Common Car Problems and How to Troubleshoot Them

Having a vehicle is exciting at the same time it can be troublesome to have. To top it off, by making regular checks on your car you’ll be able to catch most problems. In addition to this, taking notice of warning lights on the dashboard will better prepare a driver for anticipating problems with their ride.

Most car owners will have problems at some time and most are simple to deal with.

Engine Issues

The engine of your car is a rather intense environment. It does a lot of work to get you from A to B. A very small change in a component could mean the difference between taking your kids to school every day or getting you injured in a crash.

Moreover, paying attention to the warning signs of engine trouble before a breakdown can save you problems. Maintenance must be performed on a regular basis, and anything that seems alarming to you must be noted and corrected before it turns into more serious trouble, and the costlier kind of repairs.

While there is a good number of car issues that you can come across, the following car problems are the ones that occur most often. 1. Troubles with the starter When the engine doesn’t start, it is most likely a starter problem. In order to fix it, either replace or rebuild the starter. 2. Faulty ignition switch A defective ignition switch may also be the reason why your engine won’t start. As a solution, either change the spark plugs or repair the switch. 3. Problems with fuel The problem with fuel could have several causes. Therefore, before you do anything else, test your fuel to make sure there was no water contamination. In case it is dirty, wash it and drain. 4. Issues with the piston If your pistons are damaged, they need to be replaced. However, make sure that the rest of the engine is fine to avoid spending money on useless items. 5. Problems with the coil What is sometimes mistaken for engine D or E problems, can also be a problem with the electric coil. You can check that it is actually a coil fault with the help of an electronic meter.

Steering Issues

Any car owner is bound to run into an issue with the steering at some point – but most are easy fixes to keep the car running properly.

A squeak when turning the steering wheel might mean the power steering needs new fluid; a clunk when you hit any bumps when taking a corner might mean your struts and shocks are worn out.

Another common cause is low power assist. Many of these can be a power steering fluid leak, degraded or low fluid level; power steering fluid leak; power steering motor failure or fuse failure; power steering motor stalling early; electrical short. While the power steering fluid is sometimes easy to fix, it is not always easy to find the fluid’s source.

Electrical Issues

Nowadays cars are equipped with highly complicated electrical systems to move the windows and trunk, operate the radio, help start the engine, and run a variety of other mechanical gadgets. Unfortunately, most of them are hard to diagnose and repair.

Early symptoms could deal with electrical issues about your car, like head lights not working, sometimes you may figite door canteen at random tempres, or even larghing time to start camera. 5. Unless you go through extensive training qualification about car at a car training school, there is nothing you can do about fixing a car when you firstly have car.

These problems can also result from bad wiring, however. Every so often, you want to check your wiring harnesses for damage, corrosion and any sort of ageing. Make sure to deter rodents from chewing the wires, and if possible, winterise your car if you allow it to sit for long periods of time without use. Maintaining and cleaning the spark plugs is also important.

Cooling System Issues

It may not be obvious that your cooling system represents some of the most dangerous potential problems for your car’s engine if you continue to ignore it. Often, it will lead to a domino effect of other issues, and could result in your engine being left inoperable forever.

Symptoms such as overheating, low engine coolant levels and weird odours are the warning signs that something is wrong with your cooling system. A leak in your radiator could be the culprit. Coolant and antifreeze are needed to keep your engine cool and need to be kept at their correct level in your vehicle’s cooling system to do that job. When you have a leak in your cooling system, it allows some of the cooling fluid to escape over time, which can cause a variety of problems with respect to the effects it has on your engine’s health.

Check your coolant level when the engine is cold, and add coolant as instructed in your owner’s manual. Opening the radiator cap when the engine is running, especially with the cap slightly askew (coolant will likely spray out!) can cause severe burn injuries and should be avoided entirely unless you are in a well-ventilated and safe environment.