Back to all

Busting Automotive Myths in Saginaw, TX

June 1, 2017

Myths passed around our Saginaw, TX community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the vehicles of yesteryear and declare their modern decedents to be virtually maintenance free and that anyone who says otherwise is out to rip you off.

To get the truth about auto myths you hear around the Saginaw area, come over to Kwik Kar Saginaw.


Let's examine a couple of the more popular rants and look at the truth behind them.

The first one is that the chassis no longer needs lubrication for suspension, steering and the driveline. They declare that anyone who has charged you for lubrication is a charlatan.

The truth on which this myth is based is that many new vehicles come from the factory with sealed joints and cannot be greased. However, there are still some grease points on many cars around Saginaw. A grease fitting may have been installed in conjunction with a repair. And most trucks and truck-based SUVs driving in Saginaw still require chassis lubrication. This is because they are more heavy duty and proper greasing is still required to keep them going.

Another common rant you'll hear around Saginaw is that modern vehicles don't need tune-ups. That depends on your definition of a 'tune-up', which has changed as technology has progressed. Before engine control computers, electronic ignition and fuel injection, a tune up meant replacing mechanical parts that wore out. Service technicians at Kwik Kar Saginaw would manually adjust fuel and air mix and timing. When these adjustments were off, spark plugs would foul and need to be replaced.

This definition just doesn't apply to modern vehicles. Service centers like Kwik Kar Saginaw generally consider a tune-up to be the major service visit, recommended by your manufacturer, every 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) or so.

Of course you can't lubricate a sealed joint. Of course you can't adjust a carburetor if your car doesn't have one. You probably don't need to change spark plugs every year if your manufacturer says they can go 30,000 miles (50,000 kilometers). What are these bloggers getting so worked up about?

The danger with these modern-day myths is they prevent people in our local Saginaw community from taking care of the routine preventive auto maintenance that manufactures recommend. Check out this partial list of things you still need to do to take care of your car. How many of them are really any different today than they were 20 or 30 years ago?

Oil change, cooling system service, transmission service, tire balancing, tire rotation, wheel alignment, suspension service, power steering service, proper tire inflation, brake service, differential service, battery maintenance, engine air filer, PCV valve, breather element, fuel filter, belts, hoses, timing belt, windshield wipers . . .

You get the picture. Your vehicle is still a machine that needs to be maintained. And, hey, your service advisors at Kwik Kar Saginaw have always adapted to keep pace with automotive technology. Next time you come across an angry voice about your car care, talk to your Saginaw service advisor at Kwik Kar Saginaw, or do some research of your own.

Kwik Kar Saginaw
1216 S. Blue Mound Rd.
Saginaw, TX 76131
817-231-1700
http://www.kwikkarsaginaw.com

Need Service?

Request a Quote

More articles from Kwik Kar Saginaw

Stop! And See Us (Brake Pad Replacement)

November 9, 2025

If youve ever driven a bicycle with hand brakes, youll probably understand how the brake pads on your vehicle work. Bicycle brakes use a system that squeezes the bike wheels rim with a pair of cushioned pads activated by your hand squeezing the hand brakes on your handlebars. The friction of tho... More

Read a Good Tire Lately? (Tire Wear)

November 2, 2025

There's lots of good information to read in books and online. You might not know that you can also "read" your tires and learn a lot about what shape they're in and if they are in need of attention. It's important to know how your tires are doing because a tire failure can be very dangerous to y... More

What's in a Number? (What Tire Numbers Mean)

October 27, 2025

You've probably never paid much attention to the writing on the sides of your tires, but they contain a wealth of information. There's a long combination of letters and numbers that can tell you a whole lot about what tires your vehicle was designed to be riding on. Let's check out this example... More