Monday, April 21, 2025

What misconceptions did you have about cars / other vehicles when you were younger?

 

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What misconceptions did you have about cars / other vehicles when you were younger?

History

I thought the "MAINTENANCE REQ'D" light was Honda's version of the "CHECK ENGINE" light on my Mom's 2001 Honda Accord.

I later figured out it was telling the driver that it was time for an oil change, tire rotation, multi-point inspection and other routine periodic maintenance items. Not because something was going wrong with the engine.

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[–]OmericanAutlaw 14 points  

this is hilarious

[–]Realistic-Willow4287 5 points  

Remarkable really. I blame forza too

[–][deleted] 4 points  

To my ”defense” i grew in a household where cars were simply a-b appliances for the most part, only my dad knows how to drive, and i was not interested even a little bit in mechanical stuff, so i didn’t speculate much about it and just kinda ”assumed” that that was how it worked. Now when i think about it, it was probably up until my brother started drivers ed, so i was probably 13 when i realised a bit more how cars functioned and that the brake was not reverse? Still embarassing, lol.

[–]AdeptDetail4311 1 point  

Yeah same here lol. I blame GTA!

[–]Fogbot3Enthusiast 1 point  

Literally the hardest part of learning to drive for me was the brain switch from "Press A to turn the CAR left" to "Turn steering wheel left to Turn the WHEELS left"

[–]CoolSide20 20 points  

My question is how did you get your permit without learning that's not what you do?????

[–]StopNowThink 9 points  

When I learned to drive (in this century), turning 15.5 meant you had a permit. You just started driving with your parents and a birth certificate. That's it.

Driver's Ed was how you get a license.

[–]DeFiClark 12 points  

I feel like I had to pass the written exam at 15.5 to get a permit. That wouldn’t have taught me not to floor it though.

[–]DragonfruitNo3424 2 points  

I honestly don't remember what was covered in the written portion of the learners permit exam but yeah something should have probably been taught and maybe it was and I was just an aloof teenager? Almost 30 years later and I've never been in an accident or received a ticket so I ended up being a safe driver but I definitely didn't start off too well.

[–]GearheadGamer3D 1 point  

You do, I would be surprised if any state doesn’t. It’s extremely basic though.

[–]UnluckyGamer505 3 points  

America is crazy with this. In europe you can apply only if youre 17 or older in most countries and even if you get your licence at 17, youre not allowed to drive alone until 18. Cant imagine random 15 & 16 year olds driving around in 1,5-2ton vehicles

[–]DragonfruitNo3424 3 points  

Well to be fair we are required to have a licensed driver with us when driving on a permit but you're right about learning on a 3500-4000 vehicle or whatever that 1997 Suburban weighed. That is a bit crazy to think back on.

[–]Gubbtratt1 1 point  

Finland: when you turn 16 you can start learning. Your parent (or whoever you want to learn with, has to be 24 years old, have had a license for 5 years and can't be a major criminal) have to apply for a teacher permit and your car needs a passenger side brake pedal. The teacher is in charge. Once you turn 16.75 you can apply for an age exemption. If traficom thinks your reason is good enough (currently pretty much any reason is good enough, but due to the very high accident rate among 17 year olds they're planning to make it stricter so only the ones who actually needs it gets it) you can get your full license at 17, with the only limitation being that you can't drive outside mainland finland until you turn 18.

[–]mopar39426ml 1 point  

Keep in mind how massive Europe is. Most of America needs cars to get to work or school, and most kids have jobs around 16.

Aside from our public transport systems being almost non-existent, the remoteness of a lot of the country makes public transport there almost impossible, at certainly not fiscally feasible.

[–]abat6294 3 points  

Only need to pass a written exam to get a permit. The exam does not cover the sensitivity of throttle pedals.

[–]CoolSide20 2 points  

I guess so

[–]DragonfruitNo3424 2 points  

Yep as others have said it was just a written exam and then you can drive with someone who has a license. This was like 30 years ago so my memory is a little fuzzy on some of the finer details but I do remember my mom took me to an empty church parking lot and I guess just assumed I would know better. Thankfully no one else was around and I applied as much force to the brakes as I did the gas pedal when she freaked out so it was like a really quick roller coaster.

[–]babybambam 2 points  

You're not allowed any hands on learning without the permit, so it does make sense that you would get it immediately in preparation for your eventual driving test to get your license.

However, so many families seem to skip the driving manual and just drop the kid in the driver's seat. So many parents can't be bothered or feel like reading is stupid, so we go straight to flooring the suburban in the church parking lot.

[–]CoolSide20 1 point  

Yeah I know that both of my parents taught me the basics before I even went into class just to prepare me.

I do know though there are definitely parents out there that wouldn't say anything and like you said cause some people floor the suburban in the church parking lot

[–]imgurcaptainclutch 1 point  

Should've listened to Mrs. Puff!

