Top 10 Bad Car Symptoms You Should Never Ignore

Cars are intricate machines with thousands of individual parts. Over time and use these parts can wear down, become damaged, and cause problems. Repairing them can be costly, but it actually makes better financial sense to get bad or failing parts fixed right away. That way, you’ll avoid bigger problems further down the road. These 10 bad car symptoms should never be ignored.

Tire bulges: If you hit a piece of debris or overinflate your tires, a tire bulge can form. Tire bulges are bubbles of air in the sidewall where air has forced its way through the inner lining. They’re a visible weak point that can burst unexpectedly. To avoid a dangerous situation, get bulging tires replaced immediately.

Jerky shifting: Rough shifting is a sign there’s a problem with your car’s transmission. Worn clutches, stripped gears, and low transmission fluid can all result in jerky or clunky shifting. Whatever the cause, the problem will get worse each time your car changes gears, potentially leading to total transmission failure. A new transmission can cost thousands of dollars, so it’s always cheaper to get the problem inspected.

Squeaky belts: Drive, serpentine, or timing belts help keep your engine running in time and power electrical systems. If you hear a squeaking or chirping noise from under the hood, it’s a sign that a belt is worn down. Sometimes a fix is as simple as making an adjustment, but some cars have belts which can’t be adjusted. Either way, get it fixed ASAP – worn belts can snap and damage your engine beyond repair.

Stinky exhaust: Car exhaust always has some smell, but if it smells stronger or worse than usual, it means something is wrong. Leaking fluids can burn up on hot surfaces, producing unusual odors. Catalytic converters are designed to filter the exhaust, so a strong exhaust smell could mean this part is failing. The air/fuel mixture could also be off, which wastes fuel and makes the exhaust smelly. Follow your nose and inspect your car to find the source of the smell.

Scratched paint: A little scratch in your car’s paint could be a bigger deal than you think. Besides making it look good, your car’s paint protects the body panels from outside elements. Paint scratches expose the sheetmetal to moisture, creating an area where rust can form. Prevent corrosion by touching up the scratch with factory paint, or a dab of clear nail polish.

Wobbly steering wheel: Different problems can all lead to the same feeling of shakiness when you hold the steering wheel. Failing or improperly aligned suspension could be a cause. An out of balance wheel and tire, which also results in premature tire wear, could be the culprit. If a wheel bearing is worn it could cause shaking, and in a worst case scenario could fail and let the wheel detach from the car. Regardless of the cause, a wobbly steering wheel limits the amount of control you have over your car.

Squealing brakes: Generally, squealing or squeaking brakes indicate that it’s time for a new set of brake pads. Brake pads have a metal tab that becomes exposed as pad material wears away. When this tab contacts the brake rotor, it makes a high-pitched sound. It’s an audible signal that the pads need to be replaced, and the longer you wait, the worse the sound (and your braking ability) is going to become.

Burnt-out bulb:  A dead headlight or taillight bulb isn’t going to change the way your car drives, but it is a great way to attract the attention of law enforcement. Getting the bulb replaced quickly is going to be the simplest way to avoid an expensive ticket.

Smoke: It’s dangerous to keep driving if you see or smell smoke in your car. Many things could cause your car to smoke, but common culprits are leaking fluids, electrical issues, or a seized brake caliper. Don’t drive until you’ve located and fixed the problem that’s causing the smoke – otherwise you risk a vehicular bonfire.

Check Engine Light: The Check Engine Light on your dashboard can be a real mystery. It tells you something is wrong, but never tells you what that something is. Is it electrical or mechanical? Major or minor? You’ll never know unless you scan for error codes, so it’s best to get a diagnosis right away to prevent further problems.

PROTECTING YOUR CAR PAINT: FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

In keeping your car paint intact and new, it is important one puts into consideration some key factors. Some call them the Dos and Don'ts; we call them the friends and enemies of your car paint.

>> FRIENDS <<

o GARAGES, PARKING STRUCTURES AND CAR COVERS
Any time you can park your car in the shade (without that shade coming from a sappy tree) you’re contributing to longer life for your car’s paint finish. If you’re a stickler for protection and are willing to take the time to use one — a car cover made of cloth or synthetic material is a great investment, especially if you don’t have access to a garage.

o CLEAR COAT PAINT FINISHES
Back to the clear coat paint finishes. Since the late 1980s and with increasing prevalence since about 1990, car companies have been using so-called clear coat paints as final “sealers” on new cars. As the term indicates, the clear paint is used as a protective film over the pigmented (colored paint) base paint layer. When applied at the factory, the clear coat paint is applied as the final step to the car’s finish to enhance paint luster, depth and protection from the elements. Yet, it is not a substitute for wax because it can still (1) breathe, (2) erode, and (3) absorb moisture, collect grime and stains (tweeting and sappy tree droppings) on its surface.

o WAX
Good ole wax. Through the test of time, there’s that loyal and humble friend to your car’s paint. It works — it helps clean, enhance and prolong luster, creates a thin protective film to help insulate from the elements … and some waxes even have, yes, sunscreens!



 >> ENEMIES <<
 
It’s not that clear coat finishes are not helpful on automobile paint finishes, they are a great improvement in paint “technology.” And we’ll come back to clear coats in a moment. What’s more important right now is recognizing that the foes to your car’s paint, with or without a clear coat finish, still haven’t changed — and they’re pretty formidable. Let’s start with the biggest one:

o THE SUN
Oh, yeah, the sun. UVA rays and all that stuff. Thought you’d heard enough about how important it is to protect your skin from the sun? Good. Now it’s holistic car care — cars have skin, too, you know. And your car’s paint finish breathes and even has pores! In the hot sun the paint’s pores expand and can absorb more dirt and moisture.



o BIRD DROPPINGS
From that gargantuan ball of fire to those pretty little tweeting birds. When we go out for picnics we look for nice shade trees with no ants and no … birds (at least above us). Great. How about when parking that car? Bird droppings are highly acidic and can erode paint and clear coat paint finishes. A couple of my exotic-car owner pals have even made cracks about watching out for “low altitude air-to-surface missile” raids when driving by Santa Barbara’s lovely bird sanctuary!



o SAP FROM TREES
It’s easy to think about those times you’ve discovered the clear sticky blotches of tree sap. They seem like magnets for other particles of dirt, dust and grime — unless you remove them quickly (which you should do!). But more importantly, a lot of trees can drop small mist-like droplets on your car’s paint — the kind of sap that you can’t see unless you look very closely. Again, in hot sun this stealthy foe of tree sap will bake into the pores of the paint surface and can leave stains. That is why it is important to remove tree sap from cars.



o SALT AIR
“But I love the smell of that ocean air!” OK, but do you know what your car’s paint thinks of living in Santa Barbara? “Nice views and great weather, pal, but this salt in the air isn’t doing much for that ‘mirror-like’ sheen you expect from me!” your paint would tell you. “Especially when the sun’s out and with that ‘terrific ocean breeze’ combined with salt in the air, boss,” it would go on to say. “Salty moisture all over me — yuck!”



o AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS
Even though Santa Barbara has much higher air quality than many larger metropolitan areas, there are airborne particles in our air that can damage our cars’ paint surfaces. By-products from construction, small manufacturing operations and even your own home chimney can contribute floating elements into the air that threaten your car’s paint finish.