Car Noise – How Do I Explain What Noise I Am Hearing?
One of the greatest things about car ownership is really getting to know your car. That means using your five senses—hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. You can use your senses to know what is normal for your car so you’ll recognize when something has changed. When it comes to hearing noises that you know…
What Is The Gauge That Tells Me How Many Miles The Car Has On It?
That gauge is known as an odometer. The name comes from the late 18th century: from French odomètre, from Greek hodos ‘way’ + meter. The accuracy of an odometer gauge has changed over the years. Today it’s electronic, whereas years ago, a cable ran from the speedometer head down to the transmission. As the transmission rotated, this cable…
Gas Gauge – When Should I Fill The Tank?
Most people know that “E” does not stand for “enough”—it stands for empty. And “F,” of course, stands for full. In today’s cars, the fuel pump is located inside the gas tank. Having enough fuel in the tank helps keep that little electric motor—called your fuel pump—cool, and will typically make it last longer. As…
What is a Battery Gauge?
The battery gauge, also known as the “voltage gauge”, simply measures battery voltage. You will usually see a small picture of a battery on this gauge. Some gauges will have a number 12, which relates to the voltage; however, most of the time the normal position for the needle, when everything is fine with the battery and…
Wheel Alignment – What Is It?
Pictured is a graphic of how alignment angles work and the tire wear that occurs when a vehicle’s wheel alignment is not properly set. It’s not just front wheel alignment anymore; most vehicles have four wheel alignment adjustments available. Bad wheel alignment can cost you a lot of money in premature and excessive tire wear….
What Does The Tachometer Tell Me?
Most tachometer gauges (also called “tachs” or RPM gauges) are circular and have a series of numbers on them—often 0-8. Even if you are sitting still, you will see the tachometer needle move around the gauge as you accelerate by pressing on the gas pedal. The tachometer indicates how many times the engine is rotating…
Temperature Gauge – What Is Normal?
One common gauge is the cold/hot gauge, also referred to as the coolant temperature gauge. You will find the coolant temperature gauge on either the left or right side of the dash. This gauge monitors the temperature of the engine. Transmissions usually will not shift into the final drive gear until the engine temperature has…
What Is A “Smart” Air Bag Light?
Almost all cars are now equipped with smart air bags. These sensors measure the weight of the person in the front passenger seat. Depending on the weight of the person or object in that seat, the air bag may or may not deploy. With this light, there is nothing you need to do. If there…
What Does The Oil Light Mean?
The oil light can indicate an issue with the oil level or oil pressure—sometimes both. If the engine loses oil pressure, the oil light is going to come on. That light will be red because you have to shut the engine down quickly. If the oil pressure is too low, there will be internal damage…
The Temperature Light – What If It Comes On?
Most cars today have an engine temperature gauge as well as a temperature light. The engine temperature light will always be red, indicating that you need to shut the engine down as soon as possible. The longer you continue to drive, the more damage will occur. Eventually, you will damage the engine internally. By continuing…