, but oftentimes that is false. 

Tip: Any auto repair shop can perform any necessary maintenance that is covered under your warranty. All you need to do is save the receipts from proving what was done, and at what cost.

Protect You and Your Wallet with Endurance

We’re working hard to keep America on the road and offer peace of mind amidst COVID-19. If you’re a current customer and facing financial hardship, we have relief options available. Contact us to learn how we’re keeping your vehicle protection plan active at this uncertain time. 

If you don’t have auto protection from Endurance, now is the time to prepare for the unexpected. We have limited time relief plans available, and you can request a no-obligation quote or call 1-866-918-1438 to hear about minimal down payments. When it comes to car maintenance, there’s a lot to think about, and we’re here to help.