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HEADING OFF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
The more you know about your vehicle and mechanical functions in general, the more likely you'll be able to head off repair problems. You can detect many common vehicle problems by using your senses: visually observing the area around your vehicle, seeing broken parts, listening for and reacting to strange noises, sensing a change or difference in the way your vehicle handles, drives or operates, or even noticing unusual and often offensive odors.
I See Trouble
Small stains or an occasional drop of fluid under your vehicle may not mean much. But wet spots, especially frequent and regular ones, deserve attention, if nothing other than an alert. You should check for the source of puddles immediately.
You can generally identify automotive fluids by their color and consistency, and often by the position in relation to the vehicles components:
- Yellowish green, pastel blue or fluorescent orange colors indicate an overheated engine or an antifreeze leak caused by a cooling system component such as a bad hose, thermostat housing, freeze plug, water pump or leaking radiator. These three colors are the most frequent but the colors may vary. Setting aside an unlevel surface where the puddle gathers, the gathering place is usually straight down from the component actually leaking. Exceptions would be where the leak drips on some other component and is carried by gravity to a lower point for the eventual drip to the ground. The viscosity is that of water.
- Deep green, deep blue or deep red colors can indicate that the hydraulic clutch in vehicles so equipped, is leaking. Generally the "feel" of the clutch will also be indicative of problems with it.
- A "red to pink" in color oily spot indicates a power-steering fluid leak. The leak can occur in the power steering pump, reservoir, hoses or steering unit. Power steering fluid usually does not change in color and is under pressure except in the reservoir when fluid is added.
- A clear or golden color (a very few type are deep blue or purple) oily spot indicates a probable brake fluid leak in the brake system. Brake fluid leaks can occur in the brake lines, master cylinder(s), wheel cylinders, tees, fittings and joints. Do not hesitate to get this repaired! Expense is greatly amplified with time and safety is a major concern.
- A dark brown or black oily fluid means the engine is leaking oil. A bad seal, oil pressure sending unit or engine gasket is the cause the leak almost 100 percent of the time. Since all engine oil is inside the engine itself, (the only exceptions I can think of are an external oil cooler, or an external and remote mounted oil filter) virtually all engine oil leaks are from the engine itself. (Read this to see how Engine Internal Lubrication take place.) A cracked oil pan, engine block, or an engine component that is cracked and has oil flowing through it is a rare source of the leak. A cracked head, block or blown head gasket will often cause water to appear in the oil, or oil in the water, or both, but seldom does it show up as an external leak.
- A red oily spot indicates a transmission fluid leak. Since transmission fluid is often burned, the color may vary toward brown and have a burned smell to it. This is also most often a seal or gasket causing the problem. However, it is frequent to have an external transmission cooler mounted near the vehicle's radiator that can also cause leaks of transmission fluid.
- A spot or puddle of very dark and heavy oil is usually a sign of a leaking gasket or seal in the vehicle's differential. This is often termed as "rear end grease" though all differentials are not in the rear of the vehicle. It is much thicker in viscosity that oil, power steering or transmission fluids.
- A puddle of clear water usually is not really a problem or indicator of difficulty. It is most often normal condensation from your vehicle's air conditioner. The key word here is clear.
- A puddle of blue to green to clear water may indicate a leak in the windshield washers, headlamp washers or rear window washers. Lakes can occur in hoses, pumps or reservoirs. The key factor is that the liquid is water with perhaps an odor of alcohol in it.
The Foul Smells Of Trouble
Some problems are "sniffed out" with your nose. You can detect them by their odor:
- The smell of badly burned toast - a very noticeable, sharp odor - often signals an electrical short, burned wire, overload or burning insulation. This can lead to a very real fire danger. To be safe, try not to drive the vehicle until the problem is diagnosed or repaired, if severe.
- The smell of rotten eggs - a continuous burning-sulphur smell - usually indicates a problem in the exhaust system, catalytic converter or other emission control devices. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct. Don't delay diagnosis and repair.
- A thick acrid, unpleasant odor, perhaps accompanied by visible blue smoke, usually means burning oil. Look for the origin of a leak. The burning usually occurs on the exhaust manifold or exhaust pipe.
- The smell of gasoline vapors after attempting to start the vehicle could indicate you have flooded the engine, especially if the vehicle did NOT start. If the vehicle did NOT start, wait a few minutes before trying again. If the odor persists both before and after the engine is running, it is probable that there is a leak in the fuel system - a potentially dangerous problem that demands immediate attention for safety, but economy as well.
- Burning resin or an acrid chemical odor may indicate overheated brakes or clutch components. Verify that the parking brake is not engaged. Stop and allow the brakes to cool after repeated hard braking on mountain roads. Light smoke coming from a wheel indicates a stuck brake. The vehicle should be towed for repair. See our Brake Service page for more information.
- A sweet or sour, steamy odor indicates a coolant leak or that you are very near a Chinese restaurant. If the temperature gauge or warning light does not indicate overheating, call us or drive immediately (do not pass GO and do not collect $200) and carefully to the nearest service station or repair facility, keeping an eye on your temperature and oil pressure gauges. If the odor is accompanied by a hot, metallic scent and steam from under the hood, your engine has overheated. Pull over immediately and shut off the engine ASAP. Continued driving could cause severe engine damage. The vehicle should be towed for repair. Do NOT attempt to remove the radiator cap in such a situation!
The Sounds Of Trouble
Squeaks, squeals, rattles, scrapes, rumbles, and other strange noises and sounds provide valuable clues about problems and maintenance needs. Here are some common noises and what they can possibly mean:
Squeal - A shrill, sharp noise, usually related to engine speed:
- Loose or worn power steering, fan or air conditioning belt. Have your repair facility tighten or replace it if needed.
