What are the most common car problems?

Your vehicle provides pleasure and is a necessity when you live in Orange County, CA. When issues develop with your primary means of getting around, you want to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Otherwise, how are you going to get around Southern California?

Here’s a list of the most common car problems and how to fix them. If you need more help with a maintenance problem, contact the service department of any dealer at Beach Boulevard of Cars in Huntington Beach.

Did your vehicle fail to start? 

The last thing anyone ever wants is for their vehicle to fail starting. The battery may have died because the headlamps were left on or you have a bad alternator. Luckily, the fix is fairly quick.

You can revive your battery with a jump-start by connecting a jumper cable from its terminals to the working battery in another vehicle. If you don’t get how to do this, your owner’s manual will have instructions. While the cable joins the batteries, start your car.

If your battery won’t hold a charge or dies often, you may need a new battery and you should always know the life span when you purchase it. Car batteries (not talking electric vehicles) have a life of three to five years depending on things like heat – if you live in the south, that five year battery life is three years. 

If your vehicle has dim lights, or an engine is slow to start, those are signs the battery is in trouble, so, don’t wait for the check engine light to come on before checking it out

Falling Fuel Economy

You may notice that the number of miles you get between fill-ups have been dropping. Your falling fuel economy may be due to many reasons, such as a dirty engine air filter, worn-out spark plugs, or lack of oil changes.

Regularly scheduled maintenance at your dealership typically prevents this problem. If you need a more immediate solution, bring your car to a service center. An automotive technician can then check out your vehicle and determine the cause and solution.

TPMS Indicator Comes On

The TPMS, or Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor, keeps an eye out for your tires and lets you know when one requires air. If the indicator comes on, you may need to fill one or more of your tires with air to the right pressure. You can find the required number either on the driver’s side door jamb or in your owner’s manual.

If the TPMS indicator remains on after you’ve put air in your tires, then the problem may be a faulty sensor. Take your auto to a service center to have the sensor fixed or replaced.

Check Engine Light Comes On

When the vehicle Check Engine Light comes on, it creates a code that automotive technicians can read with specialized equipment to determine the problem. In general, you’ll need to bring your vehicle for the problem to be determined and fixed. The following are some common reasons for that light.

• Loose or defective gas cap. This does not require a visit to your service center. Instead, either tighten the gas cap or buy a new one to replace a defective one.
• Defective catalytic converter. This device helps protect the environment by transforming harmful engine emissions into safe gasses, such as carbon dioxide. If something is wrong with it, only a repair or replacement will fix it, which can be expensive.
• Worn spark plugs. Your spark plugs ignite the fuel and air mix to create the combustion that powers your engines. To save money, you can change the spark plugs on many vehicles, but you have to know what you’re doing, and it takes some effort.

If your Engine Light is flashing or has turned to orange or red, then you have a serious problem. You will need to get your vehicle to a service center right away for repairs. Otherwise, you risk damaging your engine.

Contact one the dealer service centers with Beach Boulevard of Cars if your vehicle needs service.