You may have noticed your normally smooth drive to work has started to get bumpier and not as comfortable. The road hasn’t changed. You still take the same route so what is going on? The simple answer may be that you are having issues with your vehicle's shocks.
The warning lights in our cars are an invaluable piece of information for us in our bid to keep the vehicle in good working condition. Understanding what they mean is therefore very important so we can more quickly pinpoint what our mechanical issues may be.
When we start the car the dashboard warning lights often all illuminate but then they turn back off again. This is a sign that all is well with the car and that is great. Sometimes though a light will stay on or come on as you are driving.
There is no shortage of car battery manufacturers out there to help fit most budgets. Inevitably we will need to change our car battery at some point, if not several times, during the time we own the vehicle. The question is how do you choose the right one for you?
If you have ever needed a brake replacement you likely know that a squealing sound coming from the brakes is one of the big signs to tell you that new brakes are needed in the first place. Having fit new brake pads you would be forgiven for expecting to no longer hear the squeaking sound.
As we spend time driving our cars we get used to the noises they make in certain circumstances. When there is a notable change in the noises we usually notice it. These can be the early warning signs of a growing issue with our vehicle.
Experienced drivers and those who have had their cars for a while will understand that a car shouldn’t shake while they are accelerating. Obviously there is a certain amount of vibration but it should not be noticeable.
The sinking feeling you get when the check engine light comes on can be very concerning but the fact that it tells you about an issue that you subsequently get fixed is great. It can however be annoying and a little disconcerting if the check engine light remains on even after you have had the problem fixed.
The issues that affect our car's air conditioning (AC) can be very varied and can also range from easy to fix to very difficult. Sometimes the issue just requires a little system maintenance and in this article we will touch upon one such circumstance.
At home auto repairs are tricky enough without finding out that you have a stuck or stripped lug nut. Removing that lug nut however is the difference between taking off and replacing a flat tire and not being able to complete the task.
When we own a car and have it for a long time we start to know how it usually feels so any major change seldom goes unnoticed. This is great as it can be an early warning sign that you have an issue that must be fixed.
The smooth running of a car is a delicate balance. This does not mean it wont run if everything isn’t perfect just that for your vehicle to run at its best things do need to work at their best. An element of a smooth running car that most people do not realize is the right fuel to air ratio.
Noticing a puddle of fluid under your car on a bone dry day can be a jarring experience especially if you do not fully understand the fluids that are used in your car. Generally speaking the only fluid you want to see under your car is H2O and only if it’s coming from the AC condenser. This is normal.
Our modern day cars are packed with sensors that help us keep track of the health of vehicles and in many cases make them run more efficiently. It is important to have knowledge of at least some of these sensors, especially the ones for which we can take action if an issue arises.
The cars of today have far more dashboard warning lights than they used to and in many ways this is a good thing. There is a certain level of understandable frustration however as some of them are harder to interpret than others.
If you know a little about engines you may have heard the term PCV valve and you may even know what it does. Many people might be bewildered by this term though and need a little more clarification.
Ideally while we are driving our cars we are in our own little climate controlled space. If the world outside is cold then we are toasty warm and if it is hot out then we are being kept cool and comfortable.
In the United States annually there are almost three quarters of a million car thefts. This is an alarming number of thefts, many of which of vehicles that are never seen again or are returned so damaged they are no longer usable.
Unless you are very new to cars or you always have a new car and have never yet had any problems you will have seen the check engine light on at least once. This little engine shaped logo can come on for literally hundreds of reasons but it is almost always solidly on.
When it comes to cars there are plenty of parts which we commonly know by name and we may also know what they do to at least some degree. To the casual driver however there are also a lot of parts we have never heard of.