Automotive myths

[68C15]

Originally Posted by 1970 CST Short Wide

Anybody got a towel , I just spit coffee all over my screen LOL

LockDoc has some extra towels

Originally Posted by rambler

I"ve heard most of these myths before as well... never knew about the clothespin one though

too bad the car the guy had them on has a return line fuel system (no vapor lock)

[special-K]

Originally Posted by 1970 CST Short Wide

Anybody got a towel , I just spit coffee all over my screen LOL

Did you get some laugh therapy outta that? Sorry about the meth (aw jeez)

[motornut]

Originally Posted by zeldman

A few months ago a friend of mine was looking at a used car for a daily beater. He brought a 92 Pontiac Grand Am for me to look at. When he opened the hood, first thing I noticed was wooden clothes pins on the fuel line. The thought process behind that was it stops vapor lock and increases fuel mileage. I wonder how many people under 30 even know what vapor lock is?

lol I had a 92 sunbird/cavalier...combined parts to make a "winterbeater" cavebird lol
when the gas line rusted out,(it also has those PIA hard plastic lines)
i replaced it all (brakes too)lol I didn't pinch it off,(to keep the light off for Etest)

Cavbirds twin 1 - YouTube

It was a 2.2 ran a long time

Cavebird 200001 - YouTube

[1970 CST Short Wide]

Originally Posted by special-K

Did you get some laugh therapy outta that? Sorry about the meth (aw jeez)

Thats it: No more coffe while reading this post, I almost did it again LOL

[special-K]

Hey,I didn't even say thorry

[boatpuller]

I always wondered about those deer whistler things.......How'd they test that ?

[motornut]

Originally Posted by boatpuller

I always wondered about those deer whistler things.......How'd they test that ?

I duno but heck, we turn em around during hunting season,
they don't hear us coming,and they run out to meet you!

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by boatpuller

I always wondered about those deer whistler things.......How'd they test that ?

I remember reading many years ago that they don't really do anything. In fact, many years ago I was given a pair of them.... stuck 'em on whatever I was driving at the time and didn't notice any difference at all. My personal opinion is they are nothing but snake oil.

[special-K]

Here's one...Backing into your driveway rather than pulling in keeps the mileage down,increasing resale value.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by special-K

Here's one...Backing into your driveway rather than pulling in keeps the mileage down,increasing resale value.

Then what -- turn around in your garage and back out of your driveway? Must be a very long driveway....

Some (maybe all?) newer rigs register miles in reverse anyway.

[special-K]

Ok,I see what you're saying. Guess I won't start that one then. I'll never make a good myth starter

[463]

Originally Posted by Stocker

I remember reading many years ago that they don't really do anything. In fact, many years ago I was given a pair of them.... stuck 'em on whatever I was driving at the time and didn't notice any difference at all. My personal opinion is they are nothing but snake oil.

With my use of the deer whistlers they work.
Now one has to understand how they work.
Lets say you see a deer in the ditch and the car has no deer whistlers installed. As the car approaches the deer the deer will more than likely panic and bolt into the one coming path of the car Ouch.
With the deer whistlers clean and properly installed they will start to high pitched squeal at 40 mph and up.
The high pitched squeal projects the sound much louder than what the sound of the car is making so the deer get a heads up of the approaching car. 90% of the time the deer are not startled or panicked and remain as they were.

[D-man313]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

I always wondered about the clothespin BS, wood is an insulator, it would not help radiate heat.

The thing about the under 30 crowd would probably have to do with fuel injection more than anything else. We are in a time when even the cheap beater cars are injected.
The 3rd pedal is becoming a thing of the past too.

Im 18 know about vapor lock, and can drive stick.

[franken]

Myth:
A vehicle is an investment.

Paraphrased: I have $10k invested. I'll take $5k. Meaning $2.5k out the door today.

Truth:
An investment is money spent with the hope that it will return a profit.

For most of us, there's no money in old vehicles. Sure it works on TV, but then we have to live in the actual world, not TV...

[GOPAPA]

As for the whistles that warn the deer ,,,,,didn't work for me and I proved both of the ones I had in the grille of my truck out on a 48 miles stretch of highway every morning going to work in one of the most wooded areas with deer for a year ..

