Don’t you wish you could have your mechanic live in your garage so that when something goes wrong he can fix it? Well, now you basically can with the help of this It will walk you through a couple of popular car problems and explain how to fix them. However, sometimes these “problems” are just too big and you need to call in your mechanic. In the meantime, let’s see what’s going on under that hood.
Remember, sometimes we can’t fix it all, so having a trusted mechanic around is always helpful!
Let’s start with those weird smells
If your car smells like:
If your car is making this noise:
If you notice these exhaust colors:
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Remember, sometimes we can’t fix it all, so having a trusted mechanic around is always helpful!
Let’s start with those weird smells
If your car smells like:
- Bad Feet–Mildew in your air filters, which need to be replaced. You can easily do this yourself; go buy the correct air filter and replace it!
- Sweet Syrup– Coolant leak. You might be able to fix the problem if it is as simple as replacing a hose, but usually, you’ll need to take her in to get fixed.
- Hot Oil– Oil leak, which you need to take in ASAP! You will probably see the smoke before smelling the oil.
- Rotten Egg– Fuel injection issue or failed catalytic converter. Both need to be inspected and fixed by a mechanic.
- Burnt Carpet– Hard braking or using your brakes a lot. It could also be from driving with your emergency brake on (especially in manual cars). Just check the e-brake!
- Burnt Rubber– Loose hose has landed on a hot section of your engine. Stop and pull over to rescue the hose before it melts completely.
- Burnt Paper– Not using your clutch properly…
If your car is making this noise:
- Squeal or Chirping Under The Hood– This means your serpentine belt has loosened and is slipping off. You can easily replace this by yourself by buying a new belt and replacing the old one.
- Wheel Screech– If you hear your wheels screeching while driving, then your brake pads are low. Not a huge problem but something you’ll want to fix eventually. You can do this by yourself with the proper tools and a jack stand, but it is much easier to let your mechanic do the work.
- Rattling– If the rattling is coming from outside then it probably means something on your exhaust system is loose. You can tighten everything yourself or let a mechanic look at it. Remember, things (like windows, sun visors, seats, etc.) can become loose on the inside especially when you hit potholes. Tightening with a screwdriver should do the trick!
- Squeaky Noise Inside Vehicle– If you notice a squeaky noise coming from your vents, especially when you turn your air on. There is probably an A/C belt that has loosened or has split. If you notice other signs of your A/C not working properly, take it in for your mechanic to look at.
If you notice these exhaust colors:
- Thick White– Do not confuse thick white smoke from a thin white (vapor like) smoke. Thick white smoke is an indication that coolant is burning in the combustion chamber. 1 of 3 things happened; cracked cylinder head, blown head gasket, cracked engine block. All pretty serious and need expert attention.
- Blue– You are burning engine oil. Which means you probably have an oil leak or haven’t checked your motor oil in a while. Top it off and if it keeps leaking, take her in.
- Black– Black smoke is an indication that you are burning to much fuel. You see this a lot in diesel trucks when they want to show off, but it really is just a waste of fuel & money. Check your air filter to make sure it isn’t clogged and make sure your fuel line isn’t clogged. If both are fine, easy with the gas pedal next time
- Gray– The hardest to decipher. Gray smoke could mean a couple of different things; burning oil like blue smoke, issues with transmission fluid, stuck PCV valve. Since it is hard to tell which, I would recommend taking it in.
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