Cars can’t talk, but they do communicate

We drivers ask a lot of our cars, expecting faithful service whenever we turn the key. For the most part, these modern mechanical marvels dutifully perform the tasks we ask with convenience, dependability and safety.

What do we offer in return? Too often, drivers take a use-and-otherwise-ignore approach to vehicle care and operation. Even many owners with good intentions do not understand the complex machines that they drive.

During a recent vehicle oil change, reader A.F. of Spokane was faced with making choices of a higher oil grade, changing wiper blades, and replacing a PCV valve. She wrote, “How can normal folk like me make intelligent decisions about service on their cars without having to make it an all-consuming hobby? I just want to keep my car running well and not be flim-flammed.”

The first part of that answer is to stick with a service and repair facility that you trust. Even the sharpest owner can’t do everything themselves these days. Diagnostics for newer vehicles requires substantial equipment investment, and trained technicians. So whether you choose an independent shop, or a franchised dealer facility for service and repair, check to be sure that they are equipped with the instruments and personnel to properly work on your particular vehicle.

Second, it doesn’t have to be a full-time hobby, but increasing knowledge of your car’s operation and maintenance is the best hedge against “flim-flamming.” The owner’s manual is a good place to begin this education — a wealth of information is contained therein, such as detailed operational instructions, required fluid recommendations, maintenance intervals, driving tips, and visual inspection procedures. You should even consider taking a basic auto information class through a community college if you feel lost around mechanical stuff.

Our Washington Driver Guide, and all fleet drivers’ handbooks have sections pertaining to vehicle maintenance, safety and visual checks too. Here’s a reminder from the state Driver Guide about vehicle upkeep:

“Your safety starts with the vehicle you are driving. It is the duty of drivers to make certain that the vehicles they drive are safe to operate. A vehicle that is not working properly is unsafe and costs more to run than one that is maintained. It can break down or cause a collision. If a vehicle is not working well, you might not be able to get out of an emergency situation. A vehicle in good working order can give you an extra margin of safety when you need it most. You should follow the recommendations in your vehicle owner’s manual for routine maintenance. Some you can do yourself and some must be done by a qualified mechanic. A few simple checks will help prevent trouble on the road.”

While your car can’t talk, it does offers plenty of non-verbal cues and clues to help let you know what’s going on.

The gauges monitor crucial items like coolant temperature, oil pressure, charging system, and fuel. Get to know the normal operating ranges of these indicators, and keep an eye on them for advance warnings of potential disaster.

Stay acutely aware of unusual noises or vibrations while driving. So you can talk to your service adviser about them, decide if you are hearing a thump, click, clang, bang, whir, buzz, scrape or pop, and be able to describe when they occur. Some noises are only heard when either cold or hot, at certain speeds, when accelerating, when braking, or at other specific times. An accurate description of the noise, along with information as to where it is coming from, greatly aid technicians attempting diagnosis.

Fluid drips can tell plenty about potential auto problems so learning to read them is helpful. Fuel leaks can usually be detected by smell as much as sight. If you smell fuel during normal operation, it is not normal. Coolant leaks are not normal either, and often appear as greenish-yellow puddles under the engine area. Newer cars, though, use a reddish-colored coolant that appears much like automatic transmission fluid when it makes a puddle. Older cars may leak a bit of oil or transmission fluid without much harm, but if coolant is leaking, a fix is in order.

The “run-ability” factor is one of the best indicators of condition in modern cars. With electronic fuel injection, and multiple-sensored, computer-controlled engine/transmission management, today’s vehicles perform flawlessly in the full range of normal operating conditions. It follows, then, that when you experience hard starting, surging, fast idle, slow idle, or irregular shifting, something is wrong. When any change occurs in the way that your vehicle runs, head to your favorite shop before it worsens. These days, one problem can easily lead to another, when the fix may have been relatively simple if handled in a timely manner. One faulty electronic sensor can make your car run very poorly, or even leave you stranded.

So just “listen” to your car, even though it doesn’t talk — and heed its non-verbal warnings and signals, which are our vehicles’ cries for help.