5 Ways Your Car Asks to Go to an Auto Repair Shop
Vehicles rarely just quit on their drivers. However, you might not catch the signs that your ride requires auto repair services unless you know what to look, listen, and feel for. Here are 5 ways your car will show it's time to take it to an auto repair shop.
Vibrations
Many motorists tend to ignore small vibrations, but the big ones tend to get their attention. If you feel a bit of a vibration, it's best to have a mechanic check for trouble. Vibrations may be indicative of broken belts in the tires, suspension problems, stuck brakes, and even worn motor and transmission mounts. Don't assume the problem is just coming from rough roads. If you're feeling a vibration in a modern car, some component is not doing its job.
Lack of Power
Even cars with small motors are designed to have some pick up when you hit the accelerator. If the vehicle is struggling to get going when you move forward after a stoplight, for example, something is keeping the engine from applying power. You might be dealing with bad gas, old sparkplugs, cracked wires, or deteriorating gasket in the engine. Most of these issues boil down to reduced compression in the motor. No good comes from making a motor work harder, so have a technician take a look ASAP.
Fuel Economy Drops
An aging engine will lose some of its fuel economy, but you shouldn't notice the drop in a short period of time. If your car goes from consuming 31 mpg to 24 in a matter of weeks, that's not a good sign. You can try some simple tricks, such as using fuel additive and making sure the tires are inflated to the manufacturer's specifications. Once you've exhausted the simple fixes, though, you ought to take the car to an auto repair services provider.
Trouble Starting
A car should fire up with relatively little prompting, even if it has sat for a couple of weeks. Trouble firing up usually indicates issues with the starter, sparkplugs, wires, alternator, or battery. This is especially the case if the car runs fine once you have it going. Each of these issues is fairly easy for a mechanic to inspect and remedy.
Service Engine Light
Modern vehicles have onboard computers that will tell you when they're experiencing trouble. There is a port, usually underneath the steering wheel, where you can plug in an external computer to read the codes. You're welcome to purchase this computer for your use, but most auto repair pros are happy to scan cars for free.