We have prepared some pointers for you as to the different noises that could be coming from your car, and what they could mean.
Squeaking noise while braking
This is usually the first sign of worn brake pads. Left alone for a long time, the noise will sound like grinding metal, in that case, you’re seriously damaging your brakes. You may need to also change or skim your brake disks as well and this can be costly.
Rattling noise from the engine
There are a lot of moving parts in the engine and therefore this noise can be very confusing as it could be a number of different problems – including issues with the oil not circulating, a faulty aircon compressor or stretched or loose timing chain. When you hear any rattles in your engine, get it inspected as soon as possible.
Hissing and boiling sound from the engine
This is a signal that the engine is be overheating and can cause serious problems further down the line. When you hear that sound, stop immediately. This happens when there is perhaps a fluid leak under the bonnet, radiator leak, a leaking turbocharger pipe or a damaged intercooler.
Squeaking from the engine while driving
High pitched squeaky noise usually point to an issue with the fan belt and/or pulley. In most instances, both the belt and the pulley/tensioner will need to be replaced.
Clunking while turning
In 90% of the cases when this happens, it is because of the CV joints. These should be checked as soon as possible to avoid further damages.
Constant clicking sound from the engine while idling
This is usually, a sign that your engine is running low on oil or running on an incorrect grade of engine oil. If the noise persists after an oil top-up, have your engine checked thoroughly by a mechanic.
A loud knocking sound from the engine
This could be caused by lack of lubrication, or something has broken or lose or about to break inside the engine. The engine will need to be opened to check what could be the issue be.
Humming or growling noise from your tyres
The first thing to do when you hear a noise from your tyres is to check the pressure. If the pressure is correct, have your wheel alignment and balance checked and possibly adjusted.
Grinding noise from your gearbox
This noise is indicative of a potential problem with the clutch or transmission.
If any of these noises are coming from your car, the next mechanic is only a click away, here.
With the lockdown in South Africa due to the COVID-19 pandemic, your car will be stationary for an extended amount of time. When the time comes, here are a few tips that will ensure your cars health when we get back to our normal lives again:
Keep your vehicle undercover (if you can)
Although garages and covered parking ports are better than open parking, as your vehicle will be exposed to sun damage, dust, raindrops, bird droppings, and other debris. So if you parked in an open parking, it is advisable to get a waterproof car cover while your car is parked for an extended amount of time.
Periodically washing and cleaning out your vehicle: Clean the interiors before parking the car
This might be stating the obvious, but we’re going to tell you anyway. People tend to leave trash in cars, including chocolate or biscuit wrappers (with crumbs inside), old newspapers, and water bottles and so on. All of this could rot or, worse, attract rodents that can damage floor mats, seat covers and even wiring. So, clean the interior thoroughly and spray a little freshener. But don’t use too much as even as it will stink in the closed confines over a long period!
Keep Critters and Creepy crawly‘s Out
If your car is parked in a garage it will typically keep your car dry and safe from the elements. Unfortunately, those are also two things that make a garaged car attractive to rodents (rats and mice, amongst others and) and cockroaches.
But even if you are parked under sheltered parking, they still get into your car and engine! Try to cover any gaps where rodents and other insects could enter, such as the exhaust pipe or an air intake. Placing a ball of steel wool in your exhaust pipe is a good hindrance!
Next, spread mothballs or cotton swabs dipped in peppermint oil along the perimeter of the vehicle. The smell is said to drive mice away. If you want to take a more proactive approach, lay down a few mousetraps. Just make sure someone can check the garage periodically in case there are some casualties.
Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with a smell much worse than mothballs when you take the car out of storage 🙂
Keep It Charged or Disconnect one of your battery terminals
An unattended battery will eventually lose its charge after a long time if both terminals are connected and the battery will get drained.
We advise that if you do not know what to do at least take some time to start your vehicle and let it run for about 15 minutes at least every 5-7 days, to ensure that the battery stays charged. If this seems like too much, you can explore a full proof low-tech solution of disconnecting the negative (usually black) battery cable. You’ll likely lose the stereo presets, time and other settings. But better that, than having to get your car jump started or worse yet, buy a new battery! Yikes!
Top Up Your Fuel Tank
We may need our vehicle to get essential items from time to time therefore having petrol is a good idea. Having petrol in your car is also a good idea. A full tank will prevent moisture from accumulating inside the fuel tank and keep the seals from drying out. When a car is not driven or used, the petrol burns up before it begins to evaporate and degrade.
