How to Know if Your Car Is in Need of a Service

Posted by 5thingstodotoday on 11/07/2018 in 5 Things To Do Today | 3 Comments

So many people have to go through expensive car repairs every single year. They often come at the worst possible time and you may feel as though there is nothing that you can do about it. This is not the case at all, and the truth is that it is more than possible for you to prevent things like this from happening with ease. You just have to know the warning signs!

Engine Warning

A lot of modern cars are very adept at telling you when something is wrong. That being said, this is still a feature that a lot of people tend to overlook. If you know that you have a check engine light on your dash then you need to get your car to a garage as soon as possible. There are a lot of things that could contribute to this, but getting it looked at by a professional should always be your first priority. If you are not sure which one is your engine warning light then it tends to be in the shape of a spanner on most vehicles.

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Noises

If you have any type of noise coming from your car then you need to get this looked at before it develops into a serious issue. Some of the noises you need to look out for include a whining from underneath the bonnet. This could be caused by a loose belt, which can in-turn, lead to battery problems and even overheating as well. Another sound that you need to look out for will come from the exhaust. If you find that your exhaust is causing more noise than usual then this could mean that there is a hole or even a crack in your casing. This is actually very easy to fix, but you do need to get it looked at because if you don’t then it could fall off when you are driving and this would then warrant a full replacement. If you have noises coming from your engine, then this will probably happen when your vehicle is idling. It could mean that your car is misfiring or it could be a problem due to the spark plugs. Again, this is a very easy fix but if you don’t get

it sorted out then your car may cause even more damage to itself.

Smoke N’ Steam

Smoke or steam is usually caused by overheating problems. You may find that you have a problem with your radiator if the steam is white in colour, but if you have black smoke then this is

a serious indicator that something is wrong. If you are not sure what is going on then consider taking a look at the temperature gauge on your car. If you see that it is at max then pull over and wait for the whole thing to cool down. Your gauge should ideally sit right in the middle. There are of course, other colours of smoke that you need to watch out for as well. Blue is the main one that you need to worry about, so if you see this then stop and find someone who can tow your car to a garage. Blue smoke is usually caused by oil burning, and this can cost you a lot of money if you do not get it sorted out. Excessive blue smoke could be down to an oil leak as well, which could be happening because your valve seals are worn out or because you have a worn piston ring.

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Pulling when Braking

If you want to get a good amount of use out of your vehicle before you have to replace it then maintenance is crucial. That’s why you should look into a brake bleeder tool so you can stay on top of any brake problems with ease. If you know that your car is making a screeching sound then this could be down to the fact that your brake discs are worn out or it could even be a problem with your steering. It is really not safe for you to drive your car in this condition and it may even be that your car treads are wearing thin as well. When you are checking your treads, make sure that you are checking all of them because it may be that some are wearing out more when compared to others.

By looking out for the above signs, you can be sure to get way more use out of your car, and a much higher resale value for it when the time comes for you to upgrade.