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About This Quiz
Did you know you get better gas mileage if you fill up before you use half the tank? Or, is that a myth? Take this quiz to see how much you know about your car and the myths surrounding it!
How does driving while using a cell phone compare to driving while drunk?
They are both very dangerous
Both activities are very dangerous, and some statistics show that phone use is actually worse than driving drunk. Let's all be safe out there, OK?
Drunk driving is far worse
How will high-octane fuel affect your budget-priced sedan?
It will dramatically improve performance
It makes the engine explode
It doesn't help your performance
Many people pointlessly dump high-octane fuel into their budget cars thinking that they'll get a performance boost. Don't do it -- save the high-octane stuff for your sports car.
What will happen if someone shoots your car's gas tank with a bullet, just like in a Hollywood action film?
Absolutely nothing
The car will explode
The gas will leak out
Well, if the tank is full, some of your gas might leak onto the ground. But unlike the movies, your car isn't going to blow up immediately. Also, stay away from places where people shoot cars with guns.
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How does off-brand gasoline affect your car?
It makes it run worse
It doesn't have any effect
News flash -- generic gas still has to meet the government's specifications. Pricier, name-brand gas isn't getting you any measurable benefits.
What can you do to foil a cop's radar gun from detecting your speed?
You can't do anything
Gadget makers love to take peoples' money for radar-busting products. It's not possible. Save your money to pay off your speeding tickets, you crazy driver.
Buy an expensive gadget
True or false, do bigger wheels make your car go faster?
true
false
This one is basic physics. Nothing about bigger wheels makes your car faster. Bigger wheels are heavier, though, and there's no doubt that they'll make your car less fuel-efficient.
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True or false, can you get by with simply never changing your oil?
true
false
Uh, no. You do need to get fresh oil once in a while. Eventually, oil gets dirty and it will lead to the deterioration of your engine.
True or false, should you get an engine tune-up at least every six months?
true
false
Tune-ups are a ploy that service stations use to boost their profits. Modern cars control their performance with an onboard computer, and the only way to change that is to swap out the computer.
True or false, does overdrive make your car go faster?
true
false
Overdrive kicks your car into a higher gear, but it doesn't make it go faster. It's best for settling into a high speed on a big, open road, and it'll save you some fuel.
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True or false, do manual transmissions offer better fuel efficiency than automatic transmissions?
true
false
Back in the day, there was some truth to this. But modern automatic transmissions are things of complex beauty and getting a manual transmission isn't going to make any measurable difference in your fuel efficiency.
How much do red cars cost to insure versus other colors?
It costs far more
It costs the same
It's a silly but long-standing myth that red cars cost more to insure. This one probably started because so many sports cars are red, and sporty cars really are pricier with regards to insurance.
It costs far less
What effect do fuel additives have on your car?
Zip, zero, nadda
Fuel additives do nothing to benefit your car. Stop wasting your money on them.
They turn it into a much more efficient machine
They turn it into a unicorn
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True or false, are electric cars more likely to catch fire after an accident?
true
false
So far, no, electric vehicles aren't more likely to explode into flames following a wreck. The wreck itself is much more likely to be hazardous to your health.
How does all-wheel drive or 4X4 affect your stopping capability?
It greatly helps
It doesn't really help
All-wheel drive and 4x4 capability are meant to help your vehicle get moving on rugged terrain. But contrary to what many crazy drivers seem to believe, it won't help you stop on a slick road. The result of this myth? Many, many accidents.
Which color of car do police most often pull over?
Red
Violet
There's no difference
It's a common myth that cops love to pull over red cars. It's just not true. They pull over any drivers that are breaking the law, though, so be mindful of how you're navigating the highways.
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How does a convertible affect your safety in a wreck?
The safety is similar to a hardtop
The safety of a convertible is similar to that of a hardtop. No matter what vehicle you drive, you really don't want to experience a rollover accident, which can really hurt everyone in the vehicle.
You're gonna die
True or false, do police versions of common car models contain secret super-powered engines?
true
false
Some police cars do have modifications, but the vast majority are just regular models ... only they come with cages to keep criminals safely contained in the back seat.
Compared with simply opening the windows, how does the car's air-conditioning unit affect fuel efficiency?
The A/C uses more fuel
This isn't a trick question. In many cases, the A/C unit uses slightly more gas than simply opening the windows.
The A/C uses less fuel
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What do you have to do to "winterize" your car?
Overhaul all of the fluids for colder weather
Put on snow tires and reduce tire pressure
Service stations would love to charge you for a winterization process. Don't do it. Put on your snow tires, reduce your tire pressure and call it good.
Put a coat on it
If you get into a severe accident, can the axles of your car be ripped right off of the chassis?
true
false
Your car's axels are one of the strongest components on the vehicle. Unless you get into some of the worst accidents of all-time, this is never going to happen, no matter what you see in an action movie.
What colors did the iconic Ford Model T come in?
All sorts of colors
It's a misconception that the Model T came only in black. But Ford cranked out many red, green and other colors of this model. Black, though, was the most common.
Purple
Black
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How long does it take to recharge your car battery after a jump-start?
It can take hours
Some people think that jump starting a car means the battery will recharge pretty quickly. The reality is that it can take hours to recharge the battery, so keep that in mind before you turn off the engine.
A few minutes
How does increasing highway speed limits affect accident rates?
Accident rates go up
Accident rates stay the same
Increasing speed limits doesn't increase accident rates. If anything, it's the people who drive way under the speed limit who cause a lot of bad accidents.
It's cold outside. What should you do when you start your car?
Let it warm up before your drive it -- every time
Let it warm up enough to melt all of the snow under the car before you go anywhere
Just get in and go already, it's cold!
Just go already. Don't smash the acceleration to the floor or anything and your car will be fine.
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True or false, are drivers safer in big SUVs as opposed to little economy cars?
true
Many people think they're safer in lumbering SUVs as opposed to little cars. But modern small cars have great crash ratings, amazing handling and they don't roll over very often, unlike SUVs. That said, there's no altering the rules of physics. If you're in the bigger vehicle and you crash, you have more cushioning to protect you.
false
True or false, if you're in a shootout, can you hide from bullets by ducking behind your car?
true
false
Unless you have a car with special bullet-proof components, it's not going to do much to protect you from firearms fire. Your better bet? Avoid people who shoot at you.
You should change your oil every _______ miles.
300
3,000
7,500
Oil companies have pushed the 3,000-mile myths for decades. It's good for profits, after all. But car makers specify that you don't really need an oil change sooner than 7,500 miles ... and often far more than that.
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True or false, can your cell phone spark a fire while you're pumping gasoline?
true
false
Cell phones don't cause gas vapors to ignite. Unless, of course, you have an exploding cell phone, and those do exist. Don't buy phones that explode and you'll be fine.
True or false, is there a technology that lets car engines run on water?
true
false
It's a myth that makes headlines from time to time, but there's no secret technology that will allow cars to run on water. And unless aliens land and introduce us to some pretty nifty technologies, it won't happen anytime in the future, either.
What happens if you pump fuel into your car early in the morning, when it's cooler outside?
You'll get more gas for your money
There's no real difference
Gasoline is denser at cool temperatures, so the idea is that if you pump in the morning, you'll get more fuel for your dollar. But because gas tanks are underground, there's not really going to be a noticeable difference in how much fuel you get for your money.
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You Got:
/30
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