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Car Repair 101
The more you notice about your vehicle, the more likely you’ll be able to head off repair problems. Yep- even if you’re mechanically challenged. You can detect many common vehicle problems by using your eyes and nose.
“See No Evil”
Is there a little stain or a drop of fluid under your vehicle? It may mean absolutely nothing. But you do want to check the wet spots immediately – just to make sure.
What color is the fluid under your car? Yellowish green, pretty blue or neon orange colors indicate an overheated engine or an antifreeze leak caused by a bad hose, water pump or leaking radiator. Not good. I remember the yellowish green ooze from my Chevette as the tow truck took it away to its final resting place. Get to a repair shop while you still can!
A dark brown or black oily fluid means the engine is leaking oil. A bad seal or gasket could cause the leak. This is how my first car met its demise.
A red oily looking spot indicates a transmission or power-steering fluid leak. Also, not good.
A puddle of clear water usually isn’t a cause for concern. It may be normal condensation from your vehicle’s air conditioner. Whew!
“Smell no Evil”
Take a whiff, and you may detect your vehicle’s problem.
Do you smell burned toast? This odor often signals an electrical short and burning insulation. Have someone come look at your car. Don’t drive it anywhere until the problem is diagnosed.
How about the smell of rotten eggs? This usually indicates a problem in the catalytic converter. Get to a repair shop! Pheee-yew!
A thick sharp odor usually means burning oil. Look for the sign of a leak. This problem needs to be addressed immediately if having transportation is important to you. You may also notice a bluish smoke coming from your vehicle. Ask me how I know. Ahh… memories.
The smell of gas after a failed start may mean the engine is flooded. Wait a few minutes and try again. If the odor continues, there may be a leak in the fuel system – a potentially dangerous problem that needs immediate attention.
A chemical odor may mean overheated brakes or clutch. Check the parking brake. Stop and let the brakes cool after repeated hard braking. Light smoke coming from a wheel indicates a stuck brake. Call a tow truck.
Do you notice a sweet odor? This may indicate a coolant leak. Watch your temperature gauge and warning light and drive to a repair shop. Now, if you see steam from under the hood, stop and pull over. If you keep driving an overheated vehicle, your engine will be seriously damaged. Call a tow truck.
The basic rule of smell is that if you do notice an unusual odor – get to a mechanic or get one to come to you. Pretty simple!
A little extra attention to what’s coming out of your car or truck could save you the cost of a new vehicle payment! Keep those eyes and that nose on the job!
Oil – the Life of Your Car
Oil cleans your car. It lubricates parts. It helps cool things down. Without it, your engine would be sitting squarely in the center of your local junkyard.
Scheduling regular oil changes is vital to the life of any vehicle.
The oil filter keeps little bits of dust and other contaminants out of your engine, and helps ensure the oil runs smoothly, so you want to change that every time you change the oil.
Imagine how your body would react if your kidneys and liver shut down. The impurities in your blood would build up continually, and it wouldn’t take long for your body to completely break down.
Oil for your car can be likened to blood to your body. Your car needs clean oil to keep going. What would happen if you never changed your oil?
Well, you’d be lucky to get 30,000 miles out of the car before your engine would collapse.
Say you only change your oil once a year. Your car seems to be running fine, so no harm done, right? Not so fast! Your engine has been flooded with contaminants. It won’t be long till you find yourself coming to a standstill.
Regular oil changes are as important to your car as daily trips to the bathroom are to you. Now, we won’t take the analogy too far, but you get the idea. This one scheduled maintenance may help your vehicle avoid mechanical failures.
I actually heard two mechanics say that they figured you could run a car forever if you had the oil changed every 2000 miles. That may seem excessive to some folks. But it kept my baby humming nicely!
Now if you see any hint of an oil leak on the driveway after the car is parked, get to a service station. This could be ultra bad news and you need to have your car checked out immediately. Ditto if you detect a burning smell or smoke coming from around the engine!
You may not feel 100% comfortable changing your oil, but you can check it easily. It’s best to check the oil when your engine is cold. Unscrew the cap and pull out the dipstick. Wipe it with a clean tissue or paper towel. Reinsert the stick all the way. Then pull it back out and check the dipstick. You’ll see “add” and “full” lines clearly marked on it. If the oil film is between the “add” and “full” lines, you’re good. If it’s below the “add” line, you need a quart of oil. Make sure you use the kind recommended in your owner’s manual. After adding the oil, repeat all the steps.
See, that wasn’t too hard, was it?
Make sure you take the time to check the oil levels in your car, and have it changed regularly. It literally means the difference between life and death for your vehicle!
Latest News:
We Have Moved to a New Shop
Well, things have been really busy busy busy for a couple of months now. We have moved to a new shop at 15 Hilltop Road in Bristol. We really love the new space and we have not only be servicing cars during the move, but we have had to clean out, renovate, and install all our equipment. This has been a huge effort but it has been worth it. We look forward to using our new facility to give you the best service possible.