Steering, Wheel and Tire Remedies

Pulls to the Left or Right

First, make sure to check that your tires are properly inflated and do not appear damaged or excessively worn. If your tires are OK and the vehicle still pulls to the left or the right when you let go of the steering wheel, it is likely the case that you need a front-wheel alignment. You may also have worn steering or suspension components.  

You can usually get an alignment at a local wheel and tire specialist, at a general repair shop or in the service department of a dealership while for a steering and suspension inspection, you can go to a general repair shop or dealership service department.

Pitches or Dives When Braking

First, make sure to check that your tires are property balanced, inflated and do not appear damaged or excessively worn. If your tires are OK and the car still pitches or dives forward when braking, you may have defective front-end, spring or suspension components and should have these inspected immediately.

You can have these services performed at a general repair shop or a dealership service department.

Steers Hard

First, make sure your tires are properly inflated. If your tires are OK and your vehicle is still steers hard, you may have a problem with your power steering components such as your belt, power steering reservoir or gearbox and should have these inspected immediately.

You can have these services performed at most general repair shops or dealership service departments.

Excessive Play

If there is excessive play in your steering, you may have excessive wear in steering or suspension components.

You can have steering or suspension components inspected at most general repair shops or dealership service departments.

 

Shaky Wheel and Front-End Vibrations

Vibrations in the front-end of the vehicle and a shaky wheel are usually the result of a tire not being properly inflated, not being balanced or perhaps even worn to the point where it cannot be balanced. It may also be the case that you need an alignment or need to replace parts of the suspension system.

You can have these services performed at some tire and wheel specialists and most general repair shops as well as dealership service departments.   

 

Odors, Noises and Smoking Cures

Engine Makes a Pinging Sound

A couple common causes for a pinging sound coming from the engine are poor engine timing, a faulty fuel injection system, bad fuel (use of improper octane) and / or monitoring system (EGR or computer) in need of service. Make sure you are using fuel with the octane level suggested in your owner’s manual.

You can have an inspection of these systems performed at general repair shops as well as dealership service centers. Since inspection of these systems is very complex and often involves checking the computer in your vehicle, we recommend going to a certified mechanic.

Smoke from the Tailpipe

Run your vehicle until it reaches normal operating temperature according to the temperature gauge in your dashboard. While some white smoke may be caused by steam or water vapor, excessive white smoke may be caused by a leaky head gasket, cracked cylinder head or engine block.

If you are seeing excessive white smoke from the tailpipe, you may have a very serious problem with your engine and we encourage you to immediately take your vehicle to a certified mechanic.

Blue smoke coming from your tailpipe is the result of burning of oil in the engine. This likely means that there is extreme wear on some major engine components.

If you are seeing blue smoke from the tailpipe, you may have a very serious problem with your engine and we encourage you to immediately take your vehicle to a certified mechanic.

Unusual Odors

Unusual, foreign odors emanating from your vehicle may be caused one of several potential problems. It is possible that you have a damaged fuel supply or vent systems. It also may be the case that you have a malfunctioning catalytic converter. Burning odors may be caused by burning insulation or electrical shorts, and if you detect any burning odors, you should not drive your vehicle under any circumstance.

 

These foreign odors may indicate that your vehicle needs immediate attention and that a potentially dangerous situation is at hand. We recommend you bring your vehicle to a certified mechanic immediately.

Engine Steam and Smoke

If there is smoke coming from the engine that has an oily smell, it may be the case that there is an oil leak. If the smoke does not have an oily smell and is white, there may be a problem with the cooling system. We recommend bring your vehicle to a mechanic for inspection as you may have a serious leak inside your engine as a result of a cracked cylinder head, block or a leaky head gasket. A faulty cooling system could lead to overheating so we recommend having the system evaluated immediately.

You can bring your vehicle to a certified mechanic for inspection of engine steam and smoke problems.

Electrical and Battery Problems

Vehicle Does Not Start or Starts Slowly

If your headlights and horn work but your engine will not turn over, or turns over slowly, you most likely have a problem with your starting system. If your headlights and horn do not work, the likely cause may be battery discharge or a faulty battery, or corroded or bad battery terminal connections. You should also have your charging system inspected.  

You can bring your vehicle to most general repair shops for an inspection of the battery terminal connections and to look for battery drains, as well as for an inspection of the charging system.  

Battery Dies Frequently

A dead battery may have several causes, including failure by the battery to hold a charge, a faulty charging system, a drain or poor terminal connections.

Many repair shops test batteries, sometimes for free, but the battery needs to be fully charged for a test (oftentimes it can be charged at the repair shop). You can also have your charging system inspected at most general repair mechanics.  

Alternator Gauge Indicates High or Low Output

If your alternator gauge (usually the gauge with a picture of the battery on it) reads high or low, this may indicate that you have a problem with the alternator or the belt that drives it.

We highly recommend that you see a certified mechanic immediately if you notice high or low readings on your alternator gauge.

Warning Light Solutions

Brake Light

If the brake light is on in your vehicle, this usually means that you have forgotten to relieve the emergency brake, which may be a lever to the right of the driver’s seat or a foot pedal to the left of the driver’s seat.