Keep the tires properly inflated
When you do go for your essential trips, pass by your local garage and check the tyre pressure and make sure the tyres are at the correct pressure. Proper inflation helps prevent cracking of the sidewalls and flat spots. Check the valves and valve caps for leaks and that the valve caps fit properly.
Maintain Insurance
You might be tempted to cancel your insurance when your vehicle is stationary, but unforeseen circumstances happen, like hail storms, or someone backing into your vehicle while you are “safely in your parking bay”!
In these cash strapped times, that might initially save money, but there is a chance that the insurance company will raise your premiums due to the gap in coverage, which could cost you more in the long run.
This can vary based on where you live and who your provider is, so contact your insurance company to see what options are available to you.
Before getting back to action, make sure you have all your bases covered
Here’s a checklist of what to do when you’re ready to drive your vehicle regularly again:
Check under the bonnet for any evidence of rodents. Look for chewed belts, hoses, wires or nests. If you covered the muffler (like the steel wool) or air intake, remove that material before you start the car.
Make sure to change your air and oil filters, to ensure that no sludge or other contaminants affect your engine performance!
Check the windscreen wipers to see if the rubber is cracked or brittle.
Check the tire pressure and inflate the tires to the recommended specs.
Check the brake and brake disk! Rust may have accumulated on the brake disks! In most cases, it should go away after you drive the vehicle for a short time. But to be safe, if it doesn’t make sure you book an appointment with us and we will check them out of you!
Check fluids to make sure there have been no leaks and that they are at the recommended levels.
If the battery cable has been disconnected, make sure that you reconnect it and that the battery terminals are clean.
Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt that may have accumulated.
Car Sanitization Can Reduce Your Risk Of Spreading or Contracting COVID-19
Having sanitized hands is great, however, alone, it may is not enough! Our cars are one of the high-touch surfaces we come into contact with regularly over and above that we also tend to lift people, drive our kids in them, etc. However how many of us have thought about sanitizing our vehicles? Not many of us i do not think. This is a very important aspect that has been overlooked and it is very important, for our safety and that of your families!
We Can Beat Covid-19 (corona Virus)!
We have prepared this article based on our research from various sources and we thought that we should share with you.
We know that germs and viruses breed on surfaces and we now know that COVID-19 is said to be able to remain on surfaces for up to 4-6 hrs. This is especially true for porous surfaces that can be found in the car. these are some of the areas that need special attention to and minimize you and your family’s exposure:
Your steering wheel (including appendages) and gear selector – wash your hands/sanitize prior to handling your steering wheel, so you are not reinfecting it. “The steering wheel has four times the amount of germs found on an average toilet seat, thanks to all the cracks and crevices on the rim and spokes.” Shocking isn’t it!
Door handles (exterior and interior) – Carry disinfecting wipes with you so that after you car has been sanitized, you keep the germs at bay, by wiping the exterior handle before you open the door and the interior handles before closing or opening your door.
If you have a touchscreen radio – it’s best to clean that with a microfiber cloth, so as not to scratch it!
Seats and Hand rests – pay more attention to the spaces between the seat and head rest and well as the sides of the seats
Seat Belts – we always have to have our seat belts on! So wipe them down with a dissecting wipe before and after you use them!
We here at Car Care Click, have got you!
Some of the most effective method of disinfecting or sanitizing a car is by using foggers. The foggers produce very small droplets of the disinfectant making sure that the reach is far and beyond what the eyes can see. Some of the most effective disinfectant used in homes, hospitals and even in cars contain Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride as an active ingredient, which has been proven a braod spectrum disinfectant.
It may be wise to ensure that your vehicle is sanitized as you will bring germs into your car when you have to go for necessitated essential trips during a lockdown.
We are currently offering car interior sanitization for only R400 and we will come to your home. Book your car sanitization today for peace of mind.
Together we can beat this pandemic! Let’s keep hygienic!Contact us or click here to book you vehicle sanitization with Master Mechanics that Care!
Welcome to our CAR CARE SAFETY series! We will be sharing some quick DIY articles to help you get on the road quickly and keep you and your family safe while you are on holiday!
Before you start your journey, our checklist starts with an under bonnet check:
1. Check fluid levels
This is a concern as most motorists don’t check these as often as should be done. You’ll need to check your water, oil and coolant levels. Last but not least, check the brake fluid.
Should your fluid levels be low, check for any leaks? Replenish to ensure that your car is safe to drive.
It’s also advisable to check for any leaks from various components and hoses underneath your car. If you see any oil, coolant spots or shiny texture liquids on the ground, have one of our mechanics come to you to do a diagnostic test and attend.
