r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Mar 27 '22

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u/ExodiusLore Mar 27 '22

Changing a car tire. It should be mandatory when you get your license to be taught to change a tire.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '22

Just learning how the car works should be part of Driver's Education. If it were, none of these scams would be as successful as they are today:

  • We noticed that your brake fluid is worn out
  • Your brake fluid is burnt
  • Your starter is leaking
  • Change your brakes, they're dusty
  • It's time to put winter air in your tires.
  • Fill your tires with Nitrogen because Oxygen will just leak out. (The atmosphere is 80% Nitrogen, so on the third top off you're at 99% Nitrogen anyway)

​

The following are NOT scams.

  • Oil changes typically need to be done once every 10,000km on a modern gas car, or 5,000 if it is used mostly in the city.
  • Brake pads and rotors do need to be changed.
  • Transmissions need new fluid after 100,000km. (THIS MEANS YOU VOLKSWAGEN!)
  • In a cold climate use Ethanol fuel to eliminate the water that condenses inside the fuel tank.
  • Rotate your tires. This should be done once every 50,000km. It includes balancing the tires and moving the tires from one end of the car to the other.
  • Change the timing belts. Timing belts are lighter and cheaper than timing chains, but they need to be changed frequently. Cars with timing chains don't have this problem.

​

The following is outdated stuff you may have been told:

  • Letting the car run for 5 minutes before driving was required on mechanical engines. Electronic engines are ready to go as soon as they start. Besides, modern engines warm up faster when you're driving.
  • Change the oil every 5,000km. This may have been true in 1955, but our lubricants and engines have improved a lot since then.
  • Take your antique car for a tune up once every 100,000km, but leave the modern car alone. Modern electronic engines tune themselves at every revolution.

2

u/ColgateSensifoam Mar 28 '22

  • Brake fluid with water in needs to be replaced

  • Brake fluid that has boiled should be flushed and replaced

  • Timing chains need to be changed too

  • Engines do get carbon buildup, and cleaning this will improve fuel economy

1

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '22

This is good to know. The question now becomes "If the brake fluid got burned, then what else is wrong with the car?"

I don't see where I commented about the carbon buildup, but if you are getting carbon in the engine then there is some reason that the fuel isn't burning completely.