Classic Motoring Myths

Giacomo McGubbin

Classic examples I can think of include :

- All French and Italian cars are unreliable
- All "genuine" German cars such as VW's / Audis and BMW's are reliable
- Toyota's are still as reliable as ever
- Korean cars are still rubbish
- Cheap Chinese tyres are as good as ordinary priced tyres
- All UK imports are clocked and/or damaged repaired
- The average Irish car is better kept and maintained and has better recorded service history than the average UK car
- It's perfectly acceptable for expensive modern Diesel cars to pack up if they are largely used on short runs only

Any more to add ?

colm_mcm

You can just get another new one in 3 years time.

Eric Cartman

- The average Irish car is better kept and maintained and has better recorded service history than the average UK car

I think you have that the wrong way round. I don't think anyone here is silly enough to claim irish cars are better looked after.

- It's perfectly acceptable for expensive modern Diesel cars to pack up if they are largely used on short runs only

Well diesel was never designed for that. Is it alright for the whole thing to pack in - no, do you have to face facts when the DPF clogs or the turbos eat themselves - yeah.

pippip

The fuel tank icon in the fuel dial on the dash indicates the side of the fuel flap.

Headlight bulbs only take 5 seconds to change.

Just because the Gardai drive a certain model doesn't mean its a great car.

SCOOP 64

The average Irish car is better kept and maintained and has better recorded service history than the average UK car

I have only heard irish people say the exact opposite , don't know were that one come from ?

pippip

I wouldn't say better kept and maintained but I would have heard "sure all Uk mileage is all motorway"

coylemj

Eric Cartman wrote: »

I think you have that the wrong way round. I don't think anyone here is silly enough to claim irish cars are better looked after.

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

The average Irish car is better kept and maintained and has better recorded service history than the average UK car

I have only heard irish people say the exact opposite , don't know were that one come from ?

OP is discussing motoring myths - the implication is that the exact opposite of those statements apply.

Eric Cartman

pippip wrote: »

I wouldn't say better kept and maintained but I would have heard "sure all Uk mileage is all motorway"

its even the way others treat cars.

my range rover - 7 years in the UK , no repairs (verified by paint micrometer) , not a scratch or dent on it at all.


in Ireland 6 months, always parked away from other cars down the back of carparks and looked after - every door has a ding in it now from cúnts just swinging doors open.

Eric Cartman

coylemj wrote: »

OP is discussing motoring myths - the implication is that the exact opposite of those statements apply.

yeah, but for a myth to exist , some people have to believe it. I have never heard of anyone claim irish cars are better cared for.

Atlantic Dawn

Driving around with your AC on requires financing from the EU Bank.

Voodoomelon

Driving with your headlights on wastes unacceptable amounts of fuel/battery power.
Fresh NCT means the car is grand until next year.
People who buy convertibles in Ireland are nuts.
Cars with over 100,000 miles will explode.
Lady owner cars are in better condition.

Eric Cartman

a dealer being registered with SIMI means they won't shaft you / sell you a dodgy car.

Jesus.

pippip wrote: »

The fuel tank icon in the fuel dial on the dash indicates the side of the fuel flap.

Doesn't it?

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Driving with your headlights on wastes unacceptable amounts of fuel/battery power.

I've never heard anyone claim that.

shietpilot

Revving the engine past 3000 RPM will make it explode.

Jesus.

I thought "myths" had to be believed by a large portion of people as "facts", only for them to be debunked and then proven as "myths" . A lot of the shyte in this thread can only be believed by a small section of halfwits

(No offence to anyone)

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

That you need to let a cold engine idle for a while before driving off.

GavRedKing

Not letting your petrol go down to the red incase things like dirt, twigs muck and sh*t gets into your engine, basically letting the "bad" petrol into your engine.

Mister Jingles

Slow lane, fast lane

FortySeven

Diesels are cheaper to run than petrols.

Steve

BMWs have bulbs in their indicators..

Atlantic Dawn

A person wouldn't be able to service their own car themselves as cars are computerised now so to speak.

CiniO

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Driving with your headlights on wastes unacceptable amounts of fuel/battery power.

Jesus. wrote: »

I've never heard anyone claim that.

You didn't need to hear it.
Just look around all those people who don't turn on their light at dusk, dawn, rain, fog, snow, etc...
Sometimes when they feel that it's getting really dark or visibility is really extremely poor due to rain, fog, snow, those people finally decide to spare some of their fortune, and finally turn the sidelights on.

