What Are The Most Common Service Problems
A car is an important investment, and next to owning a home, it is probably one of the most important investments you will ever have. With this being the case, it is vital to understand your vehicle and its servicing needs so you can protect your investment.
Many vehicles, no matter the type, manufacturer, or even year, will have common servicing needs that will pop up over the lifetime of the car. By knowing these common ailments, you will be able to identify and fix any problems that may arise.
Check Engine Light
The check engine light is the scourge of the DIY mechanic and, well, for anyone else as well. The reason is that this little light will come on for any number of reasons no matter how minor the problem is. This makes the check engine light really discouraging for those wishing to diagnosis the problem. Many car owners will just ignore the light all together instead of going to a repair garage. As long as the check engine light is not accompanied by other problem lights, strange smells, or odd noises, ignoring it should not cause any further damage. However, you can never be sure of that.
The only way to tell what the check engine light is trying to tell you is by scanning the car’s computer for problem codes. These codes; all new cars and many of the older models will have this capability, will tell the mechanic where and what the problem is. A problem with the check engine light is actually one of the more common auto repair issues.
Car Won’t Start
An aggravating problem with a number of causes and solutions is when the car just will not start. The most common remedies of this problem is to make sure the key is in the ignition and you actually started the car, but this tactic just may not be enough to solve the issue.
A car that won’t start can suffer from a few different ailments which can be discovered by following a few logical steps. The car must first go through a series of steps before starting; a problem with any of these steps can cause the car to fail to start.
If the engine fails to crank, then it can not start of course. The cause of this can be anything from a bad battery to a coolant leak. Now, if the engine cranks but does not start the culprit can be a lack of fuel, spark, or compression.
Engine Stalls
An engine that stalls is a common problem and is certainly frustrating especially if it only stalls occasionally. Overall, an engine needs three things to idle without stalling.
These three requirements are:
- A Good Spark
- A Good Idle Speed
- A Good Fuel/Air Ratio
Without those the engine will stall. Diagnosing the cause of a stalling engine may require scanning for trouble codes or by observing when the engine stalls and finding a pattern, if any, of the problem.
AC Doesn’t Work
A malfunctioning air conditioner can be especially problematic for those drivers living in areas that are exceptionally hot or humid. Not only can this, but a problem with the air conditioning be a sign of some other problem. When troubleshooting AC problems look first is the refrigerant which may have leaked out. By patching the leak and filling the refrigerant the problem is solved.
However, if the AC is still having a problem you will need to check the pressure and the wiring.
Cars are high performance machines and will encounter problems from time to time. The trick is to identify these problems and repair them quickly to avoid any future malfunctions that will more then likely, be worse. Car owners should not be surprise to learn that Mazda service problems may be similar to their Toyota or other types of cars. This is beneficial as it makes identifing the more common vehicle problems easier for both trained mechanics and for those do it yourselfers.
Robin Hale says:
Ford Eddie Bauer air conditioner cools fine and then just
turns to fan mode (no cool air) when it decides to.
What could the problem be?
Thanks
September 4th, 2008 at 4:47 am
kenny says:
94 plmouth voyager, 1st off the trans didnt shift from 1st, remained stuck in first, after an R&R the prob appeared to be gone for a day, then it retirned yet again, same prob different trans, the transmission was a used trans an came wit the van, what could this be, rare the same prob different transmission, only days after an R&R?
July 17th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Tyler says:
who wrote/typed up this article?
April 13th, 2010 at 2:32 am
Joshua says:
The greatest mistakes people make when bringing their vehicle to an auto mechanic is deficiencies in conversation. If you can communicate with your mechanic you’ll get a lot further with car repairs. What’s intended by communicating is simple; give details and ask questions. Should you bring a car to a mechanic and you do not know what’s going on, it just is driving funny, a mechanic has nowhere really to begin. They may believe that because you said it was ‘driving’ funny it has something to do with steering. However, if you go in and tell them that at speeds more than, say 40 mph, it begins to shake; they have an improved idea of the place to start. So it is better to know what is really wrong with your car before you bring it to the auto repair shop.
May 18th, 2010 at 7:05 pm