5 Car Problems You Must Know How To Fix Yourself

A car is a very complex piece of machinery in which a single damaged or faulty component can cause untold havoc. It is because of the vast number of things that can go wrong with a car, as well as the difficulty that can be had discovering the underlying cause, that high-tech diagnostic tools such as the Launch X431 Pro and X431 Pro III are regularly used by professional mechanics and car technicians.

Having said that, not all afflictions that can ail your beloved auto-mobile are difficult to diagnose, in fact in some instances the cause is quite blatant. In these situations going to a mechanic or calling for road side assistance is completely reasonable; but considering how simple it is to remedy these problems, you will be spending your money on a service that you could just as easily do yourself for free.

Common Car Problems

Flat Tyre

Usually the result of a puncture, a flat tyre is one of the most basic, common and easily diagnosed problems that any car owner will face, and is the reason why a great many cars have a space on the back, underside or in the boot to store a replacement tyre. Punctures are not always obvious when they happen, as they do not always blow out like they do in cartoons and films, but they will cause the tyre to deflate which will set the car at an angle; and that is rather noticeable.

Front / Rear Light Out

Particularly dangerous if you're driving at night, it is actually against the law to drive in the dark without functioning lights. If it is the front lights that are out then the problem is usually easy to spot, as you will only have one side of your car illuminated and other drivers may well flash their high-beams at you to let you know. The rear ones are a little bit more tricky to work out as the glare it would cause in the rear-view mirror will deter many drivers from flashing their high-beams at you from behind; so you are better off inspecting them yourself about every week or so.

Dead Battery

There are many reasons why a car battery could run dry, but you can worry about the why after you have gotten your car up and running again. Much like changing the fuse in a plug, knowing how to jump start a car really is something of an essential life skill in this day and age; so if you do not know how to do it then take a look at Launch's easy 7-step guide to jump starting a car.

Faulty Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are there to ignite the engine, which is to say that they are responsible for staring the quick succession of tiny explosions that occur in an engine and allow it to run. If for whatever reason a spark plug is unable to perform its job adequately the car will quite simply not start, but luckily they are cheap to buy (around £5.99) and are easy to swap out.

Rusty Panels

Most new cars will come with a protective coating designed to prevent rust from affecting its body work, however this coating can diminish over time, and can be scraped off during an accident or collision; thereby exposing the metal and allowing rust to take hold. Once the metal has started to rust painting over it will not help but all is not lost, you'll just need to read up on how to repair rust damage on your car.