3 Automotive Myths Busted… Myth or Fact!

Everyone has heard of at least a few automotive myths before, like let your car warm up before driving or roll down your windows instead of using a/c because it’s more fuel efficient , etc. etc.. We can't really determine if some of these myths are true or not though without vigorously testing each and every one of them. Now what is the definition of a myth though? 

Myth; A widely held but could be false idea or belief. 

So let's start determining whether some of these myths are actually myths… 

The first myth and in my opinion the most popular myth: People believe that rolling the windows down is better than using the vehicles a/c because they believe it's more fuel efficient. This one is tricky because obviously every car is different. This truly just depends on the time of day, the speed you may be driving, and the shape of the car. Obviously if you are driving slower speeds and it’s cooler out, then running your windows down might actually be more fuel efficient than running the a/c. But if you are traveling at higher speeds on a highway, then the a/c would be more efficient. Though the a/c does use energy, it is not as detrimental as you may think it is, and driving with the windows down at higher speeds does create aerodynamic drag. That being said, is it even fair to consider this one a myth or fact when so many different variables play a role in the outcome? 

Myth number 1: Manual transmissions will always get better fuel economy than automatics. I would say this is true, if we were talking in past tense 20 years ago before DCT’s were a thing. With today’s technology, modern automatic transmissions have become more efficient, often surpassing manual transmissions in fuel economy due to the technology we have today. More gears and dual clutch transmissions have taken over. 

Myth number 2: Jet fuel will make your car go faster! Please do not put jet fuel in your car… If somebody has told you this, I’m sorry but they are truly just messing with you. And if you believe this, please read your car's manual and it will tell you the specific type of gas to put in your vehicle. This myth is popularized by movies and urban legends. Fact is that jet fuel is not suitable for use in most internal combustion engines and can actually cause major damages. 

Myth number 3: Filling up your gas tank in the morning gets you more fuel. But does it actually though? The time of day truly has no significance to the density of the fuel. Underground tanks keep gasoline at a relatively constant temperature so whether you decide to put gas in your car in the morning or evening shouldn’t really have any sort of different effect.  

These three myths were simply just that, myths…. As there may be hundreds of automotive myths, you’ll at least have closure on these four for now!