What you thought you knew about your car
Automotive beliefs put to rest by car-care experts

True or false: You should always warm your car up before driving on a cold day.

The answer is false. Although the majority of the driving population may consider this to be true, it can actually cause damage to vehicles if done continuously.

There are a number of automotive beliefs drivers encounter on a daily basis that may or may not be accurate. To shed some light on this topic, service specialists contributed their car-care expertise to confirm and debunk eight common automotive beliefs:

Belief: Do not blast your vehicle's air conditioner when sitting in traffic or while driving at more than 100 km/h.

Reality: False. Vehicle heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are engineered and tested to operate in even the most severe types of driving environments. The air conditioner has cooling fans and condensers that allow it to operate under these conditions.

Belief: It is possible to check your tire tread with a coin.

Belief: If you still have fuel in your gas tank when you refill it, use the same grade of fuel that is currently in the tank.

Reality: False. As long as you use unleaded brands of gasoline, it will not harm your vehicle if you mix different grades of fuel. You may not get the same fuel efficiency or suffer a slight performance degradation, but mixing different grades won't do any harm.

Belief: Avoid keeping your vehicle at a constant speed during the first 1,000 kilometres of a vehicle's life.

Reality: Maybe. Most new vehicles no longer require drivers to vary their speeds during the first few miles of a vehicle's life, known as the "break-in period." If your vehicle does require the "break-in period," then you should avoid keeping a constant speed during this time. Even varying your speed by a few kilometres per hour should do the trick - but always stay within legal limits.

Belief: Your vehicle's engine should be "warmed up" before driving in cold weather.

Reality: False. Warming your engine up or idling is not the best route to take. In fact, excessive idling can be damaging to your vehicle. You should instead drive the vehicle to get the engine warm during the cold weather.

Belief: Premium gasoline is best for your vehicle.

Reality: Maybe. It depends on the type of vehicle you drive. Most cars are built to run on regular-grade fuel, so using premium fuel will not improve the car's performance. In fact, using premium fuel in a vehicle that was not designed for it can harm the vehicle's performance and fuel efficiency. Check your owner's manual for the recommended fuel grade.

Belief: For city dwellers dealing with narrow streets, do not park with two wheels on the curb, as it will destroy the vehicle's alignment.

Reality: True, if done continuously. Many specialists say that repeatedly parking a car with one side's wheels on a curb to provide more space for passing cars can cause excessive wear or stress to tie rods and suspension bushings, creating alignment issues.

Belief: If the steering wheel shakes when you drive, there is something wrong with your brakes.

Reality: Maybe. If the wheel shakes as you depress the brake pedal, it might mean your brake rotors are unbalanced. If the wheel shakes as you drive, it could be the result of a wheel balance or steering-related issue.

Buick Regal will become LaCrosse

2005 model will be first designed under Lutz's tenure

The Buick Regal will have a new name - the LaCrosse - when it is re-engineered and restyled for the 2005 model year.

After Bob Lutz arrived in September 2001 as General Motors' vice-chairman for product development, he completely reworked the Regal redesign. The design originally approved by GM management had Buick's classic portholes in the front fenders.

The 2005 Regal is expected to have a more refined interior than the current model. Lutz has made better interiors a top priority. The 2005 model will be the first GM design completely supervised by Lutz. A wide range of Lutz vehicles appear in 2006.

In mid-August Buick notified dealers of the plan to rename the LaCrosse. Regal sales have been weak lately. American sales dropped 18.5 per cent to 40,754 in 2002 while, according to Richmond Hill-based Desrosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., the brand's 2002 Canadian numbers were off 3.1 per cent to 4,444. Through seven months this year, U.S. sales fell 28.2 per cent against a drop of almost 39 per cent in Canada.

From Automotive News.
Copyright 2003 Crain Communications Inc.
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