11 Car Products That Do More Harm Than Good

When it comes to taking care of your car, there’s no shortage of products promising to make your ride smoother, shinier, and more impressive. But not every product that glitters is gold for your vehicle. In fact, some of the most popular car care items on the market might be doing more harm than good.

Even more concerning, you’re probably using some of them. These are 11 common car products you might want to think twice about using.

Replacement LED Lights

LED Headlights — Image Credit: welcomia/Canva Pro.

Swapping out those dim halogen headlights for bright LEDs might seem like a no-brainer. Sadly, it’s not always a straightforward upgrade. LEDs pack a lot of brightness, but they also generate significant heat, which can mess with your light fittings or even pose a fire risk.

Plus, a botched installation can lead to flickering lights, uneven illumination, and an annoying buzzing sound. Before you pay for an LED upgrade, do some homework to make sure it’s a good fit for your car model.

Car Covers

After all the effort of cleaning and polishing your car, slipping a cover over it sounds like the perfect way to protect that shine. But hold up—the type of cover you use matters a lot. Rough fabric covers can actually scratch your paint if they’re whipped around by the wind, particularly if you park outdoors.

And those water-resistant covers? They’re not going to keep moisture out completely. Opt for a waterproof cover with a soft lining for the best protection, especially if your car spends a lot of time parked outside.

Performance Oils

Just because high-performance oils work wonders in NASCAR engines doesn’t mean your high-mileage sedan will benefit from the same treatment. Engine oils are tailored for specific types of engines. Regular road cars need oils that can handle a wide range of temperatures and driving conditions, and still last between oil changes.

Pouring thin, racing-grade oil into an older engine? Not a great idea. It might just lead to more smoke and less performance. It’s best to stick with the oil type and viscosity your car manufacturer recommends, especially for engines with a few miles on them.

Suspension Drops

lowering — Image Credit: Albert Nunez from Pexels/Canva Pro.

Dropping your suspension might sound cool, but a lowered suspension tightens up how your car handles, making every ride feel rougher. Plus, you’ll find yourself dodging potholes and speed bumps to avoid scraping your undercarriage.

Before you lower your ride, think about whether it’s actually worth the less comfortable drive and potential undercarriage repairs.

Aftermarket Audio Systems

Nothing beats a custom setup with a powerful amp, booming subwoofer, and crisp speakers. But before you start dreaming of concert-level sound on your commute, check if your car’s electrical system can handle the new gear.

An overly powerful sound system can strain your battery and wiring, potentially frying some pricey components. And remember, those big bass vibrations can loosen interior trim over time, turning your smooth ride into a rattlebox whenever the music’s off.

ECU Remaps

Think of your car’s ECU as its brain, running all the high-tech gear under the hood. Tweaking or remapping this can give your car a serious boost, especially if you’re rolling with a turbo or supercharger. This basically means loosening up those conservative factory settings to get more fuel and power pumping.

But here’s the catch: push it too hard, and you could fry something important. Always have a pro handle your ECU mods. You want someone who knows exactly how far to push it without causing damage.

Turbo Conversions

Ever dream of turning your ride into a beast like the Mustang GT500 or the Challenger SRT with a big turbo? It sounds cool, but remember, those cars are built to handle that kind of power from scratch.

Throwing a turbo onto a car that wasn’t born for it, like a Honda Civic, can lead to major headaches. Without beefing up the transmission, brakes, and suspension to match, you might be building a time bomb.

Large Rims

Big rims can add a flashy edge to your vehicle, but there’s a catch. Cars are engineered for specific tire and wheel sizes, and pushing the boundaries with oversized rims can lead to trouble.

Not only can they damage your suspension and wheel arches, but they also make your drive a lot less comfortable. Think twice about those bumps and expansion joints; with oversized rims, you’ll feel every single one.

Aftermarket Exhausts

11 Car Products That Do More Harm Than Good 12 — Image Credit: khunkorn/Canva Pro.

For many car junkies, the muffled sound of a modern car’s exhaust just doesn’t cut it. That’s where aftermarket exhausts come into play, letting you amplify the roar of a V8 or give a bit more personality to a smaller engine.

However, these systems can create an annoying drone at highway speeds and might scream under heavy acceleration. More importantly, if they tamper with your car’s emissions setup, like removing catalytic converters, they could be illegal and harmful to your engine in the long run.

Automatic Car Washes

While it’s tempting to sit back and relax as an automatic car wash takes care of the mess, this convenience might cost you more in the long run. The machinery, especially those spinning rollers, tends to inflict micro-scratches on your paint. Even the high-powered jets can be too harsh.

Even though it’s more work, you might consider other cleaning methods that are gentler on your vehicle, like washing it by hand.

Alloy Wheel Cleaners

Shiny alloy wheels can turn heads, but keeping them pristine can be a battle against road dirt and brake dust. Using potent alloy wheel cleaners might seem like the solution, but their abrasive chemicals can harm more than help, stripping away the protective coating on your wheels.

It’s better to use gentler cleaning agents and ensure they don’t linger on the surface. Quick application and rinse can maintain the sparkle without the rough wear and tear.