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My grandpa swore by putting sugar in his gas tank to 'clean the engine'
He told me last summer that a tablespoon of sugar in the tank would break down deposits and save me money. I tried it in my 1998 Ford Ranger and it sputtered for a week before quitting completely. Cost me $400 to flush the fuel system and replace the pump at a shop in Boise. Turns out that's a total myth, sugar just gums everything up. Has anyone else fallen for some old timer's car advice that backfired?
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kaigibson2mo ago
Totally a myth" is right. My buddy Jake tried dumping a can of Seafoam in his oil because his grandpa said it would "rejuvenate the seals." He was driving an old Toyota Tercel (you know, the beige one that looks like a toaster). Swear to god, it blew smoke for two weeks straight and then the engine started knocking like a rental car after prom. Cost him more than the car was worth to fix it, and he ended up just selling it for scrap.
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moore.beth2mo ago
Ngl my uncle swore by adding a little automatic transmission fluid to the oil to quiet noisy lifters and it honestly worked like a charm in my old Civic.
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karenb972mo ago
Swear I tried the same thing on an old Saturn I had back in college because I was cheap and desperate. Dumped a little ATF in there and for about a week it ran quieter than it had in years. Then it started smoking like a barbecue grill and I think the transmission started slipping too. Learned my lesson the hard way, that car ended up costing me more in repairs than it was worth. Sometimes those old tricks work just long enough to make you think you're a genius.
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