Tell-tale Symptoms Of A Failing Engine

By Author: Joe Holland
Total Articles: 16
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As a driver, you should know to read the tell-tale symptoms of a failing engine. It won’t stop all of sudden. Rather, it would begin dropping signs well before that and you would serve your vehicle well by taking it to a service center and getting the engine diagnosed.

Before a car engine finally stops, it drops tell-tale symptoms. It is for the driver to pick up these symptoms and take the car to a mechanic’s shop for the engine replacement so that the car does not stop right at the middle of road when you are going for that very important meeting.

You need to pay attention to the ‘Check Engine’ Light on the dashboard. It is troubling as it may mean so many different things. To know exactly what it is telling, you need to hook your vehicle up to a scan tool. This diagnostic tool that resembles an oversized calculator, plugs into a communication port inside the car. Once you instruct it to perform the scan, it would communicate with the car’s computers to detect what prompted the light to turn on.

If you don’t have the tool, just visit a mechanic’s shop where the technician would use it to ...
... find the trouble.

The car doing the jerk while driving is another sign of a problem. Driving should be a smooth affair, free of jerking, stalling or surging. If it is not, it spells that all is not well with the engine. There could be several reasons for it – clogged fuel lines or fuel filter, fouled spark plugs or other issues. If the car is taking its own sweet time to accelerate, or has given out entirely, it is time you take it to a service station. High revving at idle or out-of-control accelerations are other such situations.

To keep off the danger for maximum time preventive maintenance like regular belt replacements and oil changes help.

A tapping or popping sounds indicates detonation taking place within the cylinders of the vehicle. This occurs when fuel ignites prematurely in the combustion chamber of the cylinders, potentially damaging the piston.

If the car makes a grinding noise when you attempt to start it, the starter motor probably needs adjustment or replacement. And if the grinding happens when changing gears, it may be transmission replacement time.

Automotive smells inside the passenger compartment mean trouble as well. It may indicate exhaust gases entering the car’s interior or an oil/coolant leakage. Look, if the car’s inside smells as if you are standing behind it, get it fixed with urgency. The smell of burning rubber signals that drive belts or accessory belts beneath the hood are worn out or damaged.

Blue smoke emanating from tailpipe signals that oil is being burned along with fuel. A temporary remedy may be to keep adding engine oil to the crankcase to prevent serious engine damage. However, smart solution would be to get the seals repaired.

White smoke denotes mixing of water condensation or antifreeze with fuel supply. Feed the reservoir with coolant and antifreeze, and get the car checked.

Automobile engines would gather problems with time, so it is important that you keep tabs on the engines.

If the technician at service station advises you replacement, find the best rebuilt engines . You would be able to keep automotive troubles at bay for long.

Author of this article is associated with PowertrainDirect.com that supplies clients with high quality car engines, transmissions and transfer cases.