Click - A slight sharp noise, related to either engine speed or vehicle speed: The most probable causes are
- Loose wheel cover.
- Loose or bent fan blade.
- Stuck valve lifter or low engine oil.
- C.V. or Universal joint.
- Axle.
Screech - A high-pitched, piercing metallic sound; usually occurs while the vehicle is in motion:
- Caused by brake wear indicators to let you know it's time for maintenance. (Some newer vehicles with disc brakes just screech normally. Let your repair facility tell you if it is a problem.)
Rumble - a low-pitched rhythmic sound.
- Defective exhaust pipe, converter or muffler.
- Worn c.v. or universal joint, or other drive-line component.
- Possible bad tire.
Ping - A high-pitched metallic tapping sound, related to engine speed:
- Usually caused by using gas with a lower octane rating than recommended (this usually occurs in the process of turning off the engine). Check your owner's manual for the proper octane rating gasoline. If the problem persists, engine ignition timing could be at fault.
Heavy Knock - A rhythmic pounding sound:
- Worn crankshaft or connecting rod bearings.
- Loose transmission torque converter.
Clunk - A random thumping sound:
- Loose shock absorber or other suspension component.
- Loose exhaust pipe or muffler.
Feels Like Trouble
Difficult handling, a rough ride, vibration and poor performance are symptoms you can feel. They almost always indicate a problem.
Steering
- Misaligned front wheels and/or worn steering components, such as the idler or ball joints among other components depending on the design of the steering and suspension systems, can cause wandering or difficulty steering in a straight line. This can also occur if a belt in a radial tire fails.
- Pulling - the vehicle's tendency to steer to the left or right - can be caused by something as routine as under-inflated tires, or as serious as a damaged or misaligned front end. In all of these cases, time greatly increases repair costs.
Ride and Handling
- Worn shock absorbers or other suspension components - or improper tire inflation - can contribute to poor cornering, rough ride and generally unstable driving conditions.
- While there is no hard and fast rule about when to replace shock absorbers or struts, try this generally accepted industry test. Bounce the vehicle up and down vigorously at each wheel and then let go. Observe how many times the vehicle continues the bouncing motion. Weak shocks will allow the vehicle to bounce twice or more.
- Springs do not normally wear out and do not need replacement unless one corner of the vehicle is lower than the others. The general exception is when the vehicle is used to tow large loads or haul large loads, such as a pick up truck or SUV. Overloading your vehicle can damage the springs.
- Balance tires properly. An unbalanced or improperly balanced tire causes a vehicle to vibrate and will probably wear steering and suspension components prematurely and abnormally.
Brakes
Brake problems have several symptoms. Schedule diagnosis and repair under these conditions:
- The vehicle pulls to one side when the brakes are applied.
- The brake pedal sinks to the floor when pressure is maintained.
- The brake pedal requires extreme pressure to depress it.
- You hear or feel scraping or grinding during braking.
- You notice or observe a change in the pressure required to stop your vehicle, or in the distance it takes to stop the vehicle.
- The "brake" light on the instrument panel is lit.
Engine
The following symptoms indicate engine trouble. Get a diagnosis and schedule the repair.
- Difficulty starting the engine.
- The "check engine" light on the instrument panel is lit.
- Rough idling or stalling.
- Poor acceleration.
- Strange noises or odors.
- Poor fuel economy.
- Excessive oil use (more than one quart between changes).
- Oil pressure, temperature or vacuum gauges appear to give abnormal readings.
- Engine continues running after the key is removed.
Transmission
Poor transmission performance may come from actual component failure or a simple disconnected hose or plugged filter. Technicians should check the simple items first; we do. Transmission repairs normally are expensive but no one should assume that the problem is not a simple one. However, the sound and symptoms of a minor or major problem may appear to be the same. Some of the most common symptoms of transmission problems are:
- Abrupt or hard shifts between gears.
- Delayed or no response when shifting from neutral to drive or reverse.
- Failure to shift during normal acceleration.
- Slippage during acceleration. The engine speeds up, but the vehicle does not respond.
TROUBLE SHOOTING AND PROBLEM PINPOINING
Car trouble doesn't always mean major repairs. The things that we suggest in this section are done by us as part of our normal service. Not all repair facilities do this. Here are some common causes of trouble and techniques to help you and your technician find and fix problems:
- Alternator - Loose wiring can make your alternator appear defective. In our shop, all technicians check for loose connections and perform an output test before replacing the alternator. Electrical problems cannot be diagnosed visually alone as other components in the electrical system can cause other components to fail or appear to fail. Such problems should be diagnosed and repaired by a professional with the proper test equipment.
- Battery - Corroded or loose battery terminals can make the battery appear dead or defective. Our technicians always clean the terminals and test battery function before replacing the battery. Initially the tests should be without the electrical load of the vehicle but ultimately must pass that test also. Many batteries will test OK with no load but cannot deliver the amperage required for normal use.
- Starter - What appears to be a defective starter actually may be a dead or dying battery, or perhaps only a poor connection. Ask your technician to check all connections and test the battery before repairing the starter.
- Muffler - a loud rumbling noise under your vehicle indicates a need for a new muffler, exhaust pipe, or other exhaust parts.
- Tuneup - The old-fashioned "tuneup" may not be relevant to your vehicle. Fewer parts, other than belts, spark plugs, hoses and filters, need to be replaced on newer vehicles. The frequency may be longer also. However, conditions mandate the time span rather than just miles on the odometer. In harsh conditions such as ours, vehicles take much more abuse and damage from the environment. While we recommend that you follow the recommendations in your owner's manual, use common sense in the process. It is better to err on the side of good judgment than pay a high repair bill because you didn't change the oil more frequently than the owner's manual said you should. That is only one example; there are many more that our desert heat effects. If you have questions about potential problems, call us.
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