Back to all

Busting Automotive Myths in Omaha, NE

October 29, 2017

Myths passed around our Omaha, NE 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 Omaha area, come over to Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Millard.


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 Omaha. A grease fitting may have been installed in conjunction with a repair. And most trucks and truck-based SUVs driving in Omaha 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 Omaha 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 Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Millard 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 Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Millard 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 Omaha 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 Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Millard have always adapted to keep pace with automotive technology. Next time you come across an angry voice about your car care, talk to your Omaha service advisor at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Millard, or do some research of your own.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Center Millard
4870 S 137th Street
Omaha, NE 68137
402-895-4274
http://www.tuffymillardave.com

More articles from Tuffy Millard

A Non-Starter (Alternator Problems in Cold Weather)

March 24, 2024

As the temperatures dip, we all know there could be problems starting our vehicles. After all, batteries can grow old and not hold a charge as well as when they were newer. Or starters can go bad. But there's one more component to keep an especially sharp eye on during winter: your alternator. T... More

Wiper Blades in NE

March 17, 2024

If you're gonna drive around the Omaha area, you've got to be able to see! So having a good set of windshield wipers is extremely important. We've all experienced the frustration and fear of not being able to see clearly during a storm or when our windshield is just dirty.It seems like your wipe... More

Custom Wheels and Tires for Your Omaha Ride

March 10, 2024

It seems like everywhere you go in the Omaha area you see custom wheels. Big trucks, little cars, mini-vans - it doesn't matter - are expressing themselves with custom wheels. Some NE auto owners want smaller tires and wheels - some want larger - and some want them enormous. So where do you sta... More