Common Engine Repairs Every Car Owner Should Recognize

One of your greatest responsibilities as a vehicle owner is to ensure your car, truck, or SUV has everything it needs to run its best. This responsibility is as simple as ensuring there’s fuel in the tank and routinely having your tires rotated and the oil changed. But what about the bigger issues that send you to an auto repair shop like ours? These repairs go beyond the routine to the more complex, from Check Engine lights that signal transmission or alternator problems to an air conditioner that isn’t cooling correctly.

These more complex repairs are a sign of concern for drivers because they’re unexpected and can be expensive, adding another layer of stress. Moreover, auto repair shops don’t necessarily have an excellent reputation for operating with your budget in mind. Fortunately, that isn’t the case with our team because we’re committed to offering a unique service experience that respects your time and values your hard-earned money. We’re committed to partnering with you, and that partnership begins now as we look closer at some of the most common engine-related repairs that might bring you into our state-of-the-art facility.

Engine Repairs

It’s hard to believe, but the engine in your vehicle relies on miniature explosions to generate the necessary power to get you from point A to point B. Those explosions are just as complex as the engine itself, which relies on many moving parts to get the job done. As you already know, those components need oil to keep things lubricated, clean, and at the right temperature, making routine oil changes critical to your engine’s performance. However, many other components sometimes need your attention.

Head Gasket Replacement

Think of the head gasket as the bridge that connects one side of your engine (the cylinder block) with the other (the cylinder head). The cylinder head houses the spark plugs, camshaft, and valves, while the cylinder block is home to the cylinders and pistons. Both sides have critical jobs, with the head gasket positioned in the middle to seal the coolant, engine oil, and cylinder pressure as the cylinders expand, warp, shrink, etc.

With so many moving parts, the engine generates extreme temperatures, which isn’t ideal and is why your vehicle also relies on other components like the radiator. Sometimes, these conditions become so intense that the additional heat forces the engine block and cylinder head to over-expand, which can cause the head gasket to blow. When this happens, coolant freely flows into the cylinders and can be present as white smoke emitting from the tailpipe, an overheating engine, milky white oil, or unexplained coolant loss.

O2 Sensor Replacement

The mini-combustions your engine relies on require the perfect balance of oxygen and fuel. If there’s too much fuel, the mixture is too rich, but if there’s not enough, the mixture is considered lean. O2 sensors help create the perfect balance by detecting if the blend of oxygen and fuel is rich or lean.

Your vehicle depends on at least two oxygen sensors to measure the oxygen levels in the engine and exhaust. The sensors rely on a chemical reaction to send a voltage that determines how much fuel is needed. When these sensors fail, your vehicle ends up estimating the right balance. This estimate isn’t ideal and forces your engine to work harder and burn more fuel than necessary. As a result, a failed O2 sensor leads to poor engine performance and a lower fuel economy, which can also accompany black smoke from the tailpipe and the smell of rotten eggs as you drive.

Radiator Repair

A car engine generates excessive heat, which is far from ideal and reflects the importance of fluids like oil to lubricate and minimize friction (heat). However, the oil can’t handle the job alone, with the engine also relying on the radiator to maintain an ideal operating temperature. Think of the radiator as your engine’s personal fan, with the system consisting of a water pump, fans, hoses, a thermostat, and the radiator or heat exchanger.

When the thermostat reads scorching conditions, the radiator kicks into gear and releases coolant and water throughout the hoses. This fluid picks up the excess heat and brings it back to the radiator, which blows it out of the vehicle using the fan and thin metal fins. When any component in this system fails, your engine is at risk of overheating.

Alternator Repair

Your engine needs a jumpstart of energy, just like you might need a cup of coffee or an energy drink in the morning to kickstart the day. While a cappuccino won’t suffice for your car’s heartbeat, the battery and alternator can handle the job. The battery provides this initial jolt of energy to power the engine and accessories and then lets the alternator take over. Because the alternator is a moreprominent power source, it’s responsible for powering the electronic accessories in your vehicle, like the headlights, radio, and heated seats, and recharging the battery as you drive.

Alternator failure sometimes presents as a dead battery because, when the alternator isn’t working correctly, it forces that battery to carry the entire load. This extreme demand reduces the lifespan of your car battery and can cause it to fail prematurely. In other instances, you may notice earlier signs of alternator trouble, like dim or overly bright headlights, an engine that frequently stalls or is hard to start, accessories that are slow to respond or malfunction, a burning smell, or strange whining noises under the hood.

Spark Plug Replacement

You go to start your truck, but nothing happens, and you immediately think it’s time for a new battery. After all, a dead battery doesn’t respond when you put the key in the ignition. But sometimes, the battery in your vehicle isn’t to blame. Every internal combustion engine relies on spark plugs to kickstart the combustion process. But how do they work? How do you know when they’ve gone bad?

Spark plugs are small but pack a powerful punch. Located at the top of the engine, spark plugs screw into the cylinder head and use electricity to ignite the mixture of air and fuel in the engine’s combustion chamber. We’ve talked about how O2 sensors ensure the perfect balance of oxygen and air, with the spark plugs playing an integral role in how that mixture begins the combustion process or the burning of the air and fuel.

Spark plugs have an important job, but they’re prone to wear and tear, degrading over time. When this happens, you may notice the Check Engine light on your dashboard, poor fuel economy, or have issues starting the engine. In other instances, your car may not respond as quickly when you press the accelerator, or the engine sounds strange when idling. Instead of the standard purr, it rattles or knocks, both telltale signs the spark plugs need attention.

The Value of a Trusted Auto Repair Shop

A lot of responsibility comes with owning a vehicle, from routine services to more complex repairs and maintenance needs. Fortunately, you don’t have to carry those responsibilities alone when you have a trusted auto repair shop on your side. Having someone you trust with your vehicle gives you the peace of mind you deserve when you’re in the driver’s seat.

So, whether your engine needs a new head gasket, the alternator is bad, or the O2 sensors have failed, consider the significance of those repairs and what they mean to the performance and lifespan of your vehicle. Then, consider who you trust to handle those repairs and get you back on the road as quickly as possible. With our factory-trained and certified technicians, the decision isn’t hard and ends with you and your vehicle getting the best treatment around.