As the saying goes, “better safe than sorry” – and that pertains just as much to your vehicle. If you hope to get the most out of your investment, prevention is a key factor – staying on top of regular services can extend the lifetime of your vehicle by years. Read on for some of the warning signs that signal you may need to make an appointment with a service center.
Smells
If you have ever been in your car and smelled something like rotten eggs or gas, your vehicle may need some serious maintenance. Most of the time, if you can smell something coming from under the hood of your car or from the vents, you should get your car checked. If the smell is of gas, you could smell a gas leak coming from underneath your car, which causes a fire hazard.
Burning smells are a sign that your brakes need changing or that you need a new clutch. No matter what the smell is, if it’s not something you normally smell – you should have it checked.
Warning Lights on Your Dash
The lights on your dash are often overlooked. If any of the maintenance lights come on, you could have one of many issues occurring with your car that ought to be looked at right away. Even if the vehicle is operating like normal when the light comes on, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an issue – there simply may not be measurable effects, yet. The issue just hasn’t become bad enough for your car to break down.
A battery light could be a problem with the car’s alternator or any of the other electrical components. If any of these components give out while you’re driving, your car will die and leave you stranded wherever you are at that time. Your best choice is to have it checked out, no matter which light comes on.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance covers everything that you can do before a problem occurs. If you take care of this maintenance on a regular basis, you shouldn’t have any issues with your vehicle for a very long time. These consist of oil and oil filters, air filters, brake pads, shock absorbers, and more. Typically, your vehicle’s owner’s manual will have a schedule for you to follow to keep up with your regular maintenance.
Engine Noise
You should know what it sounds like when you start your car and what it generally sounds like while you are driving down the road. If the noises start changing and you start hearing a squealing noise, you may have an issue with the alternator or a belt. Noises that sound like a knocking sound might be an issue with the valvetrain. If you hear a strange noise, it would be wise to get it looked at by a mechanic to find out what it might be.
If you can smell, hear, see, or if you just feel like something is off, a trip to the mechanic would be your best bet. Making sure that you won’t end up stranded is always the best choice, and that means ensuring that your vehicle receives the proper maintenance when it is needed.
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