Dangerous Car Trouble Warning Signs

Keeping your vehicle in tiptop condition through regular visits to an auto mechanic is the best thing you can do to keep your car safe and to maintain the value of your car. Many of us are happy to leave the safety of our vehicle in the hands of a professional but sometimes we need to add to our skill base and learn to read the signs that our vehicle gives us from time to time so we can avoid expensive repairs.

Sometimes it is simply not enough to only know how to fill her up and start the car! It doesn’t take much to put in a bit of effort and learn more about your vehicle so that you can look after it even more and avoid having to visit the service station more often than you have to.

Here are some warning signs that your vehicle may give you which mean that you should plan a visit to the service station sooner rather than later.

• Carbon monoxide emissions are generally hard to detect because this gas is odourless. If you find yourself becoming drowsy or nauseous or even have a ringing in your ears, this could be a sign that there is a carbon monoxide leakage within your vehicle and you should stop immediately.
• When you apply your brakes and your vehicle veers to the left or to the right, it means that your brakes need to be adjusted as soon as possible.
• If the oil warning light comes on intermittently or continuously whilst driving, this is a dangerous sign that your vehicle is low on oil and needs to be topped up or serviced urgently.
• If your brake pedal feels spongy when you apply the brakes or the brake pedal travels almost entirely to the floor, your brakes need to be attended to urgently.
• When you hear a squealing noise as you apply the brakes this may mean there is water on the brake pads or the brake pads are dangerously low. In either case, you should have a brake expert attend to this as soon as possible.
• If you hear a clunking or clattering noise coming from your engine you should stop driving immediately as this could be a sign that you have blown the head gasket. Stop and have your car towed to a service station as soon as possible.
• Sometimes you might find your car difficult to start and there may even be a clicking sound as you turn the key. This could mean that your alternator is faulty or that your battery is low on power. Either way, you should visit the service station as soon as possible or call your motor vehicle association for roadside assistance.

Although these tips are not meant to be exhaustive in any way, they can give you a heads up that your vehicle needs specialist attention. This may mean a quick visit to your mechanic to put things right.