6 Common Car Problems and How to Prevent Them
Having car problems? No matter how careful of a driver you are, problems involving your car might arise especially on the times when you least expect it. Many car owners today share the same fate of dealing with certain issues while operating their vehicles on the road. The inability to fix your car can result in a wide array of other problems, such as being late at work or getting stuck on traffic that you made yourself.
Things could even get worse as you’ll have to spend more money on repair and maintenance. And if you still don’t have car insurance, you just found yourself in a deeper hole indeed.
In these cases, the best solution is to find ways on how to prevent them. Just like what our doctors said, prevention is always better than the cure. And as a responsible car owner, it is your duty to keep the optimal condition of your vehicle as much as possible.
Here are some of the most common car problems and how to prevent them:
Problem no. 1: Dead Battery
So your car suddenly halted in the middle of nowhere. You tried restarting it several times, but you got no response from the vehicle whatsoever. The problem will most likely come within the battery. A car battery dies typically due to either being drained out of energy or it finally reached the tip of its lifespan. In average, car batteries today are designed to last for around four to six years.
Preventing Dead Battery Problem
The first thing that you can do is to check if the battery terminals are properly intact. Usually, the problem might actually lie in the faulty connectors. Simply place them back and your car can run again. It’s impossible to avoid the eventual death of your car batteries. The best thing that you can do is to purchase an extra one before your current battery expires. Remember that every time you buy a battery, make sure that you mark it with its date of purchase so that you can figure out the best time to replace it.
Problem no. 2: Failed Spark Plugs
Over the course of time, your car’s spark plugs can become highly susceptible to wear and tear. Eventually, the spark plugs will fail, and it can cause the car to run slower and waste a significant amount of fuel.
Preventing Failed Spark Plugs
Once in awhile, take a look at all of the connectors within your car and try to see if everything is in place. In case you found some damage, replace them right away. Create a coolant maintenance schedule for flushing out and replacing your coolants on a regular basis.
Problem no. 3: Dead Starter
If you can’t even make your car start in the first place, then you got yourself a dead starter. It may seem to have the same sign as having a dead battery, but a dead starter can also mean the same trouble, only this time the problem can be blamed on a separate component.
Preventing Dead Starter
Doing a scheduled inspection on the main components of your starter motor could help a lot. You can schedule the checking before you drive to see if anything needs fixing or replacing. Although remember that a dead starter can be sometimes fixed by getting rid of the issues coming from the spark plug or the starter relay.
Problem no. 4: Problems on the Alternator
In order to keep the battery’s working condition, your car is equipped with an alternator that can potentially stop your vehicle from working once it fails.
Preventing Problems on the Alternator
Similar to car batteries, the alternator could eventually degrade over time. Having a new replacement is the only viable solution to this problem and take heed of the following signs that your alternator is nearing its end days:
- Constant problems on your battery
- Electrical failure
- The unusual rattling of the engine
Problem no. 5: Oil Leaks
Oil leaks can be easily detected by observing any signs of dark stains on your driveway and parking area. It’s either there’s something that hinders the plug or your oil filter is not working well.
Preventing Oil Leaks
Don’t forget to change your oil filter regularly and have a thorough car tune-up or maintenance.
Problem no. 6: Flat Tires
Finally, the most common car problems of all: flat tires. Wear and tear or getting punctured by a sharp object are usually the reasons why you get flat tires. Continued use can also make your tires to go flat as it could lose some air pressure.
Preventing Flat Tires
Take extra care when driving on difficult and unfamiliar roads. Also check you’re the air pressure of your tires so that you can get determined whether it’s over or under-inflated, which is definitely not a good sign for your wheels.
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