This entry was posted on Monday, September 7th, 2009 at 9:33 am and is filed under cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Car Profiles
Just another Car Blog
Listen to Your Car and Catch Problems Early
Everybody’s been driving down the road and heard an unexpected clunk or squeal coming from their car. You don’t know what it is and you certainly don’t do anything about it while it gets progressively worse and worse. Once you finally have a major breakdown or get your car in to the mechanic, you’re faced with a hefty repair bill that you should have seen coming. If you learn to listen to your car and respond to what it’s telling you, you can avoid some of these unexpected repairs and get them remedied before something catastrophic occurs.
The easiest problems to pinpoint by sound tend to be those involving your tires. If you hear any sort of grumbling or humming coming from the wheels of your car, this may be a sign of tire problems. These noises often become much louder as the speed of your vehicle increases. Roll your window down to get a better idea of what’s happening. When you hear these sounds, check your tires for bulges or uneven wear. Make sure that there are no major wear spots and the metal belts are not exposed. If you notice any of those problems or the treads are worn under the indicated marks on the tires, it is time to consider getting them replaced. Most tire shops offer extremely competitive prices on materials and labor, so shop around until you find a good deal.
Brake problems are also very easy to diagnose if you just listen to your car. When brake assemblies or pads wear out, you’re going to hear a screech every time you apply brake pressure that’s caused by metal grinding on metal. These problems will get progressively worse over time if you don’t get them taken care of immediately. As the brakes become more and more worn, your ability to stop the vehicle will worsen. In order to assure your safety you should always get brake problems taken care of immediately.
Another thing to listen for is any sort of squeak or squeal coming from under the hood. These sounds typically indicate that some sort of belt is misaligned or worn out. Fan belts and power steering belts are going to fail sooner or later. These are what you’ll want to check out first if you hear squeals under the hood. If the sound gets worse when you are trying to turn the vehicle, chances are it’s going to be a problem with the power steering belt.
If you just listen to what your car is trying to tell you, you can help minimize costly repairs and maintenance.
Arturo Chuong is currently writing articles related to sporting, hiking, traveling, and business bags including backpacks, laptop cases, and functional luggage.
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