Signs that Your Car Needs an Overhaul

August 30, 2017

Like any other man-made item, there comes a time when your car needs work, perhaps even a complete overhaul. These are the chronic conditions that just won't go away, the continual breakdowns that put a dent in your bank account, not just your bodywork. They're there, affecting the vehicle's handling, its formerly stylish good looks, and your safety. Just how do you interpret these signs?

Disintegrating Bodywork

It's a safe bet that this is where you'll see a real sign of deterioration, because this overhaul indicator can be spotted even when you're not behind the steering wheel. An occasional scratch or dent might not affect vehicle handling, but a whole range of deteriorating body panels tells a different story. The bumper is held on by duct tape, the driver door barely moves, and there's an orange rust stain eating into the passenger-side bodywork. New or second-hand component, as installed by a professionally equipped garage, will entirely replace these ageing parts before they become a hazard.

Engine Overhaul Signs

It begins with a "Check Engine" light, then, before you know it, multiple breakdown signs are cropping up. Strange smoke clouds are leaving the exhaust system tailpipe. They're blue, which suggests oil is entering the engine. Fuel consumption figures have dropped precipitously, and there's a worrying knocking sound coming from under the bonnet. In this case, a blown head gasket or a key internal combustion component is failing. Oil is leaking, antifreeze mixtures are going where they shouldn't, or there's a general loss of engine compression. Some of these defects are fixable, but an engine rebuild is probably on the cards.

A Sea of Big Project Troubles

This next tip comes under the chronic failure menu heading again. If the electrical system needs replacing one weekend, then the exhaust system acts up the following weekend, you're accumulating a nice little mountain of garage bills. Shave the top off that mountain by considering a full overhaul. After all, many automobile systems are coupled, so there's a knock-on effect taking place. In short, one overburdened, underperforming vehicle subsystem places a strain on its neighbouring components, and so on. In this case, several systems, including the core faulty parts, are removed, possibly replaced, and restored simultaneously.

Talking of overhauls, this procedure sounds serious, and it is, but it isn't always a costly approach. Quite the opposite, in fact, since separate repair events tend to pile on the costs, even if those costs are spread over time. The less expensive solution is to get all of these defects, even the engine rebuild, all taken care of at once so that all mechanical stresses are fixed on the spot.

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