Two types of car problems you must fix promptly

Posted on: 17 January 2018

There are plenty of minor vehicle faults that can safely be ignored for long periods of time. However, if you notice any of the following issues, you should have them addressed as soon as possible, as failing to get gearbox repairs could increase the chances of your car malfunctioning during a road journey.

Slipping gears

When you select a specific gear, the car should remain in that gear until you decide to change it.

If you notice that your car has started to slip into other gears during your road journeys, you should stop using your vehicle immediately until the root of this problem has been identified and addressed, as driving in the wrong gear can wreak havoc on your engine.

It can, for example, break its crankshafts or valve trains. Severe damage to these components could potentially lead to sudden, total engine failure. If your engine should fail when you're driving fast on a motorway, you could end up in a serious road accident.

In short, this is not a problem that you should ignore.

In most cases, slipping gears are caused by low transmission fluid and the issue can be resolved simply by topping up this liquid. However, this issue can also arise as a result of a fault within the gearbox (such as warped gears or loose components). This type of defect can only be fixed by a mechanic. As such, if topping up the transmission fluid does not resolve the problem, you should take your vehicle to a mechanic who specialises in gearbox repairs and have them inspect, and if necessary, fix the damaged section of the gearbox.

An engine oil leak

If you have noticed that the engine oil warning light on your car's dashboard is constantly flashing, even after you have topped up this fluid, you should get in touch with a mechanic as soon as possible, as there could be a hole in the seals, oil pan or gasket which is allowing the oil to seep out.

It is important not to postpone your visit to the mechanic, as driving a vehicle when its engine oil levels are low can be very dangerous.

The reason for this is as follows; this oil minimises the amount of friction that is created when the engine's moving components rub against one another. If there is little to no oil in the engine, the motion of these components will create friction which will, in turn, generate a lot of heat. This heat can warp and destroy the engine's cylinder heads.

If these sustain damage, the engine could suddenly stop functioning when you're are midway through a road journey. This could result in you getting into an accident.

Given this, it is essential to have this issue resolved by a mechanic the moment you notice it.

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