Recognizing The Signs of a Damaged Engine

A malfunctioning engine is your worst nightmare, as it means your vehicle won’t continue to provide stellar performance like before. Fortunately, there are many warning signs your engine is in trouble before it seizes up on you.

Take a look:

 Engine is shaking

Does your car shake slightly (or perhaps violently) while it is running? It is a classic indication of engine trouble.

Smoke coming from engine

Regardless of the color of smoke, if you see it coming from the engine, it means bad news like blown head gasket, cracked cylinder head, worn valves/piston rings, clogged air filter, etc.

Car gets overheated

 Unless the weather is unusually hot, it should take a few minutes for your engine to go from cold to its normal operating temperature. If the car gets heated quickly or is hotter than normal, your engine might be leaking coolant.

Engine is too loud

If your car is louder than normal, it is most likely not the engine. The problem is in the exhaust system, which is connected to, but distinct from, the engine. Usually, it is the muffler or catalytic converter causing the loud noises.

How can you prevent the damage from happening?

• Don’t forget to check your engine light – it will signal you that something is wrong and a peek under the hood is necessary. Keep an eye on the dashboard and pay attention to the light – please don’t ignore!
• Change your oil, air, transmission and fuel filters. Your car’s owner’s manual will give you the recommended schedule for changing them, but ideally the oil filter should be changed at every oil change, air filter at every tune up or couple of months, transmission fluid every two years, and fuel filter once a year.
• Your car could face problems starting in winter as the engine oil hasn’t thickened and can’t fully lubricate the engine. Driving slowly at the start of your journey can help warm the oil and lubricate the engine parts without wasting too much fuel.
• Driving with low fuel is a strict no-no. When this happens the fuel is drawn from the bottom of the tank where contaminants accumulate over time. A build-up of these can block your fuel filter and get into the engine, where they may cause more damage.

Keep these pointers in mind and your car will continue to perform well as the shelf life of its engine is enhanced.