Page 11 - Explore Your AAA – AAA Southern Pennsylvania – Winter 2022

EXPLORE | CARS & DRIVING WINTER/HOLIDAY EDITION 2022
Common Car Myths
Sometimes you might hear something about your car and wonder, “Is that true?” Below are a few common car myths that you may want to investigate before making a decision that could cost you down the road.
Myth No. 1: Make sure to change your oil every 3,000 miles.
Depending on vehicle age, type of oil and driving conditions, oil change intervals will vary. It used to be normal to change the oil every 3,000 miles, but with modern lubricants, most engines today have recommended oil change intervals of 5,000 to 7,500 miles. Moreover, if your car’s engine requires full-synthetic motor oil, it might go as far as 15,000 miles between services. You cannot judge engine oil conditions by color, so follow the factory maintenance schedule for oil changes.
Myth No. 2: I need to warm up my car before driving in the cold.
This age-old practice of warming up your engine before driving is no longer true. It’s actually bad for your car to let it idle. It puts extra fuel into the combustion chamber, which can get into your cylinder walls. Without gasoline, the oil won’t dissolve. So, it’s recommended to wait a mere 30 seconds before driving since gasoline will do the work of warming up your engine for you.
Myth No. 3: Electric vehicles are more expensive to own.
This year’s Your Driving Costs analysis reveals that electric vehicles have the second-lowest annual ownership costs behind small sedans. For comparison, an electric vehicle owner will spend about 4 cents per mile to charge their vehicle at home, while the owner of a gas-powered vehicle will spend an average of 18.4 cents per mile to gas up. Assuming both drive 15,000 miles per year, it would cost approximately $2,700 per year to fuel the gas-powered vehicle and $600 per year to charge the electric vehicle. A difference of $2,100 annually. Beyond fuel savings, electric vehicles have the lowest maintenance, repair and tire costs.
Myth No. 4: I should replace all of my tires at the same time.
Sure, this logic could make sense, but it’s actually not needed. Just because one tire needs to be replaced doesn’t mean you need to fork over the money to replace all four. As long as the tire is the same brand, model and size, you are good to go.
To find out more about auto insurance, contact your
AAA Insurance Agent at 1-800-222-1469, go to AAA.com/AutoInsurance or stop by your local AAA office.
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