How about the myth of leaving your tail gate down on the truck for better gas mileage.. Myth busters said it didn't help with the test they done..IDK but I did it a lot in my time anyways.

[prairewolf]

...Dirty Harry hinted that Vapor Lock was when an old Bad Guy got called on his sleaziness in front of family and face planted in his soup in a nice resturante after a massive stroke. .... '' How would I know the guy would Vapor Lock? '' ......... and Dirty Harry did not like sugar in his coffee.

...Is it a myth that with Power Stearing veh's its better to have front tires straight when key is turned off to park? ... heard that a Long time ago and still do it most of the time. ... except for the money shot when veh is clean enough for photo op.

[special-K]

How about during the second gas crunch they came out with Mercedes dong a test that proved warming a car up isn't beneficial. I said "BS" from the get-go and still warm by vehicles up. What a crock,I don't care what anyone says. And why did they? Because people waste fuel warming their cars? Driving the car before up to operating temp wastes fuel,too...unless you drive backwards

[kowboy63]

I heard one time that it was bad on your vehicle to leave the AC, Defroster or heater on when you switch your vehicle off. I guess because of cranking back up with any of these left on was bad on your battery & starter???
Probably makes no difference but I still turn em off before switching my vehicles off.

[Leinie]

Jacking up the back of a car gets you better mileage. ( because your always going down hill ! ) Not really a myth but I told a guy this in high school and he was going to go try it until his dad stopped him.
Helium in the tires to make the car lighter ?

Here's a real myth- A turbo gives you better mileage.

[zeldman]

Originally Posted by Leinie

Helium in the tires to make the car lighter ?

That is funny to me because back during the 80s I frequented a small dirt track near Ft. Hood. I used to tell the others that I filled my tires with helium. Also welded a broken air pressure gauge to a non critical part of the roll cage. It was stuck at 80 pounds. I told the others that I had pressurized helium in the roll cage to make the car lighter. You would be surprised at how many people believed me.

Dont get me started about how a rumor got started about my wooden roll cage.

[prairewolf]

... that there was any car that was better in a Demolition Derby than an early 60's Chrysler Imperial. ... the rules/specs for one local derby had everything listed to do to car before derby, ... cross brace between door pillars behind front seat, move gas tank to back seat area, all glass removed, all doors welded or chained shut etc. ... last rule said No Imperials...... guess they were so tough it was not a fair game....... I never used one of those but keep my eyes open for one if out and about for kicks.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by kowboy63

I heard one time that it was bad on your vehicle to leave the AC, Defroster or heater on when you switch your vehicle off. I guess because of cranking back up with any of these left on was bad on your battery & starter???
Probably makes no difference but I still turn em off before switching my vehicles off.

That's a fact. I turn everything off when shutting my vehicles down. It's harder on the components to possibly receive reduced amperage when cold,I would think as well.

[63burban4x4]

Originally Posted by kowboy63

I heard one time that it was bad on your vehicle to leave the AC, Defroster or heater on when you switch your vehicle off. I guess because of cranking back up with any of these left on was bad on your battery & starter???
Probably makes no difference but I still turn em off before switching my vehicles off.

We leave our heaters turned up high, since we have remote starters, and the vehicles are outside. It might be bad for em (though I've not seen this to affect them) .... but I sure like getting into a warm defrosted car first thing.

[slomotion]

I don't know when the change was, but I do know on my late model vehicles all of accessory components are isolated from the starting position of the ignition switch, so full battery power goes to starting the engine. Once the key is released to the "run" position, everything else comes back on.

[Fatherof3]

Originally Posted by 68C15

nah, it's fine. Go ahead and do it. I'd be happy to replace your $300 alternator It's even better if you have a Ford Escape or a late 90's Caddy.

modern alternators are highly overworked just taking care of the car they're in, let alone another one. They are designed to KEEP a battery charged and operate the car's electrical loads.

go buy a charger or a jump pack instead, it's much cheaper.

I had to jump start a 2000 GM car and it caused the speedometer quite working and the door locks didn't work right after that. Searched on line and lots of others had had the same problems do to the voltage surge messing with the BCM a central control module