Often, people purchase vehicles with the intent to trade the vehicles in within a few years. Sometimes, people fall in love with their vehicle and, therefore, trade theirs in for the same model but a newer year. Unfortunately, sometimes car manufacturers stop continuing certain models for various reasons.
The only option for owners of discontinued cars is to hold on to their cars until they die, or trade them in for an older model that may or may not have been taken care of. If you own a discontinued car and would love the chance to get more than 300,000 miles out of your vehicle, use four of the five senses to find potential problems before they cause your car to reach the end of the road.
Of course, one of the five senses is taste, which can't be used to check for potential problems in any vehicle. Here are the other four.
Hearing
Listen to your vehicle and learn how it sounds in various situations and road conditions. Every so often, turn off the radio and the fan and listen. If you hear strange noises or sounds that you've never heard before, pull over as soon as possible and investigate. For example, if you hear a fluttering sound, you may notice a warped belt if you lift up the hood. If you hear an unusual noise, try to get an idea where the noise is coming from before taking the vehicle to the repair shop. That way, you can give them a starting point in assessing your vehicle.
Smell
Take in a deep breath through your nostrils every once in a while to see if you can smell anything unusual, such as antifreeze or oil. If you do notice any suspicious odors, carefully drive your car to a repair shop. However, if you smell antifreeze, especially when you are inside your vehicle, be sure to check your coolant level before you drive and constantly check the temperature gauge while you make your way to the repair shop. Smell the transmission fluid. When your engine is cool, open the cap to the transmission reservoir and remove a small amount of transmission fluid. Place the transmission fluid on a piece of paper and smell it. If it smells burnt, have your transmission system looked at by a repair shop.
Sight
Look over your car occasionally, especially under the hood. When you already know what your engine compartment normally looks like, you may be able to spot potential problems before the problems cause your car to break down. Look for signs of corrosion and leaks, as well as cracks and holes in hoses and belts. You may not even know what you are looking at when you lift up the hood, but if you regularly inspect your engine compartment, you'll be able to notice when something is different. Look at the color of the transmission fluid when it's on white paper. If it's an unusual color, particularly more grey than normal, have it towed to a repair shop.
Touch
Use your sense of touch to try to determine if anything is unusual. When driving, pay attention to how the car feels. Does it rumble a little more than it did before? Can you feel a shake in the steering wheel when you drive at high speeds? You can also use your sense of touch to inspect the tires and other parts made out of rubber that may feel rough or jagged instead of smooth like before. Your sense of touch can also notice any changes in the air conditioning system.
For more information, contact an auto repair shop or visit websites like http://www.westernavenissan.com.
Share5 June 2017
After going to my first auto auction, I became very interested in how dealers select the cars they're going to put on their lots. I spent a lot of time talking with local dealers, auction regulars, and others in the industry to learn the behind-the-scenes secrets to picking out the perfect auction cars and getting them lot-ready. I created this site to help others understand what goes into the process in the hopes that it would help car buyers understand what they're looking at when they hit the car lot. I hope the information here helps you better prepare for buying your next car.