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Hi,
It's me...the Campus Car Doctor!
Since the re-opening of the Automotive Department at Facilities
Services here at CSUSB took place in July 2000, I've been contemplating
writing about issues that would help motorists maintain the safety
and reliability of their vehicles. Each day comes with questions
from faculty, students and staff members who ask me questions about
their car. It always starts out something like this:
"My car is making a funny noise..." "Do you know
what these parts are?", or... "My car has this really
bad smell", and one of my favorites..."Tim, can you help
me find out why this HUGE plume of smoke keeps following my car?".
Well, first of all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
So I share with you some thoughts as to how to be more in tune with
your vehicle (old or new), in hopes that it will save you time,
money, and the pure headache of being without your rolling investment.
Be
your own detective:
THREE CLUES TO CAR TROUBLE
By Tim Campbell
Of
all the mysteries in life, how your car works does not have to be
one of them. But you wouldn't guess it from the number of people
who ask me questions about their car; the very same car that
has been screaming out clues for miles. Yet they drive it
anyway until that minor problem becomes a major one, and as the
car gets towed to a shop, the owner always looks puzzled and says,
“Gee... I don't know what happened, it just broke down all
of a sudden." (Yeah, Right!)
Well, It’s high time to de-mystify some car mysteries:
1.
SMOKE.
Don't panic at the sight of smoke from the tailpipe. The color
of the smoke can lead you to the problem.
Black smoke: Caused
by a fuel mixture that’s too rich. Don't worry if it’s
black for only a minute or two after the engine is first started
and then disappears. It’s normal for the fuel mixture to be
richer at a cold start-up. But if the black smoke continues, see
a professional automotive technician, because not only are you wast ing
gasoline and polluting the atmosphere, you may have a fuel-mixture
problem that could involve everything from a computer malfunction
to a dirty fuel-injection system. On older vehicles the carburetor
and choke system may be at fault. This condition may lead to damage
to the catalytic converter (part of your emissions system), which
comes with a pretty hefty repair bill.
Blue smoke: Indicates burning engine
oil. That doesn't necessarily mean your engine is shot, kaput, finished,
bone yard bound; it just might mean you haven't been changing the
engine oil faithfully. Take it to the shop to determine the cause
before you find out that a simple oil change could have avoided
a costly repair.
White smoke: A sign either of moisture
in the system or of burning transmission fluid in the engine. Moisture
gets there via a blown head gasket, a cracked cylinder head or a
cracked engine block — all serious enough to cause performance
problems. But if your transmission fluid level goes down for no
apparent reason at the same time you notice the start of the white
smoke, figure that the vacuum modulator on your automatic transmission
is broken. Again, head to the shop for repairs.
2. LEAKS. They’re
easy to detect and often overlooked. Check out the garage floor
where your car is usually parked and do a little detective work
to solve this mystery.
Coolant: Usually green (although in
some late-model vehicles the coolant is a light pink) and leaks
at the front end of your car. Tend to this immediately or you'll
be one of those poor, hapless souls whose car overheats and leaves
you on the side of the road.
Engine oil: This fluid will be black
or brown when in need of changing, and also could leak at the front
end of the car. If your vehicle is old with high mileage, you’re
likely to see some spots here and there, and you might just decide
to live with the problem. But if your newer car is leaking puddles
instead of drops, head to the shop to find the source of the leak.
Transmission fluid: It’s red when it’s
clean, but throughout its lifetime goes to a dark pink or brownish-red
and, with a failure, metal-flake burnt orange. Look for leaks around
the middle of the car, leaning toward the front end. Because the
transmission is hydraulically operated, any transmission-fluid leak
deserves immediate attention. To avoid mistaking transmission fluid
for engine oil, get a small sample of the leak on a white paper
towel, and then use the dipsticks from the engine oil and the transmission
fluid to get a few drops on the towel for comparison. You can determine
by the smell of the fluid if it's transmission fluid or some other
mystery oil. Remember that some vehicles use automatic transmission
fluid in the power steering, so keep that in mind as well.
Power-steering fluid: It will be located
within the engine compartment and is usually clear, red, or brown.
(Some vehicles use automatic transmission fluid in the power steering.)
The first sign you’re low on power-steering fluid is
a low growling or whining sound when making extreme turns. Head
to the shop, because finding and fixing this leak is a repair for
the professionals.
Differential gear oil: It drips in
the center between the rear wheels. It’s brownish, and if you
hear a faint howling sound that changes pitch on acceleration or
deceleration, the rear end is probably low on grease. Continued
driving will result in expensive damage, so head to the shop
immediately!
Brake fluid: Leakage possible at each
wheel and just in front of the drivers seat area inside the engine
compartment, the brake fluid is a yellowish-clear fluid that, when
empty will cause complete brake failure. Check the brake reservoir
at the master cylinder and maintain the fluid with the recommended
type brake fluid. If your detective work reveals a low fluid level
have a professional automotive brake technician inspect your car's
brake and hydraulic system.
3. ODORS. It’s true,
the nose knows. It makes good sense to check out these scents:
Burnt-toast smell: Smoldering wires
in the electrical system emit an acrid smell, like badly burnt toast.
Rotten-egg smell: That’s a tell-tale sign
of sulfur, indicating a problem with the catalytic converter. If
you continue to drive your car under this condition the catalytic
converter will clog up – and, again, that’s a costly repair.
Sweet, steamy smell: Here’s another
clue you’re leaking antifreeze. Search for the green puddles
and head to the shop to repair the leaking hose. (You might try
this repair yourself, but only do it if you have confidence in your
skills.)
JEEEZE, WHAT'S THAT SMELL!: This pretty
much sums up the smell of overheating brakes. If you've ever followed
an 18 wheeler down a long steep grade, you pretty much know what
I'm talking about. That same smell can be emitted from your car
as well. Check it out, but be aware you might detect a faint odor
if you've just had new brakes put on your car. It should dissipate
in a few days. You may also smell it if you've been in very heavy
traffic or traveling in the mountains and you were riding the brakes
heavily. Again, the smell should fade as the brakes cool. In all
other cases, head to the shop. Obviously, failing brakes are no
small problem.
Clearly there is a host of other indications
that come to you by way of weird sounds and strange sights, so don't
ignore any clues that stray too far from your car’s normal
performance. Take your vehicle to a reputable car care technician
and maintain your vehicles health on a regular preventative maintenance
schedule.
Until then... I'll be waiting for you at the finish line!
Tim
Campbell
Lead Automotive Mechanic
Facilities Services
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