[–]Blu_yello_husky 24 points  

I thought front wheel drive cars were super rare and really wanted one as my first car because they were unique. While that used to be true 50 years ago, it wasn't in 2014 when I thought that. What's even funnier is that I had a fwd car and hated it, haven't bought one since

[–]StarHammer_01 5 points  

Same, when I was 15 I asked my dad why all cars have inline mounted engines and rear wheel drive.

Wouldn't it make more sense to drive the front wheel drive with a transverse engine so the rotation is the same direction?

Lamo.

[–]point50tracer 5 points  

Got any of those... Scratches neck. Oldsmobile Toronados?

[–]Dangerous_Echidna229 0 points  

Original Toronados were not transverse engines.

[–]bs-throwaway69 1 point  

But they were fwd

[–]Dangerous_Echidna229 1 point  

Right you are! They used a chain driven transmission with a separate differential. I worked on many of them.

[–]OmericanAutlaw 3 points  

similar but different, i knew torque mattered but could not figure out what it was for a while

[–]jeepsies 17 points  

I used to thing vtec was gay

[–]StopNowThink 3 points  

I mean....

It's pretty "gay" how it was marketed. Tons of engines have variable valve timing. The MFG just didn't put a decal on the door telling everyone about it.

[–]I_AM_AN_ASSHOLE_AMA 3 points  

Trying to explain that to Honda fanboys when I was a teenager was like pulling teeth.

They seemed to think only civics had magical VVT.

[–]hux__ 2 points  

I get they this. Basically the beginning of an understanding that “wait you mean there’s stuff in there that’s making this shit work?”

[–]CoolSide20 1 point  

Wait so what does the liters stand for?

[–][deleted] 4 points  

Engine displacement. Each litre = 1000 cubic centimeters of space/volune inside of all of the engine’s cylinders (collectively). 

In motorcycles, they’re more often referred to by how many CCs the engine has. 

I’ve got a Yamaha MT-09, where the 09 stands for 900 CCs (in reality, it’s actually 849 CCs — they just round it up to 900 for marketing reasons). 

Yamaha also makes an R6. So typically you can assume it has a 600CC engine. Same for the Yamaha R1, which has a 1000cc engine. 

So if you ever hear someone talk about a “litre bike” (like the R1), it’s a motorcycle that has an engine that’s 1,000 CCs, or one liter. 

So a car with 6.0 litre engine could be said to have a 6,000 CCs. It’s just convention that cars are measured in liters, and motorcycles are measured in CCs (just like how 3 feet = 1 yard). 

[–]Equivalent-Carry-419 3 points  

Because a one liter engine is really powerful for any motorcycle. Full throttle on a 600 cc crotch rocket will easily put a regular motorcyclist on their back.

[–][deleted] 2 points  

100% 

When I first started riding, I almost bought a Yamaha R6, which probably would have killed me lol. 

 Ended up buying a Ninja 250, and I was shocked at how fast bikes feel compared to cars. Damn near wrecked it at least a handful of times in the first month. Then I upgraded to a 650 cruiser, and that was a bigger difference in speed than I expected, and almost killed me at first. 

Then when I upgraded to my MY-09, my brain could barely process how fast it is in its lower power settings (50% power, 50% throttle response). It took me about a month of riding in lower-power settings to even work up the courage to try it on full power, and the first time I tried it, my brain couldn’t even process how it’s possible to move that fast. 

I have a good friend who has a lot of experience riding dirt bikes, but I told him there’s 0% chance I’m letting him ride it. Jumping straight to a bike with 100-150 more HP than you’re used to is a death wish. 

[–]CoolSide20 2 points  

My dad needs to learn this, he knows the dangers but he keeps wanting that 1000 cc bike. That's a want after you gain the skill of the slower bike, he definitely knows the dangers because his friend recently died on a 1000cc bike but he's still trying to push for it.

I'ma take this comment and use it to show him you don't need a lot of power to go fast, he's been a car guy for years so he of all people should know horsepower and speed isn't everything.

[–][deleted] 1 point  

Does he have experience riding anything? 

If he’s never ridden anything, it’s a horrible idea to jump straight to a liter bike. 

Liter bikes have around 180 HP, which is insanely fast. And the riding position also makes it a lot harder to approach if it’s something he isn’t used to.

If he’s looking for a crotch rocket, I’d highly recommend going for an MT-07 instead, and spend at least a year or two on that before upgrading. The MT-07 is the baby brother to the MT-09, which is what I have. Both of those bikes have a much more upright sitting angle than a crotch rocket, so it’s a lot more comfortable on the road. 

I wish I had gone for an MT-07, honestly. The MT-09 is just way too fast for most applications. I never suspected I’d ever think something can have too much power, but after having one, I can say there is such a thing as too much. It’s just not fun unless you’re doing illegal things with it. And no sane person wants to ride that way all of the time. 

Everyone I know who has gotten a liter bike ends up selling it within about a year, usually because it’s uncomfortable, and they realized that it’s pointless to even have that much power unless you’re going to take it to the track.  

