If you are going to own your first car, then you have to take upon yourself the responsibility of maintaining it. No, not thorough maintenance, just the basic routine will more than suffice. For thorough servicing, you have to get your vehicle to a professional car garage. You can go for an interim service every 6 months or a full service every 1 year. Letting alone professional expertise, some maintenance that you can perform yourself at home include:
- Air pressure checks.
- Engine oil check and refill.
- Checking the tyres for damage and tread depth.
- Cleaning the battery terminals.
- Replacing windshield wipers and refilling the wiper fluid.
Maintenance not only involves the above but also recognizing various symptoms early that may cause severe damage to your vehicle in the future. The following is a list of a few components and their common problems:
01. Exhaust System
An exhaust system is a conglomerate of various parts like the exhaust manifold, catalytic converter, muffler, exhaust pipe, etc. The primary function of an exhaust system is to convert all the toxic gases produced by an engine during combustion into water & CO2 and expel the same from your car. Few symptoms of a faulty exhaust system include:
- Lower fuel economy.
- Lower power and acceleration.
- Excessively loud engine.
- Burning smell from the engine.
- Smell of gas inside your vehicle.
Your vehicle’s exhaust system accounts for emissions. Faults in the same will lead to high emissions which may cause you to fail in your car’s MOT in Northampton.
02. Suspension System
Similar to the exhaust system, a suspension is also made up of various components. These include shocks, struts, springs, steering, wheels, etc. The primary function of the suspension is to give you a smooth and comfortable ride irrespective of the road conditions. Some symptoms of a faulty suspension system that you need to look out for include:
- One corner of the vehicle sits low.
- Your car nose dives when you brake.
- Your car leans backwards when you accelerate.
- The vehicle drifts to one side when driving.
- Your car bounces and jerks with every bump.
A faulty suspension system can also cause your wheels to get misaligned. In such cases, you will notice abnormal tyre wear and your car will pull to one side. Taking a wheel alignment service will resolve this problem.
03. Fuel Pump
A fuel pump’s job is to deliver the fuel from the tank to the engine at a particular pressure so that the vehicle performs accordingly. Few common symptoms of a faulty fuel pump include:
- Decreased fuel economy.
- Decreased power and acceleration.
- Engine misfires.
- More than one crank for ignition.
- Engine sputters at high speeds than resumes to normal position.
- Engine refuses to start.
Do note that some of the symptoms mentioned above can indicate a dead or failing battery or alternator. Hence, you have to head over to a professional car garage for a proper diagnosis. Superior Auto Hub is one such car garage that can help you out with an engine diagnostics. They are also one of the largest sellers of vehicle Tyres Northampton.