Dipped headlights are preciously saved only for the darkest of darknesses.

All those (which is majority) don't need to say it. They just do it, beaucse they really must think that using your lights wastes extreme abouts of energy/fuel/battery power.

coylemj

pippip wrote: »

The fuel tank icon in the fuel dial on the dash indicates the side of the fuel flap.

It did on my 2007 VW Golf, there was an arrow pointing to the right indicating which side the flap was on. Example (not necessarily a VW) below ......

https://blog.allstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Fuel-Gauge-Arrow-iStock.jpg

mikeecho

pippip wrote: »

The fuel tank icon in the fuel dial on the dash indicates the side of the fuel flap.

Headlight bulbs only take 5 seconds to change.

Just because the Gardai drive a certain model doesn't mean its a great car.

It's the arrow next to the fuel pump icon, that points to the fuel filler cap.
Not all cars have this arrow, ie Bmw.

But I think every nap car has it

Jesus.

CiniO wrote: »

You didn't need to hear it.
Just look around all those people who don't turn on their light at dusk, dawn, rain, fog, snow, etc...Sometimes when they feel that it's getting really dark or visibility is really extremely poor due to rain, fog, snow, those people finally decide to spare some of their fortune, and finally turn the sidelights on.Dipped headlights are preciously saved only for the darkest of darknesses.All those (which is majority) don't need to say it. They just do it, beaucse they really must think that using your lights wastes extreme abouts of energy/fuel/battery power.

My point is I don't think people aren't needlessly turning on their headlights to save money or anything else. They're not doing it because its daft.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

If it has a tow bar, then the engine and clutch are equally knackered in it.
If it's got a DL reg it's had the bollocks drove out of it, likely by boy racers.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

savagethegoat

Deleted User wrote: »

If it has a tow bar, then the engine and clutch are equally knackered in it.
If it's got a DL reg it's had the bollocks drove out of it, likely by boy racers.

are they myths?

inforfun

On the fuel icon thing... I do rent cars quite a bit and only once i went wrong with the side of the car where the fuel flap was, based on the icon.
Some brands do indeed have an extra arrow but in general you can go with the side of the icon the hose is.

NIMAN

Donegal is the only county in Ireland with boy racers and idiot drivers.

mikeecho

inforfun wrote: »

On the fuel icon thing... I do rent cars quite a bit and only once i went wrong with the side of the car where the fuel flap was, based on the icon.
Some brands do indeed have an extra arrow but in general you can go with the side of the icon the hose is.

The hose is always on the right.

Cee-Jay-Cee

pippip wrote: »

The fuel tank icon in the fuel dial on the dash indicates the side of the fuel flap.

I think this is a misconception on your part only. Most fuel gauges either have an arrow pointing to the fuel filler side or the fuel pump icon showing the filler hose on the left or right of the pump which indicates thr sude you should go to at the pumps.

I have never heard that the side the actual gauge is on indicates the filler cap side and suspect you picked it up wrong with regard to the two types I mentioned above.

R1_Pete

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly wrote: »

That you need to let a cold engine idle for a while before driving off.

I have a 2002 996, I would never start it cold and drive it away. You might not "need" to, particularly on a modern engine, but on some older stuff or some of the more highly strung engines I absolutely believe letting an engine get up to operating temperature before driving on it is a good idea.

Alanstrainor

R1_Pete wrote: »

I have a 2002 996, I would never start it cold and drive it away. You might not "need" to, particularly on a modern engine, but on some older stuff or some of the more highly strung engines I absolutely believe letting an engine get up to operating temperature before driving on it is a good idea.

Ah here, and what about the gearbox oil and other bits? Take it easy for the first 5 to 10 minutes until up to temp. Then rev the nuts off it.

R1_Pete

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ah here, and what about the gearbox oil and other bits? Take it easy for the first 5 to 10 minutes until up to temp. Then rev the nuts off it.

What about it?

I would always let the car idle/run for a few minutes before I drive it. Then ill take it handy for a few minutes anyway.
Ive had mine for 6+ years now and no mechanical issues whatsoever, so ill keep on with that approach...

shietpilot

R1_Pete wrote: »

What about it?

I would always let the car idle/run for a few minutes before I drive it. Then ill take it handy for a few minutes anyway.
Ive had mine for 6+ years now and no mechanical issues whatsoever, so ill keep on with that approach...

Letting the engine warm up is just doing as much wear as driving it hard to honest.

Think of it this way: The engine wears the least when it is up to temperature.

