Car Parts And Mistakes: Cause And Effect
Your vehicle has a way of letting you know when something is wrong. The most obvious signs are the lights on the dashboard, but billowing smoke from your exhaust pipe, lurching while driving, and engine stalls send a clear signal, too. In a lot of cases, drivers will ignore seemingly benign warning signs, hoping that the problem will simply go away. Unfortunately, that often leads to expensive repair work. Today, we’re going to look at 3 red flags that your vehicle raises in order to make you aware of a potential issue. I’ll also briefly describe what can happen if you ignore them.
#1 – Oil Indicator Light
For some reason, a lot of motorists think their vehicle’s oil indicator light can be ignored. Admittedly, few people enjoy lifting the hood and getting their hands dirty while replenishing the oil. But, it’s critical that you do it. If you ignore the light, and the oil level drops, the parts inside your engine will start to grind against each other. That creates excess friction and heat. Let it go too long and you should start saving money for a new engine.
#2 – Puddle Of Gas
Have you ever noticed a small puddle of gas underneath your car and wondered what had caused it? Your first instinct might be to push it out of your mind, but consider what can happen. First, the gas is probably coming from a leaking fuel line in your vehicle. A fuel leak is obviously a fire hazard, especially while driving. Don’t panic; your car isn’t going to explode into a 65-mph ball of fire on the highway. But, if a fire develops (and it can do so easily because of your engine’s combustion process), your car will sustain major damage. Fix the leak if you see a puddle.
#3 – Puddle Of Coolant
Your vehicle shouldn’t be leaking coolant, either. If you see a small pool of it, it’s likely that there’s a leak in water pump. Now, before you say, “No problem, coolant is cheap. I’ll buy more,” think about what happens to your engine when there’s no coolant: it overheats. If you’ve ever driven past a stranded motorist with billowing white smoke coming from under his hood, you’ll realize that an overheated engine is bad. But, it get worse; the head gasket can blow. If it does, find your credit card. You’ll need it. Of course, you can avoid the problem altogether by fixing the water pump when you discover coolant leaking.
Watch For Signs Of Trouble
You already know that most of the problems that can occur under the hood are avoidable (for awhile, at least). The key is taking action when you notice them. A lot of times, car parts manifest signs that something is wrong (for example, a small pool of gas). When you notice the signs (they’re usually obvious), take your vehicle to a mechanic to have it checked. You can save thousands of dollars over the long haul and preserve the life of your car.
