Everything You Need to Know About Autos

Needed Car Service You Don't Want to Ignore

As a car owner, you may overlook signs that your car needs service and repairs if you can still drive the car and don't feel it's a danger when on the road. However, this can be a mistake, as some needed repairs can easily get worse over time, making the repair bills more expensive; those needed repairs can also start to affect other major parts and components of the vehicle so that they also begin to break down. Note a few of those needed car repairs you don't want to ignore, even if you can drive the car and assume you can control it on the road.

Hot smell

Sometimes you can just tell your car is running hot by how it smells. You may notice what seems to be a warm smell coming from under the hood or out the exhaust after you drive the car, even though the thermostat doesn't indicate that the car is overheating. In this case, it may be that the car's engine is not getting enough oxygen and is compensating by adding more fuel to the piston chambers in order to create combustion; the engine will then get warmer because of this higher fuel ratio. In this case, the oxygen sensor may need replacing so it can determine the right amount of oxygen to send to the engine. The car may also have a leak in the exhaust system that is letting out too much oxygen from the engine compartment, and the car may need a new tailpipe.

Grinding when you turn

If the car grinds when you turn a corner, this often means the bearings or gears of the wheel are wearing down. These gears control the tyres, as they slow to different speeds when rounding a corner, and they may grind when worn down. This can lead to eventual skidding when you turn, making it harder to control the car. Have those gears replaced when you hear this grinding, even if it hasn't yet affected your steering abilities.

Smoke from the tailpipe

You might notice some exhaust from the tailpipe when you warm up the car on a cold morning, but at other times, you typically shouldn't see smoke coming from the car's exhaust system, as the engine's fumes get filtered through that exhaust and shouldn't produce smoke. Smoke from the exhaust often means that the car is burning oil; you need to check for an oil leak or a leaking gasket before this oil leaks out entirely or does damage to the piston chambers in the engine.

For additional information, contact a car service center like Blue Ribbon Motors.


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