If you let it get up to temperature VERY SLOW (idling on your driveway) the engine is running colder for a longer amount of time and it is causing wear.

If you drive it like an F1 driver from the second the key is started the revs will be high and the engine will be cold which will also cause wear.

Ideally you need to be somewhere in the middle which means just taking it handy for a while. This way you spend the least amount of time with the engine running cold and you don't drive it hard until it has warmed up. It's a balancing act.

You can let the engine idle for a minute or so just to make sure the oil has recirculated properly around the engine and you are ready to drive it gently.

Henry Ford III

Myth: It's ok to pass on the lhs as long as you don't speed up to do so. A senior Garda said so.

Esel

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I think this is a misconception on your part only. Most fuel gauges either have an arrow pointing to the fuel filler side or the fuel pump icon showing the filler hose on the left or right of the pump which indicates thr sude you should go to at the pumps.

I have never heard that the side the actual gauge is on indicates the filler cap side and suspect you picked it up wrong with regard to the two types I mentioned above.

Could you please be a bit less confusingling?

biko

Go-faster stripes make the car go faster.

mikeecho

Esel wrote: »

Could you please be a bit less confusingling?

If there is an arrow next to the fuel gauge, that's the side your fuel filler cap is.

joujoujou

Speed cameras are for safety.

Speed kills.

ianobrien

Mine is that the smallist engine that a manufacturer fits into a car model is going to be the most economic to run. Ask anybody with a 1.4 petrol Ford Focus or a modern diesel.

ianobrien

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ah here, and what about the gearbox oil and other bits? Take it easy for the first 5 to 10 minutes until up to temp. Then rev the nuts off it.

The gearbox is also turning, well the input shaft is. Thus it will be heating up also.

I know on the vintage Escort i always leave it idle for a few minutes after cold starting. It's on carbs so they do need some "playing" with the choke and throttle before the idle settles down after 3 to 4 minutes. It may have something to do with the "slightly" improved Gasflow in the head, cam, carb, etc. Standard engines I don't leave idle before driving, I just leave the revs below 3k (petrol) or 2k (diesel) for the first 20km. I need that length for the oil to get to 90C in big diesels.

mikeecho

Maxol has the best fuel

Wibbs

Jesus. wrote: »

Doesn't it?

Mine doesn't anyway J and it's a Japanese car(which a few folks seem to reckon defo have this). The Fuel icon thingie shows the pump handle on the right hand (driver)side, but the filler is on the left(passenger).



Seatbelt icon is on backwards too and I have a hatch not a boot lid.

ThisRegard

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Well diesel was never designed for that. Is it alright for the whole thing to pack in - no, do you have to face facts when the DPF clogs or the turbos eat themselves - yeah.

The myth that all diesels have DPFs.

Eric Cartman

Wibbs wrote: »

Mine doesn't anyway J and it's a Japanese car(which a few folks seem to reckon defo have this). The Fuel icon thingie shows the pump handle on the right hand (driver)side, but the filler is on the left(passenger).



Seatbelt icon is on backwards too and I have a hatch not a boot lid.

Technically the fuel icon is right, thats the side of pump on the forecourt youd want to go to for a passenger fuel door

Joe 90

R1_Pete wrote: »

What about it?

I would always let the car idle/run for a few minutes before I drive it. Then ill take it handy for a few minutes anyway.
Ive had mine for 6+ years now and no mechanical issues whatsoever, so ill keep on with that approach...

I agree with that. Had a K engined Elise for a couple of years followed by a VHPD Exige for 12 years and did just that. Waited until the temp guage started to show something before driving off and not caning it until well warmed up. Absolutly no engine trouble with either unless you count an alternator.
For those who don't know, the K series is famous for it's consumption of head gaskets and the VHPD is a seriously tweaked version of the K.

Wibbs

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Technically the fuel icon is right, thats the side of pump on the forecourt youd want to go to for a passenger fuel door

Ah here EC…. g'way with your technically. :pac: Which I suppose means that yes all fuel dash icons are right. They either show you which side your filler is on or which side you should go to the pump.

fancy pigeon

Wibbs wrote: »

Mine doesn't anyway J and it's a Japanese car(which a few folks seem to reckon defo have this). The Fuel icon thingie shows the pump handle on the right hand (driver)side, but the filler is on the left(passenger).



Seatbelt icon is on backwards too and I have a hatch not a boot lid.

300ZX is the same. Filler on the rear left, icon pointing the other way


The Merc has the exact same style of icon, pointing the same way. Filler is on the rear right