2. Check Belts and Hoses
You don’t want to get stuck from broken or damaged hoses, as this can cause engine overheating, loss of power steering and loss of electrical charging. This could lead to hours, even days out of your trip expensive repairs that would ruin your holiday!
Road trips may take you through unfamiliar regions of the country, which will have different weather and night driving conditions. So next to check are:
3. Internal and External mirrors
We all know how hectic the traffic gets during this time to year. So you have to be able to clearly see your surroundings! Make sure that your rearview mirror, external mirrors and blind-spot mirrors are positioned correctly for the driver and are not obstructed by anything!
4. Lights
Check that all your lights are working correctly! This is a simple but very important test!
Headlights (including bright beam bulbs); Fog lights; Indicators and Brake lights.
5. Wipers
When using your wipers in misty or rainy conditions, they should not leave streaks on your windshield that will impair your vision of the road. Use a windscreen washer and check if your wipers are functioning properly.
If not, replace it before setting off on your trip! Click here to check out our DIY article on how to change your Windscreen Blades! (insert hyperlink)
6. Steering
This check should be done while driving. Steering feeling wobbly or has vibrations? This could be a number of things, from worn tyres or brake, tyre alignment being out, worn brakes or issues in the steering rack.
You can get this checked by one of our trusted mechanics before you set off.
7. Wheels
Your tyres are extremely important as this is what connects the rest of the car to the road. So to ensure safe driving, your tyres need to:
Be inflated to the right pressure (specific to your vehicle, tyre size and weight of the car after being loaded)
Do NOT over inflate or under inflate to avoid side and edge wear
Tyre Thread depth – check that it is a minimum of 5mm thick
NB: Make sure you have a spare wheel! And that it is in good condition and inflated to correct pressure as well.
8. Battery Inspection
Ensure that the battery connection points and cables are all tightly fastened. Also, check that the battery voltage is still at an optimal level.
Should you see any warning signs such as dimming of lights while idling or clicking when starting ignition, it may be time to get the battery changed.
9. Brakes
To check brake pad wear without removing the tire, look at your brake pads through the spaces between the wheel’s spokes.
The outside pad will be pressed against a metal disc. Generally, there should be at least 50 mm of the pad.
If you see less than 50 mm of the pad, you may want to have your brake pads inspected or replaced.
For further insight, click here to read our article on how to identify some signs to look for to know when to replace brake pads.
10. You!
As the driver, you are carrying precious cargo! So be responsible for the safe handling of the vehicle!
Get enough rest and Take breaks every 2 hrs.
Don’t drink or text and drive!
Don’t speed!
We hope this series keeps you safe this holiday season! If you need assistance just click here for our special on Saftey Inspection (*valid until 31st December 2019) and a mechanic will come to you.
As part of our CAR CARE SAFETY series, we will be sharing some quick Information and DIY articles to help you get on the road quickly and keep you and your family safe while you are on holiday!
You are driving along and suddenly you hear a squealing noise from the from of the vehicle! Or the power steering and AC stops working or the engine overheats! What could it be??
All the above issues could be a result of fan belt failure. The fan belt can also be referred to as a serpentine belt, drive belt or v-belt.
It is critical to engine operating as it provides power to the drive accessories, such as the alternator, power steering, cooling system water pump and air conditioning.
The fan belt should be replaced every 80 000 km (or as specified in your Owners Manual). Should you hear or see any of the issues below, its advisable to immediately stop your car for your safety and not damage your engine any further.
It is a good idea to visually inspect your fan belt from time to time, to check for physical damage such as cracks and wear from heat and friction it’s subjected to on a daily basis. Check for cracks, chunks missing, abrasions, rib separation, uneven rib wear, and damaged ribs.
Oil on the belt will also lead to cracking and wear of the belt. If you notice any of these, it is time to get a replace qualified mechanic to replace the belt.
If you hear squealing noise from the front of the vehicle, it could be due to slippage or misalignment of the fan belt. To alleviate this issues a qualified mechanic will need to diagnose and replace the belt.
The belt tensioner keeps the proper spinning of the belts’ in the car’s engine. If you notice rust forming or bleeding between the belt tensioner are and base, it is a sign that the tensioner needs to be immediately replaced. This often arises from the excess wear in the internal components of the tensioner, which will affect the performance of the drive accessories!
Since the fan belt provides power to the drive accessories, its failure can cause, most critically, the alternator and power steering to stop functioning. This is dangerous as the car will loose electrical power and correct steering control. Find safe place to stop the car as soon as possible. The air conditioning and water pump can also fail, which will result in the engine not being cooled correctly.
We hope this series keeps you safe this holiday season! If you need assistance just click here and a mechanic will come to you.
