DON’T IGNORE WARNING SIGNS
Sometimes our vehicles give us blatant warnings that something is amiss — it won’t start, or a very loud clunking noise is heard on corners. But often the harbingers of doom are unobtrusive and easy to miss. Brian Turner lists five things that you may not
TEMPERATURE GAUGE YO-YO ACTION
If your vehicle’s temp gauge is doing a constant and slow fluctuation after warmup, it may mean air is getting introduced into the engine’s cooling system. About the only ebb and flow of a temp gauge that’s normal is the slight dip in reading after the thermostat opens within a few minutes of driving.
Temp gauges get their info from sensors mounted into the coolant flow and they’re usually mounted high in the system near the thermostat housing or in the intake manifold.
While they’re great at accurately reporting on coolant temps, they have no ability to read air temperature.
So if air gets into the cooling system and near the sensor, the reading on the gauge will drop until it’s immersed in liquid once more. The main cause of this air infiltration is a failing intake manifold or cylinder head gasket. Usually neither one of these are cheap repairs, but if you ignore it long enough, the wallet shock can get much worse when a cylinder head or engine is damaged beyond repair.
FLICKERING HEADLAMPS
No it might not be your tired or aging eyes when you notice some flickering on your vehicle’s headlamps at night. If it only occurs over bumps it may be caused by a broken or loose headlamp mount, which is easily confirmed by trying to move the headlamp with your hand. If it’s occurring on smooth roads it is likely either a poor wiring ground or failing alternator. Leaving these latter possibilities to themselves can easily lead to a dead battery or an overheated wiring circuit.
PULLING OR DRIFTING
Might be an easy fix. If your chariot’s steering suddenly develops a pull or drift to one side that it never had before (and your teenager wasn’t in a drifting contest with it the night before), check your tire pressures. The most common cause of a steering pull is an underinflated front tire. If it’s a rear tire that’s at fault, you may notice the need for more steering correction from the vehicle wanting to wander. Leaving a tire without the proper air pressure can lead to excessive tread wear, as well as increased fuel consumption. Always inflate tires to the pressure indicated on the label affixed to your auto’s door frame or as per the owner’s manual; never go by the maximum pressure rating embossed on the side wall of the tire.
RUNNING ROUGH
In days of yore when carbureted engines ruled, a little engine stumble or rough running on cold start wasn’t too much to worry about. Fuel-injection systems soon relieved those uneven idles, but they rely on good spark from a solid ignition system to keep things smooth. If your ride is giving you a little rumble or rough idle, getting it looked at before winter is a good way to keep you on the road. If it’s related to a worn spark plug or wire set, it can turn into a no-start condition on the first wet, snowy morning of November.
A TYPE OF DRONE THAT ISN’T FOR HOBBYISTS
If your ride is an SUV or truck and your ear is picking up a droning noise, turn down the radio and listen carefully. If the moan is coming from the rear, try slowing down by coasting and then gradually accelerate while driving in a straight line. If the noise changes noticeably in pitch or volume, your rear axle gears may be telling you it’s time for attention. If you catch it in time, you might get away with a simple pinion and side bearing set.
Leave it long enough and you can be caught with the major expense of replacing the gears.