Spot The Most Common Car Problems With Ease

By Chris Ward, January 8, 2017

As a car owner, one of your most important duties to the vehicle is to learn what it looks like when something is going wrong. No machine is perfect, and there are always going to be instances of thing going wrong, but the best you can do is to learn the early warning signs and know how to act accordingly. These signs are sometimes obvious, in which case the problem is probably more severe anyway, but you also need to learn the subtler cues, as these can be indicative of underlying issues. In this post, we are going to look at some of the warning signs of various parts of your car, and see what can be done about them. The Engine There are so many problems that can happen to the engine, that the resulting warning signs are therefore quite diverse and ranging from mild to severe. It is worth learning as many of them as possible in order to better know when your engine needs some care and attention.

For example, at the lower end of the scale, we have the most obvious sign of a check engine light. If this light comes on on your dashboard, it can mean a number of things. It could be that the oxygen sensor needs replacing, for example. Or maybe you have a faulty or loose gas cap. It could even be that the catalytic converter needs replacing. Clearly, it is impossible to tell just from a light how serious it might be. This is why the check engine light should never be ignored; to do so is to potentially put yourself in great risk. The Tyres As the only point of contact the car has with the ground, the tyres are obviously highly important parts of the car. Yet, so many people fail to properly look after them. Thankfully, most of the signs that something is wrong with your tyres are pretty clear, and that means that you can’t ignore them for long. One of the more subtle clues to watch out for is that your steering is listing to the left or right; when this happens, it can mean that your tyres need their pressure inflating.

If you have a problem with the wheels themselves, then you will need to go somewhere where there are wheels for sale and replace them in their entirety. This is often the best option with wheels, and it is an important part of the car to stay on top of. The Exhaust So far we have looked at the visual signs that something is wrong. However, there can also be many signs through the other sense, and it is important not to forget those. When something goes wrong with the exhaust, for example, you are most likely going to smell it.

If you smell burning or an abundance of gas in the car, then that needs checking out immediately. Similarly, if there is no smell at all when you ignite the car, then you might want to get the exhaust checked out then too.