You love your car. It’s your dream car. You never want to get rid of it. We get that here at Meadows Automotive. While it might not make sense to some people, hanging onto an automobile because it has personal value to you is the primary reason why people put new engines in old cars. We can do that for you. Here are five signs your automobile needs a new engine.
1. Excess Exhaust
You should never see a ton of exhaust flowing out of the tailpipe of your car, truck, or utility vehicle. If you do, you’ve got a fuel, oil, or coolant problem. Black exhaust means fuel is burning. Blue exhaust means oil is burning. White exhaust means coolant is burning. Usually, this signals a serious breach somewhere in the engine including the engine block.
2. Knocking
Knocking can happen for a myriad of reasons. If you put the wrong octane in your car the last time you fueled up, this can make your engine knock. This isn’t a reason for an engine replacement, but worn rod bearings can be, especially if they break. When the bearings wear down, the knocking you are hearing is the pistons slamming inside the crankshaft walls. This can seriously damage the engine.
3. Metal Shavings
If you find metal shavings in your oil, you won’t be driving your car for very long. Metal shavings are automotive part pieces. The parts inside your engine have worn down so much that they are releasing their own metal into the oil as it flows through the engine. This is a serious problem that will cause your engine to seize up and die within hours or days.
4. Power Loss
Sometimes, an engine replacement is needed because the automobile just doesn’t have any pep anymore. It has hundreds of thousands of miles on its current engine, and the engine cannot produce the power it used to be able to produce. This is age-related wear that happens with any piece of machinery. Simply put, the engine is too old and has no miles left.
5. Smoke
Finally, you should never see excess smoke coming out from underneath your hood. This is a sign of a blown head gasket or a leaking exhaust manifold. These parts and the heat they cause when they are compromised can literally melt other engine parts. If your vehicle is constantly overheating to the point of smoke coming out from underneath the hood, you probably need a new engine.
As we said above, Meadows Automotive in Waterford Township, MI, can replace your engine if it needs it. We can also rebuild it if a total replacement is not warranted yet.
