Engine Troubleshooting & Diagnosis

Every automobile owner should understand how to detect problems with their car’s engine and about basic engine troubleshooting and diagnosis. You do not need to be a mechanic to know something is wrong with your vehicle by just listening to the sounds it makes and noticing a change in performance.

As you drive your vehicle, listen for strange sounds and note how it is running. Monitor the gauges and indicator lights to watch for changes. Some sounds and performance changes can indicate a potential problem. By just knowing how the vehicle should sound and drive when in good running order, any change can give you a clue as to what is wrong so you can better inform your repair mechanic.

A ticking sound can be caused by low oil and your engine not being lubricated properly. Check your oil level. If you hear a popping sound like a firecracker, this can be an indication of bad fuel/air mixture from the carburetor or fuel injection system. A defective spark plug can cause this too. A loud squealing sound while the car is moving is an indicator of worn brake pads or a wheel bearing. Brake pads have a metal tab that rubs on the disk brake when the pad has worn too low.

Shuddering of power as you accelerate can be a bad sparkplug or a lose cable to the spark plug. If your vehicle has a carburetor, this problem can be caused by a worn component. This problem is usually caused by misaligned wheels or tires needing to be balanced. You will probably notice unusual tire wear. There are other sounds or indicators to problems as well and not all vehicles will make the same noises or display immediate signs of poor performance. But when something is different, it is usually an indicator that some type of service may be needed.

For more information on troubleshooting and diagnosing engine problems, take some time to read through the expert articles listed below.