Driving seems like an activity where you are in complete control of the car. But that is not the case. You work together with the car to get where you need to go, quickly and safely. You are in constant communication with your car and everything from road noise to alarm bells to rain on the windshield should help you to adjust your driving to the conditions.
If you are driving, here are X signs that you shouldn't ignore:
1. The gas gauge. Life gets busy. We understand that. But if you don't have time to fill your gas tank, you'll end up costing yourself a lot of stress as you search desperately for one (or you'll end up costing yourself a lot of time if you run out of gas and have to walk).
2. The temperature gauge. We don't really pay attention to this little gauge very much but it is an important gauge. The engine heats up when it has to work extra hard. So take note of where your temperature gauge is when driving under normal conditions. Consider that to be the baseline of standard operation. If the temperature is lower than that, it's usually not a problem. But if the temperature climbs higher than that, it's a definite warning sign.
3. Your tachometer. Not all cars are equipped with a tachometer, which measures RPMs. If your car is equipped with a tachometer, keep an eye on it. It should increase steadily as you accelerate and it should change when your car switches gears. If your tachometer starts jumping around, that is not a good sign. Alternatively, if you don’t have a tachometer, you'll have to rely on your ears to tell you if the engine is running steadily or if it is revving.
4. Your brakes. Brakes aren't just devices that slow you down; they're whole systems designed to work effectively and to warn you when things aren't working right. Brakes come with a built-in warning system that screeches a little when you apply the brakes. If you hear screeching when you apply the brakes, your car is telling you to check (and probably replace) the brakes.
5. Buzzing, rattling, and clunking. Vehicles take a lot of abuse on the road and when they are in peak condition, they'll perform the way they are supposed to. But buzzing and rattling warn us that something is loose. It might not be a big deal now but if things aren't tightened up, things could get worse.
6. Grinding. Very similar to above, your car should not make a metal-on-metal grinding sound. That's the sign that a once lubricated part is now no-longer lubricated. Pay attention to where and when the grinding noise occurs and tell your mechanic at once.
On their own, these are warning signs of minor issues that can be fixed with a full tank of gas or by a mechanic. If you catch them right away, they will probably cost you very little. However, if you ignore any of these warning signs or leave them for too long before doing something about them, it could cost you. It might just be a cost of inconvenience, as is the case of an empty tank of gas. But it could be much worse – your brakes could give out, your engine might fail, your ability to control the car could disappear. When that happens, collisions occur and those are much more expensive.
If you get into a collision, bring your car to Boyd Autobody & Glass for fast, affordable collision repair that can get you back on the road safely in no time.
