Hello, my name is David. Welcome to my blog. There is nothing I like more than hitting the open road and going for a drive in my car. I have always loved everything to do with automobiles. When I was a boy, I had a collection of 208 different toy cars which I would play with all day long. As soon as I was old enough, I began taking driving lessons and the day I passed was the best day of my life. Although I am not a mechanic, my dad taught me lots of neat tricks so I can keep my car in top condition. I hope you enjoy my blog.
When your car is acting up in any way, it's good to visit a mechanic who can give you a complete and thorough diagnosis, and who can then accurately address whatever is going wrong. Note a few common car problems so you can know what's going on under the hood.
1. Loud rumbling
You might assume that loud rumbling means that your car needs a new muffler, but the problem isn't always that simple. Your exhaust system is a connection of pipes that come down from the engine, run through the catalytic converter, and then end with the tailpipe out the back end of your car. If any of these sections of pipe come loose from one another or develop a hole, you'll hear a loud rumbling even if your car's muffler is fine. If the catalytic converter, which acts as something of a filter for the exhaust system, is failing, you may hear what sounds like rocks being shaken up. In some cases, a mechanic may be able to patch these holes with muffler tape or weld a shield over certain holes, or you may need to have a section of pipe or the converter replaced altogether.
2. Stalls or nearly stalls when idling
If your car stalls when idling and you're able to start it back up again without a problem, or if you notice it shaking and shuddering and nearly stalling, this is usually a problem with the timing belt or timing chain. This part tells your engine how high to rev during use, and if the chain or belt is failing or misadjusted, your engine doesn't rev high enough when you're not giving it gas. In turn, it stalls or gets close to stalling. Sometimes a timing belt or chain can be adjusted or tightened, but otherwise it simply needs replacing.
3. Overheating
If your car's engine is regularly overheating, you probably have a leak in the coolant lines, or the water pump may be broken and isn't pumping cool water over the engine as it should. Note the car's coolant levels in the radiator and if these are fine and normal, chances are it's the water pump. If the engine overheats and the dashboard gauge reads normal, the thermostat to the engine may be broken and isn't telling the coolant system or water pump to keep the engine cool enough.
For more information, contact a mechanic in your area.
Share15 April 2016