All that being said, a 1000cc sport bike is a lot different experience than a 1000cc Harley Davidson cruiser. 

[–]CoolSide20 2 points  

Yeah he's ridden dirt bikes, and while I personally think the few people who survive the 1 liter as the first bike must have had previous experience(dirt biking). He is my dad I just don't want him risking it even if he does have experience, I told him 600cc but a mt-07 would work.

[–][deleted] 2 points  

Keep pressing him is all I can say. It’s an unbelievable step up to go from a dirt bike to a litre bike. 

That’s not to say he can’t eventually get there. But if it were me advising my own dad, I’d strongly urge him to take it in stages. 

It’s a lot more fun to go from a 2 to a 6 to an 8 to a 10 than to go straight from a 2 to a 10.

A litre bike is not something you can realistically learn on. As men, we are inherently egotistic and think we can do anything. But it’s so powerful that he’ll quickly learn that he wished he had mastered lower-powered motorcycles before advancing to an absolute beast.

Even Max Verstappen started out with go karts, and did Formula 3 before progressing to Formula 1. 

It’s infinitely easier to progress in skill if you start with a lower-powered vehicle and work your way up than starting with the most powerful vehicle from day 1. 

[–]CoolSide20 1 point  

Yeah I'll try to keep pressing him, thankfully he's moving closer to home so I'll have more of a chance to talk to him and prevent him from going full liter

[–]CoolSide20 2 points  

Ok, I like that you used motorcycle terms. I'm into both cars and bikes but I have more information on bike stuff. So it definitely helped me understand and process everything. Thank you

[–]1995LexusLS400 3 points  

Engine capacity.

[–]StopNowThink 11 points  

Engine displacement is more accurate.

It's the volume of air pumped through every (2) revolutions of the engine.

2 because it's assuming 4 stroke.

[–]SRQmoviemaker 3 points  

I have a .925 gallon displacement.

[–]CoolSide20 1 point  

Interesting

[–]CoolSide20 1 point  

Oh ok thanks

[–]Ogre8 1 point  

They used to be.

[–]jrileyy229 13 points  

3 depends on what point in time that was. 

Modern automatics are definitely faster.... But not back in the day of 4speed slush boxes like you'd find in a mid 90s corvette 

[–]FeelTall 4 points  

There is definitely somewhat of a correlation between amount of tailpipes and horsepower/speed, but definitely not a causation lol

[–]Quiet_Stranger_5622 2 points  

It used to be. Automatic was an upgrade for most cars. Now it's the other way around.

[–]E90Fantic 5 points  

I use to think if you touched both the negative(any ground) and positive terminals with your bare hands it would shock the shit out of you like in Home Alone 2.

Nah you can touch it, I still don’t make a habit of it though.

[–]lethargicbureaucrat 1 point  

I thought if I stuck my finger in the cigarette lighter socket it would shock me.

[–]AIaris 3 points  

and here i was thinking it was the hazards!

[–]DeFiClark 2 points  

Didn’t realize that a blinky check engine light on Subarus means stop driving the car right now before you wreck it and the solid one means ok to drive a short distance to repair shop. Somehow assumed blinky was less serious than full on.

Luckily when my coil failed I didn’t wreck the car driving to my mechanic but he looked at me when I said it was flashing like I’d done something truly dumb (which I had).

[–]mechafishyEnthusiast 2 points  

Heat was all electric.

Way off the mark there

[–]iforgotalltgedetails 2 points  

If items of any condolences, my best friend still believes there’s a fan behind every vent.

[–]ads1031 2 points  

You were just ahead of the times. ;) Several electric cars do just use electric heaters.

[–]hemibearcuda 2 points  

The higher the max speed on the speedometer, the faster the car.

[–]Quiet_Stranger_5622 2 points  

For a long time they were. Modern autos are way better than they were back in, say, the 90s.

[–]Comprehensive-Sun-84 1 point  

As a Honda owner when my mom saw that on my accord she freaked out. She’s like HONEY YOUR CAR HAS NO OIL IT SAYS 40% OIL! And I had to explain to her that the cars computer is telling me based on the driving I’m doing when I should do my service and not based on mileage like most manufactures

[–]iforgotalltgedetails 1 point  

I thought the “w” in 5w30 meant “weight”

[–]Rude-Consideration64 1 point  

I thought Mopar were the most reliable. Thanks, Dad...

[–]Rude-Consideration64 1 point  

Toyota back then too, but the jingoism was strong. Mopar had bad brakes and weak transmission game. When they started rebadging Mitsubishis, that was a real improvement: but you couldn't say that as it was unpatriotic.

[–]TheWhogg 1 point  

My partner (and by "younger" I mean "3 months ago") used to wonder why they called the 12V port for your phone charger a "cigarette lighter." The name bore no relationship to its intended function, and it appeared physically impossible that an empty metal hole would somehow magically light a cigarette.


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