| November 17th, 2008 by admin |
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Diagnosing Common Car Problems Part II
Diagnosing Common Car Problems - Part II
Recently, I wrote about a few common issues that drivers experience with their cars. They included a shaking steering wheel, excessive bouncing, and drifting. None of these problems imply any significant damage and all can be fixed simply by your mechanic. That said, there are dozens of other issues that may suggest certain parts or components under the hood are failing. In order to help educate drivers, I’ll be making this a regular column. Today, I’ll describe 3 more car problems that you might experience.
Stalling Engine
This is a potentially complex issue that can be traced to a number of possible root causes. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to diagnose this problem perfectly, but through a process of elimination, you’ll be able to identify what is not causing it. If you’re driving an older car, the problem may be in the carburetor. When that’s the case, it may be due to a sticking or broken choke.
If you’re driving a vehicle with a fuel injection system, anything that impacts the air and gas blend can cause your engine to stall. Other reasons might be linked to the idle speed control (in engines with fuel injection), the powertrain control module, or even a vehicle speed sensor that’s failing. In the end, your best bet is to have a technician run a diagnostic check.
Persistent Tire Hum
You might notice when you’re driving along a smooth, even road, that your tires will hum. You’ll probably be able to hear the hum even if your windows are up. This issue is far less complex than stalling engines and it’s usually due to the alignment of your wheels. In most front-wheel drive cars, the noise will be coming from the rear wheels. In that case, have a mechanic rotate them to the front on opposing sides (that is, the rear passenger tire should be placed on the front driver’s side).
Failing Turn Signals
This happens often and it’s nothing that should cause concern. When you’re sitting in your car, you’ll occasionally notice that one or both of your turn signal indicators on the dashboard aren’t working. Usually, this just means that one (or both) of your turn bulbs on the exterior has burnt out. You can double-check by turning on your hazards. They typically use the same exterior bulbs as your turn signals. If a bulb has burnt out, replacing it is usually easy and inexpensive.
Ongoing Car Education
As I mentioned, this will be an ongoing column to help you get acquainted with your car and the things that can go wrong with it. When problems occur (and they always do eventually), you’ll have a foundation from which to draw to begin troubleshooting. Some issues are easy to resolve while others will need a trained mechanic. Learn as many of the basics as you can (this column will help). The more knowledgeable you are, the more complex the problems you can diagnose.
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