3 TOP CAR PROBLEMS EASILY OVERLOOKED
Your car is composed of multiple moving parts with many dependent on fluids to keep them lubricated. Likely, you know the importance of changing your oil, replacing the battery and checking tires on a regular basis. But there are three top car problems you may overlook, especially if you don’t familiarize yourself with your owner’s manual.
1. Coolant Flush
Also known as antifreeze, coolant is a 50-50 mixture of antifreeze and water. It’s used to keep your engine from overheating and freezing, and it also protects costly engine parts. Your car won’t run without it. But even if you have it, coolant is no good if it isn’t regularly checked and occasionally flushed.
Aged coolant will wear away your engine’s metallic parts if it isn’t replaced. Coolant becomes more acidic over time and must be checked with a test strip to verify acidity levels. A pH level of 10 is acceptable. If it comes in lower, then you need to add coolant.
But coolant eventually breaks down and the entire system must be flushed. In doing so you’ll remove rust, dirt, sludge and old coolant from your radiator as well as from the water hoses, the water pump and the engine’s cooling passages. Neglect this and you’re looking at repairs involving anything from replacing a radiator or a water pump to facing a major engine repair in the worst case scenario.
2. Brake Care
Your tires are the only components separating your car from the road and should be routinely checked, inflated and rotated. Bringing your heavy rolling machinery to a stop is the job of your brake system, which is composed of brakes on all four wheels operated by a hydraulic system. You may have disc brakes up front and drum brakes at the rear, or disc brakes both front and rear (luckily front drum brakes went away decades ago).
The majority of extreme brake problems follow small problems that were neglected. A regular check of your brake pads, discs and lines will help you avoid more expensive repairs such as replacing warped or worn out brake rotors. If your car requires a complete brake job involving pads, rotors, drums, calipers and cylinders, you’re looking at a far more expensive repair.
Perhaps the worse thing about neglecting this top car problem is the danger you put yourself and other drivers in when your vehicle can no longer stop on a dime.
3. Transmission Flush
Your transmission along with your engine comprise your car’s main powertrain parts. You likely change your oil and oil filter regularly. But what about the transmission? A flush should be conducted at the intervals outlined in your owner’s manual.
But if you begin to hear strange noises, have trouble shifting, encounter transmission slippage or notice some other problem, then flushing the transmission is a must.
Replacing or rebuilding a transmission can cost you several thousand dollars. If the transmission begins to act erratically, the damage may have already been done. Have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic to determine what course of action to take next.
Top Car Problems
Keeping tabs on your owner’s manual maintenance schedule can help you handle those tasks that can become big problems later on if your ignore them now. What you can’t handle yourself should be placed in the hands of a trusted mechanic.
For more information on top car problems, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.
