As social media continues to grow ever more popular, more people are utilizing the tools to network, and communicate with others they otherwise would never have met. Now with Facebook groups, etc., there are groups for people that share the same interest, including cars! I couldn't even tell you how many car groups I am a part of! I have a numerous groups that directly relate to my job in the auto sales industry, other groups related to the types of vehicles that I sell, more groups for general Mopar enthusiests, as well as groups for more specifically, my 1973 Charger that I am rebuilding.
Being a part of these groups have been ever so helpful, especially for my old-school Charger rebuild, as I have been able to network with other people who are working on, have parted out, or completed restorations on 1971-1974 B-Body Dodge Chargers. These individuals possess a wealth of information, parts, and recommendations as I slowly progress through my restoration progress. I would be very lost if it weren't for these groups. 10-15 years ago, if you were doing a restoration project, and wanted quality parts without purchasing new reproduction parts, you would have needed to go to swap meets and various car shows.
One thing I have noticed though, as useful as the groups are for restoration projects, it can equally be useful for people looking to upgrade their newer vehicles, and in my case, Mopars. Indivuals buying brand new Wranglers, Chargers, and Challengers buy these cars and instantly start buying mods and upgrades. These groups are great for such recommendations, but when can these groups cause harm? The answer? ... Repairs!
I have noticed throughout my years in these groups, that people that aren't as educated in their vehicles tend to ask questions about their vehicles in these groups, to get quick answers, but a lot of times, since the responses they get are mostly opinionated, that many of times the information they receive back can be inaccurate, confusing, or even harmful to their vehicle if they take the information at face value! "What kind of gas you guys putting in your car?" "I got a check-engine light and the thermostate seems higher than normal, what's going on?" Before you know it, the "social media mechanics" start coming out of the woodwork to comment on these threads. If you aren't careful, you can be lead astray very quickly!
Unless you have a computer scanner to run diagnostics on a car with a check engine light, there are literally hundreds of reasons for the check engine light to come on. It could be something as simple as a loose gas cap, to something as complex as an internal engine failure. Simply put, if you have a vehicle that has a check engine light showing on the instrument cluster, get it properly diagnosed from a licensed mechanic. If your vehicle is still under factory warranty, go to the dealer!
If you have questions about maintenance regiments, consult your owners manual. Many vehicles today have digital versions available right through your touch screen radio! Not sure what kind of gas to put in your vehicle, simply type Octane or fuel into the search bar in your digital owners manual. OR, you can find your vehicle's PDF version of the owners manual online with a simple google search if you don't feel like searching physical pages of your handheld owners manual book.
Don't just take other people's opinions when it comes to your vehicle's maintenance. Oil viscosity, gasoline octane, etc are things not to mess with. For example, most of Mopar's 5.7L hemi's when placed in Rams, Chargers, and Grand Cherokees require regular gasoline (87 Octane). But when you put that motor in a Challenger and marry the hemi to a 6-speed manual, the motor is retuned, and requires 89 octane (mid-grade) gasoline. Most people don't know this. Utilizing 87 octane could possibly ruin your motor.
Like all things, Facebook groups, and other social media apps have their place in todays society, and certainly have shown their abilities to improve our lives, but we need to be careful when we ask certain questions pertaining to our vehicles. Some things like maintenance, or fluids, are black and white answers, that are factually based answers provided directly by your vehicle's manufacturer. Utilizing any other opinion based information could cause you to void your warranty, damage your vehicle, and ultimately cost you money!
