9 Common Car-Abusing Behaviors by Car Owners: Exposing the Pitfalls of Routine Maintenance
The heartache of seeing a cute cat being abused is comparable to how many car owners unknowingly mistreat their beloved vehicles. They may think they are loving their cars, but in reality, some common maintenance practices end up harming their vehicles. To help car owners understand these pitfalls, we have compiled a list of car-abusing situations. Careful car owners should check if they've experienced any of these.
1. Washing the car under scorching sun
★ Incident Replay: In summer, some car owners impose their habit of cooling off on their cars. After driving all day, they give the car a cold water bath to cool it down. Most owners will find that the car immediately stalls after washing. When taken to the repair shop, the owner insists, "I did it for its own good!"
★ Abuse Index: ★★★★★
★ Expert Opinion: You know that even humans can shiver when suddenly doused with cold water, so why subject your car to this? Thermal expansion and contraction is basic physics. After being exposed to the sun and driven, the paint surface and engine are very hot. If you wash both inside and out at this time, the paint might just barely endure it, possibly resulting in chipped paint later, but the engine will immediately shut down, refusing to restart until you spend hundreds of dollars.
2. Installing a "mushroom head"
★ Incident Replay: After driving for a while, some feel their car lacks "oomph." If more air could enter the engine, allowing gasoline to burn more completely, wouldn't power be enhanced? So, some owners modify the intake system by simply installing a "mushroom head" at the intake port. Supposedly, this increases the car's air intake, making the engine "eat" more and thus enhancing power. Plus, it's cheap, only costing 300-500 yuan. Why not?
★ Abuse Index: ★★★★
★ Expert Opinion: As ads say, eating too much can cause bloating in humans, and cars are no different. The "mushroom head," officially called a high-flow air filter, is a high-performance air cleaner. In theory, it can increase the airflow into the engine, improving combustion and boosting power in clean indoor environments. However, in northern areas with fine sand particles in the air, increasing the air intake also brings more dust into the cylinders, causing early engine wear and affecting its power performance.
3. Random placement of air fresheners
★ Incident Replay: The smell inside the car always feels cold and impersonal, so drivers like to place car perfumes or air fresheners. The car smells nice, and unpleasant odors are gone.
★ Abuse Index: ★★★
★ Expert Opinion: Air fresheners are made of various chemical components such as ether and fragrance. They do not decompose harmful gases but instead mask odors by confusing the sense of smell. These substances produce gases that pollute the air when chemically decomposed, worsening the air quality inside the car. Long-term use can cause adverse effects on the human body, and low-quality air fresheners can harm the nervous system.
4. Overfilling with engine oil
★ Incident Replay: It's time to change the oil, and some owners want to "care" for their car by filling it to the brim. They believe more oil provides better lubrication for the engine and reduces the frequency of refilling, saving time and money.
★ Abuse Index: ★★★★
★ Expert Opinion: Too much oil increases the internal workload of the engine. When the engine works, the crankshaft and connecting rod create violent stirring, not only increasing internal power loss but also increasing fuel consumption. The excess oil splashing onto the cylinder walls can lead to oil burning, resulting in poor engine lubrication. Oil levels should be controlled within the appropriate range, between the upper and lower marks on the dipstick.
5. Arbitrary tire widening
★ Incident Replay: Seeing sporty cars, some owners get itchy. Their "old car" needs to be sportier too! Start by changing to wide sport tires. Larger rims and wider tires look stylish and improve braking power. Maybe one day they can drift too... But, what's going on? Fuel consumption has increased, and there's a higher risk of bulging or even bursting tires.
★ Abuse Index: ★★★
★ Expert Opinion: Widening the tires reduces the tire's aspect ratio. With the same outer diameter, the tire sidewall becomes thinner, and the increased width enhances friction with the ground, improving vehicle control. However, the thinner sidewall makes it easier for the internal fabric layer to break when passing over rough roads, leading to bulging rubber sections and a higher chance of blowouts. Increased ground friction also means higher fuel consumption. Additionally, lower-profile tires have poorer shock absorption, which might scare away potential female hitchhikers.
6. Removing the catalytic converter
★ Incident Replay: Xiao Zhang, who has been playing with cars for years and considers himself a semi-expert, loves to "operate" on his car. This time, he decided to make his car more "powerful" by targeting the catalytic converter in the exhaust system. Remove it! Let's go for straight-through exhaust. He didn't enjoy it for long before wondering why the exhaust sound got louder but felt less powerful than before.
★ Abuse Index: ★★★
★ Expert Opinion: The catalytic converter is the most important external purification device installed in the car's exhaust system. It converts three harmful gases in the exhaust into harmless carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen through oxidation-reduction reactions. Removing the catalytic converter gives a racing-like auditory stimulation with its loud exhaust sound, but for most modern fuel-injected cars, it does not enhance power. Unlike older carbureted cars, the air intake in fuel-injected cars is controlled by a computer-determined fixed amount. Even if the exhaust volume increases, the intake remains unchanged, so the actual effect does not change.
7. Low speed with high gear, high speed with low gear
★ Incident Replay: With rising fuel prices, car owners have come up with imaginative ways to save fuel: cruising at 40 km/h in fifth gear. Surely, this saves fuel, right?
★ Abuse Index: ★★★
★ Expert Opinion: The idea that "high gear at low speed saves fuel" is definitely wrong. Using high gear at low speeds easily causes the engine to produce jerks, wasting both fuel and damaging the car. Conversely, some drivers seek the thrill of high-speed overtaking, enjoying the engine's high RPM sound, intentionally revving the engine to high RPMs before shifting gears, which also harms the car.
8. Laying floor mats
★ Incident Replay: Passengers' shoes can get dirty, and the car's carpet is hard to clean. Lay down floor mats instead. They're easy to clean and save money.
★ Abuse Index: ★★★★
★ Expert Opinion: Don't think floor mats are trouble-free; they bring plenty of problems. Inferior floor mats can pollute the car's interior air, making you dizzy while driving. While floor mats can isolate dirt, if the carpet gets wet, they prevent moisture from evaporating, trapping it underneath the mat. If not handled promptly, the carpet can be damaged, and even the car's chassis could rust through.
9. Keeping foot on the clutch
★ Incident Replay: New drivers often remember this principle: keep your foot on the clutch. They believe this allows for better starting and acceleration, and that's how cars should be driven!
★ Abuse Index: ★★★★
★ Expert Opinion: Always pressing the clutch results in the clutch remaining in a semi-engaged state. This can ruin the clutch plates in just a few hours.
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