Your vehicle is probably your lifeline to the outside world. You use it daily to get to work, visit friends, or even pick up the shopping. The list of uses is endless. Unfortunately, many people forget that your car needs a little love. If you just start it every morning and expect it to go, it will eventually break down on you.
Why? Because a car needs regular maintenance to ensure it is working properly, issues are identified and resolved, and your car is as efficient as possible. That’s better for your wallet.
Ideally, you’ll already be taking your vehicle in for regular servicing. This is the best way to extend its life. Whether you have, or haven’t, serviced your vehicle, you need to be able to recognize the signs that show your vehicle needs a tune-up.
You also need to be in contact with a reputable garage to administer a tune-up when you need one, you can find out more here and book your tune-up today.
Dashboard Lights
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that you have an issue. There are a number of lights on your dashboard, if any of them illuminate while you’re driving then you have an issue.
You can simply keep going, the light may go out again, or the vehicle may drive normally. All that means is the problem is building. You’ve had a warning no it’s a matter of time until it goes wrong and leaves you stranded at the side of the road.
If your dashboard warning lights come on it’s time to tune it up.
Strange Sounds
Most vehicles are pretty quiet while you’re driving. You may have a creaky dashboard, back seat, or some other component. But, you know what it is and can put up with it. However, when your car develops a new noise, that you’ve not heard before, it’s time to get it checked out.
Strange noises can be a multitude of issues, ranging from suspension problems, damaged exhaust, faulty engine, to gearbox failure.
A trained mechanic will have an idea of what the issue is and will need to verify it if you’re not a trained mechanic you probably won’t have a clue what it is. But, it is likely to get worse.
Regular Stalling
Everyone stalls occasionally, learners stall a lot. But, if your vehicle has started stalling all the time it’s a good bet there is something wrong with the vehicle. This could be a bad battery, alternator issues, a faulty fuel pump, ignition timing, or a problem with the onboard computer. Whatever it is you need to have the car looked at and the issue diagnosed.
Poor Fuel Economy
The manufacturer will tell you what miles per gallon your vehicle should do. You can probably take the figure with a pinch of salt. It is rare for a vehicle to perform as well as the manufacturer says because you don’t drive in perfect conditions.
However, you will know how much fuel you put in each week and where you drive. If you start to notice that you’re needing to add more fuel for the same amount of driving then you have an mpg issue.
This can simply be bad fuel in the tank. The tank will need to be drained, flushed, and the fuel replaced. However, this could also be a result of an engine running badly, a problem with the ECU, or an array of other issues with your vehicle.
You need a tune-up in order to save you money in the long term.
Vibrations
If you’re traveling at speed and your steering wheel starts to vibrate at a certain speed, you probably have a problem with your tracking or wheel balance. Of course, it could be any of the steering components, failure if any one of these would be an issue. Especially if you’re driving and effectively lose control of the vehicle.
Vibrations when braking indicates an issue with the brakes. But potentially the most serious is the vibration that you just can’t identify. If you don’t know where it is coming from the vibration could be anything, minor or serious. You need a tune-up to isolate the issue and resolve it.
Slow Response
You know your vehicle. If it is suddenly slower than usual to accelerate from a standing start or up a hill you could have a blowing turbo, a loss of compression, or some other engine-related issue.
This type of problem tends to build over time and is difficult to identify as the loss of performance is gradual, until you realize you’re much slower than you used to be.
You’ll need a tune-up to identify and fix the issues, preferably before the lack of power places you in a dangerous predicament.
Misfiring
This is tied to a slow response as the compression is out of balance in at least one cylinder. The cause could be blown piston rings, fuel system issue, or a problem with the electronic ignition system. The problem is likely to get worse. Your vehicle will go from popping with vibrations and reduced power to popping and no power.
This is one situation that needs immediate mechanical help.
Get Help Today
The importance of regular maintenance should never be underestimated. It helps to keep your car running efficiently and can actually save you money in the long term. But, any vehicle can experience issues. You need to be aware of the symptoms described above.
In most cases, you can get the vehicle home and then book your tune-up. But, if your engine is misfiring or the problem sounds particularly bad, you may prefer to get it towed to the garage. This could be the difference between a repair job and a new engine or a new vehicle.
Your vehicle does a lot for you, it’s time you gave a little back by booking regular maintenance and a tune-up. You will notice the difference and wonder why you didn’t use our services before.
