What Those Common Car Symptoms Really Point To

If you have a car, you are probably keen to make sure that you look after it as well as possible. In order to do that, you have to keep a close eye and ear on what it is apparently doing in each moment. That should become a part of driving like second nature for most, but it can take some practice to get there. An important part of this process is to learn about some of the biggest signs and signals that can refer to something going badly wrong. Let’s take a look now at some of those common symptoms and what they really tend to mean when they do occur.

High Engine Temperature

One of the most common problems in a car is also one that provokes immediate alarm for any driver: a hot engine while in operation. If you are keeping a constant eye on the temperature gauge, you should notice immediately when it shoots up above the middle point, and when it does that, you should aim to pull over safely as soon as you possibly do so. It could just be that you need a new oil pump from gpi.net but it might also be a more serious problem, so you should take care.

Reduced Fuel Economy

When you start to notice that your fuel is simply not going as far as it used to, that can be a real problem for many reasons, and it can be indicative of a number of things. Most of all, it is generally associated with the clogging up of injectors, which leads to a less effective atomisation of the fuel, and while that isn’t too hard to fix it’s something you should look into as soon as possible. If you leave it too long, you are going to be wasting a lot of fuel – and therefore money!

This is generic, and smells in your car can mean so many different things. It might be that the rubber of the handbrake is in trouble and wearing away, or that the vehicle is overheating (check the gauge). Or it could be something wrong with the exhaust. In any case, if you notice sudden strange smells, you should get it checked out by a professional immediately. This is especially true if you find that the smells are particularly strong, or that they are coming and going quite fast.

Leaking Radiator

This can be a real nuisance. A leaking radiator means that your engine is less able to keep temperate, and you will probably notice this first through the fact that the aircon doesn’t work too well, or even causes the temperature in the engine to rise. If that happens, look for a leaking radiator pipe. This is something you might be able to fix yourself, but you do need to make sure that it is this problem and not something else. Otherwise, just take it in to the garage and see whether they are able to fix it.

Emily Muelford
Emily is a British writer whose love of car culture is augmented by a fascination with both the European and American automotive markets. Her perspective is uniquely fish and chips.