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CONTACT
AutoSystems Workshop
10805-A North Lamar
Austin,Tx 78753
USA
(512) 835-4545
(512) 835-1165 fax
Send Us
E-mail
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You've got a good car. You don't have to do much besides put gas in it. Then one day you break down. It usually can't be at a worse time. And it can cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars!
You can do so much to avoid it, too. You don't have to run bald tires. You don't have to let a leaky water pump slide too long. You don't have to wait until a belt breaks. Fix small problems now, so they won't become big problems later.
A modern car should last well in excess of 100,000 miles, with mileage's of more than 250,000 being common. This is mileage without major drivetrain repairs. There are a number of components, which do not last as long, however. Knowing what these components are and when they are likely to fail, and then fixing them before they leave you stranded, can save you big bucks.
There are 4 vital engine systems that can wear out way before the engine does:
- Your water pump can fail in two ways: the bearings can fail and eventually either freeze up or throw the belt off. (If your engine has a timing belt that drives the water pump, the frozen water pump can cause the timing belt to break and that can cause engine damage). Or its seals can fail and leak engine coolant.
- The alternator, which keeps the battery charged and powers the electric equipment on the car can fail and cause the battery to loose it's charge.
- Your starter one-day can start to drag, click, or refuse to work.
- Your fuel pump or ignition system can fail with little warning, too.
All the above parts can fail before 75,000 miles and are likely to fail before 150,000 miles. Their bearings, brushes, rubber parts, electronic parts and more, just don't last much longer than that. By the time you hit 200,000 miles you will have likely replaced all of them. You can always stop by
AutoSystems Workshop and we'll be happy to check the operation of all them for for you.
Other parts to be aware of:
- Many cars have a timing belt. If it breaks it can cause major damage to your engine in certain cars. Timing belts, generally, should be replaced every 60,000 miles. They may break any time after 60,000 miles or 7 years. They rarely last much more than 100,000 miles. (Check your Owners Manuel for information on proper replacement interval).
- If you have a front wheel drive car then your car's front axle's will have constant velocity joints or "C/V joints" (Like your wrist joints). Worn C/V joints on front wheel drive cars will make a clicking noise as you are turning. At that point, the C/V joints or complete axle will need to be replaced. C/V joints have rubber boots, which keep the grease in them and keep dirt out. These boots should be checked for cracks or splits every time your oil is changed, and should to be replaced if needed. If you do this, the axles should last 150,000 miles or more with normal service.
- A lot of the time when you see a car on the side of the road it's because of something made of rubber. Rubber (like your tires, belts and hoses) wears out with time and mileage. Something made of rubber that is over 10 years old is likely to be bad no matter how much it's used.
- Radiator hoses as well as the often-ignored heater and bypass hoses can fail after 50,000 miles. This can overheat your engine, causing serious damage: especially in this day of aluminum engine parts.
- Your engine also has a thermostat that can stick shut and overheat it. If you ever blow a hose or get the engine hot, the thermostat can be damaged. It works for awhile then sticks shut, overheating the engine again. It's not a bad idea to replace the thermostat whenever you replace the water pump or when you change all the hoses.
- Transmission cooler lines, especially flexible rubber ones, can leak , as well as many other vital seals and gaskets. It's a good idea to look for leaks and discover their source. Also notice any loss of fluids when you check your fluids - this should be done monthly or at least every few thousand miles.
- If your oil pressure light goes on, find a safe place to pull over and shut the engine off. Your engine can run with that light on, about as long as you can live without a heartbeat if there is really an oil pressure problem.
- If your temperature light comes on, or gauge reads high, it's important, too. Turning on the heater can provide additional cooling. (Your heater is just a small radiator under the dash.) Stop to let your car cool off and check out the problem. This can save you a lot of money down the road.
- Listen to your vehicle, too. Any new squeals, taps, knocks, or rattles can be a warning sign. Bring your vehicle to
AutoSystems Workshop and have them checked out.
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