01/06/2021
The 7 most common car engine problems revealed
Oil deposits and debris
Older, dirty oil has the propensity to leave deposits and debris on engine fittings such as intake valves and spark plugs, not to mention combustion chambers. As part of a periodic service at your local garage, they will regularly clean your engine’s oil filters to avoid debris becoming lodged within your vehicle’s bearings.
Inadequate fuel and air compression
Poor compression of both fuel and air inside a car engine is a recipe for disaster. The most common reasons for poor engine combustion is due to broken valve seals, holes within cylinders and overused piston rings, forcing air to leak out.
Leaking engine coolant
One of the easier engine faults to diagnose is leaking engine coolant. If engine coolant is continually low once it’s topped up, it’s a sure-fire signal that there is a fault within the cooling system. The coolant should be kept free of debris and deposits to maintain a safe operating temperature for your engine at all times.
Blocked engine radiators
Old engine coolant that’s not been kept clean over time can result in filling your engine’s radiators with unwanted sediment and deposits. This is another common cause of overheating engines. Try to avoid using hard water as coolant because you will run the risk of the radiators corroding over time due to limescale.
Prolonged engine detonation
If you are driving along and your engine is making a knocking noise it is quite possible that there is too much heat within its combustion chamber. A combination of overheating and high pressures creates engine detonation, also known as a spark knock, which can cause long-term damage to pistons, head gaskets and piston rings.
Damaged oxygen sensors
An inaccurate oxygen sensor is dangerous not only for your engine but for the rest of the car too. If the sensor does not give your car the right data about how much oxygen remains in the exhaust and how much fuel is in the petrol/diesel tank, you run the risk of inefficiencies with your driving, wasting lots of money in the long run.
Aged spark plugs
This issue is particularly prevalent in older vehicles. Spark plugs are designed to ignite the compressed fuel in the engine of your car. An aged spark plug creates a weak ignition and can stop an engine from turning over i.e. misfiring. This is another issue that results in inefficient fuel economy and can also cause serious long-term damage to the engine.
