8 Signs Your Car Has Engine Issues

The engine is the heart of your vehicle. It gives it the necessary power it needs to operate correctly. If your engine isn’t in healthy shape, it will affect your car’s performance. Learn these signs of engine damage so you can save yourself money and more harm to your vehicle.

1. Check engine light comes on. Don’t ignore your dashboard warning lights. It’s your cars way to let you know about problems. They are detected through its On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) system. Ignoring your Check Engine light could cause serious damage to your engine, along with other parts, too. There are other things that can triggers a check engine warning light such as:
   – Oxygen Sensor needs replacing.
   – Mass-Airflow sensor needs replacing.
   – Catalytic converter is damaged and needs replacing.
   – Spark plugs are damaged or worn.
   – Fuel cap isn’t on tight enough.
   – Other electronic sensor related issues.
2. Strange noises. If you hear a knocking noise coming from your bonnet, your engine might be dying. If you hear this noise, don’t wait in taking your car to a mechanic to avoid further damage. Breaking down on the side of the road will be a greater price to pay than catching and fixing the problem early.
3. Engine is running roughly or inconsistently. Listen to your engine when you are driving. A struggling engine will stutter, shake or lose power as the revs increase. You may need to replace spark plugs, replace ignition coils, check fuel pressure, clean your air flow meter, or give your engine a tune-up.
4. Your car leaves oil patches. If you notice that your car is leaking puddles of oil under your car, this might result of a leak in your engine. Oil leaks are common from engine oil seals and sump plugs/sump plug washers. It’s recommended to get engine leaks sealed as soon as possible.
5. You can smell odors from inside the car. If you have a strong exhaust smell, of engine fumes or any other strange odours, this could be a sign of engine damage. Don’t just expect those smells to go away. Get your vehicle checked so that a mechanic can identify and fix the problem.
6. Running out of gas quicker. If you feel like you’re losing gas faster than normal, it may mean there’s an issue in the way your engine processes fuel. It’s also important to know that if that issue is paired with a “check engine” light, it could mean serious issues. Get it checked out.
7. Loss of engine power. Engines will struggle to run if there is an internal issue. Your vehicle may stall, shake at high speeds or struggle with hills.
8. Smoke coming from your exhaust. There’s more than one reason your exhaust could be producing smoke.
   However, if the smoke is black, it means your engine has incomplete combustion which leads to burning too much fuel. Dark blue smoke means your engine is burning oil. Regardless, this needs to be seen by a mechanic pronto.
   
   
   The moral of the story is, if you suspect there be any issues with your engine, take it to your mechanic to get it looked at. It’s better to do it early and avoid extra costs and damage.

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