If the light does not turn off after the brake is relieved, you should immediately bring your vehicle to a general repair shop or dealership service department.

Fuel Light
           
If the fuel light is on in your vehicle, this usually means that you are low on fuel and that you have a limited distance that you can travel before you run out of gas. You should consult your owner’s manual to determine the approximate miles that you can travel after the light comes on before you come close to running out of fuel – however, we urge you to always immediately refuel your vehicle if your fuel light comes on and that it is a good habit to always try to keep over half a talk of gas in your vehicle in case you are traveling a long distance and cannot find a fuel station.

If you believe that your gas light is providing an incorrect indication of the amount of fuel in the tank, you can take your vehicle to a general repair shop or dealership service department to have it inspected.

 Alternator Light

If your alternator light comes on, this may mean that your vehicle is not properly charging the battery or that there may be an issue with the electrical / charging system. You can usually drive the vehicle if this light is on, but we recommend driving the vehicle immediately to a mechanic to address the problem.

You can bring your vehicle to a general repair mechanic or dealership service department to have it inspected.

Temperature Light

If your temperature light is on, this may indicate that your engine is overheating and that your cooling system is not functioning properly. This is a very serious problem and you should not attempt to drive the vehicle – instead, you should have it towed to the proper mechanic for an inspection of the cooling system.

You can have your cooling system inspected at most general repair shops. We strongly urge you to visit a certified mechanic for an inspection as overheating problems can be very serious.  

Check Engine Light

Depending on the vehicle, your check engine light may come on for a variety of different reasons. These may range from the serious to not-so-serious, and it is often impossible to tell the source of the problem without a diagnostic test being performed. If there are no unusual smells, shakes, vibrations or other issues with the vehicle, it is most likely the case that you can continue to safely drive the vehicle to a mechanic to have it inspected.

If you drive a car that was built in 1996 or later, you can bring your car to AutoZone for a diagnostic test that may determine the source of the check engine light issue. If the source of the check engine light cannot be determined here, we recommend going to an experienced, certified general repair mechanic for an inspection.   

 

Transmission Problems

Automatic Transmission Problems

Automatic transmission problems may include the car jolting in drive or reverse, a leaky transmission, an inability to shift into or out of a gear, unexpected shifting in or out of a gear or difficult, hard shifting. Whatever the problem may be you should not attempt to diagnose it and try to repair it yourself. You will need to have your vehicle towed to a transmission or general repair mechanic immediately. Driving the vehicle while one of these problems is occurring can cause further damage or, even worse, wreck your transmission.

Services on your automatic transmission can be performed at transmission specialists as well as most general repair mechanics. We urge you to visit a certified mechanic for transmission inspections.  

Manual / Standard Transmission Problems

Manual transmissions may experience problems such as hard shifts, grinding gears during shifting even when the clutch is fully deployed, low or weak clutch pressure, inability to shift into or out of gears easily or at all, or being unable to move when in gear. It is a good idea to frequently check your transmission fluid level, as low fluid may be the cause of some of the problems noted above. You can refer to your owner’s manual to determine the location of your transmission fluid. Regardless, you should have your transmission professionally inspected for leaks in the system or clutch damage and also have your transmission fluid inspected and flushed at least once a year.

You can have your transmission serviced at transmission specialists or most general repair shops. We strongly urge you to visit a certified mechanic.

 

 Regular Maintenance Advice

Scheduled Maintenance

Regular services to your vehicle should be performed according to the recommended mileage or time increments as provided by your car manufacturer. These services can usually be found in the back of your car’s owner’s manual.

Oil Changes

A good rule of thumb is that your vehicle’s oil should be changed every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever comes first. A new oil filter should be used at every oil change.

Tire Pressure

 It is a good idea to check your tire pressure weekly to make sure that your tires are inflated to the proper P.S.I. (insert what this stands for). You can easily check your tire pressure by purchasing a tire gauge (cost of approximately $1.00) at any local automotive parts store. The gauge will allow you to make sure that your tires are inflated to the recommended amount, which will improve gas mileage and safety, reduce tire wear, and improve your ride. The recommended tire pressure is located on the sidewall of the tire. Ex- ___P.S.I. If you do not own a compressor, which allows you to adjust the pressure in your tires, you can use one at any gas or service station. You should be careful not to over or under inflate any tire and it is recommended that you have a gas station attendant instruct you the first time you use a tire compressor. 

Windshield Wipers and Wiper Fluid

You should inspect your windshield wipers frequently. Functional wipers are extremely important, especially in poor driving conditions. Every couple of weeks or before any big trip, you should make sure that your windshield wipers are functioning correctly and that the rubber blades are not worn or damaged. If they appear to have any dry rot or cracks in them, you should replace them, as they will not function properly in the rain and could damage your windshield.

You should also be sure that you have an adequate amount of wiper fluid in your car, as this can help clear off your windshield in dusty and dirty driving conditions. If you are low on fluid, you can purchase more at almost any gas station or automotive parts store. If you need help locating where to add this fluid, your owner’s manual will usually tell you where the fluid reservoir is located. If you are still having trouble locating where to add the fluid, a gas station attendant or someone working in the parts store will most likely be glad to give you a hand.