With so many moving parts, both large and small, it’s a miracle that cars don’t break down more often. But they do need the occasional maintenance from time to time, and you have to know the signs that you need to take your car in for a checkup.
Allowing it to fall apart will only cause more issues in the long run. Know what to look and listen for when you’re out on the road; catching these signs as early as possible will save you a small fortune on repairs.
Decrease in Fuel Mileage
If you find that you have to fill up the tank more often than usual, that’s usually a sign your vehicle isn’t as efficient as it should be. You need to identify the factors preventing your car from moving as smoothly as it can; a few common causes include:
- Underinflated tires
- Faulty spark plugs
- A bad fuel injector
Underinflated tires are quick fixes, but unless you’re mechanically savvy, you’ll need to take your car to the mechanic to check out your fuel injector and spark plugs. The longer you go without diagnosing the issue, the more money you’ll waste on low gas mileage.
Vibrations
Vehicle vibrations can start with slight tremors in the steering wheel, but they can grow to shake the entire cabin of your car. This isn’t just annoying; it will also directly interfere with your driving ability, increasing the likelihood of accidents.
More often than not, the cause of these vibrations is faulty universal joints along your vehicle’s drive shaft. Besides the U-joints, a pair of unbalanced tires can be a common root cause of excessive vibrations. The degree of the weight imbalance will directly affect the vibrations, and even a seemingly minor weight disparity can significantly affect your vehicle.
High-Pitched Metallic Sounds
One of the most common signs you need to service your car is a high-pitched squealing noise whenever you pump the brakes. The cause of the sound comes from your car’s calipers scraping against the rotors. Normally, the brake pads prevent direct contact between the calipers and rotors, but brake pads degrade over time. The scraping between these two components will greatly reduce the effectiveness of your brakes, increasing the time it takes for your car to come to a complete stop. Brake pads can be expensive, but don’t let the cost prevent you from keeping yourself safe on the road.
Letting your components deteriorate will only endanger the entire vehicle; failing parts tend to affect connecting components, causing widespread damage. One of the many benefits of regular maintenance is the ability to catch these issues early and correct them before they render your vehicle unusable. Know the signs that you need to take your car in for a checkup and do so before the situation evolves into something more serious.