There’s no doubt that your car is one of your most valuable possessions.
In countries like America, it’s hard to get around most places without a vehicle. That’s why it’s so important that you keep your car in tiptop shape—if it gets out of wack, that could mean you’re practically immobilized while it gets fixed.
To keep your car on the road, you need to tackle all vehicle problems that come up before they get any worse.
In this article, we’ll run you through five of the most common problems that aren’t always easy to notice. You should check for these constantly to ensure your car is running right.
1. Worn Tires
First up is worn tires.
Most people know how to check if their tire tread is still good—put a penny in the tread, and if you can see the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head, it’s time for a new set of rubber.
However, people often forget to perform this simple check. And because you won’t really notice how bad your tires get until you’re driving when it’s really wet or slick outside, you may not even see the effects until its too late and you’ve lost control of your car.
2. Degrading Brakes
Another vehicle problem that’s easy to miss is degrading brakes.
Over time, your brake pads wear down and get less effective. However, the incremental degradation means you get used to simply braking harder over time and exerting more force on the pedal.
Get your pads checked by a professional mechanic who can tell you whether it’s time to replace them.
3. Leaky Fluids
Leaky fluids often don’t manifest themselves obviously unless you’re keeping close track of what the ground under your car looks like whenever you pull out of a parking spot.
However, leaky fluids can cause significant problems.
Leaking coolant means your engine will overheat and possibly blow. Leaking power steering fluid will damage your steering rack. And leaky oil can mean your engine doesn’t get lubricated enough and could end up burning itself and other VW parts up.
4. Burning Oil
Even when oil doesn’t leak, the engine might be burning too much of it.
There’s no way to tell unless you’re checking your oil level regularly.
Top it off if it ever gets too low.
5. Poor Alignment
Poor alignment doesn’t manifest itself in any obvious way besides a very slight inclination for the car to turn a certain way even when the wheel is straight.
However, poor alignment can easily wear your tires far more quickly than normal, resulting in you having to buy expensive new rubber more often.
Hidden Vehicle Problems You Need to Tackle
There you have it—now that you know the common hidden vehicle problems, you know what to check for and how to tackle these problems should they ever rear their ugly heads on your car.
For more car advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on the website!
