What’s the most crucial component of any car? The engine. Without a running engine, your car isn’t going anywhere. While most vehicle engines are built tough, years of wear and tear or unexpected mechanical problems can result in your engine failing on you. Not only is this extremely inconvenient but engine repairs are expensive. If you wind up needing a full engine replacement, it might be cheaper to just buy a new car.
How do you know if your engine is going bad? Keep reading to learn about a few signs that your car or truck’s engine is experiencing problems.
7 Signs of Engine Problems
1. “Check Engine” Light Comes On – This one is pretty self-explanatory. If your vehicle’s “check engine” warning light ignites on your dashboard while you’re driving around Minnesota, it means there’s a problem with your engine. A myriad of issues can cause this light to start glowing, so it’s best to have your car inspected by a trained mechanic to diagnose the problem.
2. Exhaust Smoke – While some white smoke during a cold winter day in Minnesota isn’t unusual, vehicles generally shouldn’t emit clouds of smoke from their exhaust when in operation. Exhaust smoke can be a warning sign of several different issues, which can be determined by color. White smoke is a sign of coolant fluid leakage, bluish smoke indicates an oil leak, and thick black smoke means that an excess of fuel is being burned.
3. Idle Stalling – One of the biggest warning signs of engine failure is having your car or truck stall while idle. This can be caused by a number of issues including insufficient air flow, clogged fuel injectors and faulty ignition. Any of these issues has the potential to result in engine failure if left unfixed for too long. When your vehicle stalls at idle, it’s time to schedule an appointment with your local mechanic in the Twin Cities.
4. Knocking Sounds – Weird noises coming from your car are never a good thing. Knocking sounds coming from under your hood are indicative of an imbalance between air and fuel, leading to improper detonations within your engine. If this problem continues, it can lead to catastrophic engine failure. Make sure to have your engine repaired before this happens.
5. Overheating – Even if you’ve been driving for hours on a hot summer day, a properly functioning engine shouldn’t overheat. If your engine overheats while you’re driving around the Twin Cities, this is indicative of engine issues which could lead to engine failure if you don’t get your vehicle fixed.
6. Vibration – Is your engine shaking either while you’re driving in the Twin Cities or when you’re sitting at idle? Then there’s definitely something wrong with it. Faulty spark plugs and broken motor mounts are the most common causes of excess engine vibration. You should get these issues fixed quickly before they result in engine failure.
7. Worse Gas Mileage – A number of factors can cause your vehicle to experience a sudden drop in fuel economy, and not all of them are major engine issues. However, an engine that starts consuming more fuel is not a healthy engine so if you notice any other warning signs in tandem with worse gas mileage, you should definitely bring your vehicle to an auto repair shop in Minnesota.
Do You Need Engine Repair in the Twin Cities?
When you begin to notice warning signs of a faulty engine, it’s important to get the issue diagnosed and fixed before total engine failure occurs. Give Arvu Auto a call today to make an engine inspection and repair appointment in the West Minneapolis metro!
