Three Issues You Can Solve With Your Car
Cars should be safe and easy to use. After all, most Americans use them to get around. Cars helped us move across the country for the first time, and they were there when our parents dropped us off at college.
But any car owner will tell you that cars can last a long time, but they don’t last forever. Just like any other machine, cars will break down. Every common car problem has a solution, which is good news.
Dead Battery
A dead battery is one of the most common things that can go wrong with a car. A dead battery is often caused by leaving the car’s electronics on when it’s not in use, but a faulty alternator or charging can also cause it. Cars that have been sitting for a long time without being driven often have dead batteries. You may want to check things like your Corvette service manual to make sure you are taking care of your car correctly.
There are two simple ways to fix a dead battery:
Charge It
This is usually the best option, but it isn’t always the easiest. Usually, a mechanic has to take out the battery and charge it to charge it. If there is nothing wrong with your battery, this should get it ready to go. If the charge doesn’t last, and it happens more than once, you may have to get a whole new battery.
A Jumpstart
Hope you were as lucky as I was and had a jumper cable and a nice person nearby. One end of the cable can be connected to your car, and the other end can be connected to the donor battery. The person giving will turn on their car and let it run. Your car battery should be good to go after a couple of minutes.
Exhaust Smoke
Not all smoke from cars is bad. Cars can sometimes give off a thin white smoke, which is normal. The care system can build up condensation, and the smoke that comes out is really steam. If your car is making other kinds of smoke, like thick white smoke or colored smoke, this could be a sign that something is wrong.
A coolant leak could make thick white smoke come out. This means the car could be overheating, which can be bad for the car and dangerous to drive. It’s hard to figure out what’s wrong at home, so if you think there’s something wrong with your car, it’s best to ask a professional.
Another tricky thing is gray smoke. It still usually needs the opinion of a professional. Some of the most common reasons for grey smoke are problems with the transmission fluid or a turbocharger that isn’t working well.
The best thing to do is to get help from a professional. If your car is putting out blue smoke, you need to have a professional look at it right away. Blue smoke usually means that your car is burning oil, which means the valve seals are worn out. The combustion champion is leaking oil, which can cause much damage. It can also cost a lot to fix. No matter how bad the blue smoke is, you should have a professional check it out.
Low Tire Pressure
A lot of newer cars will tell the driver if the tire pressure is low. You can’t tell if a tire is underinflated just by looking at it, so you need to keep an eye on them. One monthly pump is more than enough to keep your tires at the right pressure. You’re lucky because this is easy to fix. I always keep information about my car in the glove box.
The manual will tell you how many pounds per square inch (psi) your tyres need to be. Once you know what you need to know, pull into a gas station. Most will have a pump for the tyres. There should be written directions on how to do it.
Just to remind you, unscrew the valve and put an air hose in it. When you push down, your tire will take in air. Your car will let you know what the psi is. If your car doesn’t have that feature, you might want to get a portable tyre pressure gauge. Do it again with the other three.