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About This Quiz
VROOM VROOM! What would life be without cars? Before the late 1800s, most people were settling for transportation by horse or maybe even a bike. The introduction of cars would change the entire world, and many people might be car fanatics, but it takes a lot to be a gearhead! Do you know your car symptoms and solutions?
The late 1800s brought the invention of cars by German Karl Benz. While there had been previous attempts before, Benz's creation with an internal engine is what set his invention apart from the rest. Since then, the car industry would boom.
When it comes to vehicles, many people are able to recognize the cars and their countries. Germany has the Mercedes-Benz named after Karl Benz as well as the Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen. Car lovers might recognize Japanese vehicles Toytota and Nissan. Luxury fanatics might be obsessed with Maserati, Porsche, or a Corvette. While all these cars are beautiful on the outside, it takes a real gearhead to know these cars inside and out! If something was wrong with your car, could you play doctor and fix it?
Could you figure out what to do if one headlight is out? What could you do to fix streaks from a windshield wiper or a sweet smell coming through the vents? If you can answer these questions, you just might be a true gearhead! There's only one way to find out!
Take this quiz and let's see if you know your car symptoms and solutions!ÂÂ
Fasten those seat belts!
One headlight stops shining.
Change the bulb
Your headlights work like any other light. If the bulb burns out, they just stop shining, making the solution relatively easy. Depending on your car, getting to the old bulb to remove it and install a new one could be a fairly simple or slightly complex process.
Pull the fuse
Swap the battery
Change the oil
Nothing happens when you turn the ignition key.
Get a new key
Yank the alternator
Charge or replace the battery
While this won't always fix the problem, nine times out of ten a dead battery is the reason for a car that won't do anything, including make a single noise, when you turn the key. Either it just needs to be charged, or the battery is done for.
Put gas in the tank
The lights in your car dim suddenly as you're driving.
Replace the battery
Change the spark plugs
Swap all the bulbs
Test and replace the alternator
Dimming lights, including lights that suddenly dim as you're driving, is a classic sign of an alternator that's going out. You might notice problems with other electricity-drive features, including the sound system and the windows, which are all powered by the alternator while the car's cruising.
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The oil has milky swirls in it.
Inferior oil brand
Fouled spark plugs
Blown head gasket
If you see swirls of white, milky stuff in your oil, that's coolant which has leaked out of the water jacket in the engine. Almost certainly, this is caused by a blown head gasket, although there is a possibility of another crack somewhere that's allowed the mixture, depending on your engine's design.
Seized camshaft
Your spark plug's electrode is pitted or uneven on the surface.
You're running rich
The engine has been overheating
As your engine overheats, the spark plugs do as well. Just like any other type of metal, the electrode will begin to melt, but since it's made of nickel, the engine temperatures must exceed 2,200 to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the coolant system for the cause of the overheating.
You're running lean
You're using too low of an octane gas
There's red fluid under your car.
Have the transmission serviced
Transmission fluid is purposely dyed red so you can easily distinguish it from other fluids from your car. If you find something that looks like blood, but is oily, that means somewhere in your transmission fluid is leaking, and you need help tracking down and repairing the leak.
Change your oil
Refill the coolant
Swap the spark plugs
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Green or orange speckles seemingly have sprayed all over your engine compartment.
Check the oil
Open up the transmission
Look for a coolant leak
On some cars the coolant is purple, so remember that, but finding these colors splashed around inside the engine bay comes from coolant leaking, then hitting something hot and spitting all over, like oil hitting a hot pan. Track down the source of the leak, which could be a cracking hose, loose fitting, or the water pump.
Replace the power steering fluid
Your engine keeps overheating, but the coolant level is just fine and the fan runs constantly.
Replace the thermostat
While overheating can be caused by a number of issues, when you eliminate the chance of a coolant leak that drops the fluid level too low, and a malfunctioning fan, the next most likely scenario is that the thermostat isn't working properly. As the regulator of coolant flow, when this part stops working properly, the engine can easily overheat.
Replace the drive belt
Swap out spark plugs
Swap the fuses
You turn on the heater and run it for a while, but the air never turns very warm, even though the engine temperature is normal.
Recharge the air conditioning
Turn on recirculating air
Refill the coolant reservoir to the recommended level
Most people don't realize that their car's heater runs off the heat extracted by the coolant. If there isn't enough coolant, the heater core won't fill up enough or at all, which is where a fan will blow the hot air into the car's interior. Refilling the coolant will fix this problem in a hurry.
Set to defrost only
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As you drive down the road, you notice the tires vibrate constantly and even begin to bounce up and down.
Get the tires rotated and balanced
Usually, this problem is caused by tires that are out of balance, which is something a professional shop should fix. There is a slight chance your tires are worn or have flat spots, making it necessary to replace them to completely fix the situation.
Get a new car
Replace the motor mounts
Refill the power steering pump
You hear something sizzling and maybe even see smoke or steam coming from under the hood.
Fluid is leaking or boiling over
If you hear sizzling and/or see smoke/steam coming from under your car's hood, that's reason to stop as soon as it's safely possible to do so. A massive oil leak could lead to a seized engine in short order, while too much coolant lost too suddenly would overheat the engine. Both can have catastrophic consequences, so it's worth checking out the source of the sizzle.
You left bacon on the engine
Your engine is doing an impression of a grill
Your timing is off
Your engine pops and pings like you're making popcorn inside the cylinders.
You put corn kernels in the gas
Your oil is cooking
Detonation caused by carbon deposits, low octane in the fuel, etc.
The combustion of gas inside the cylinders should be a highly controlled event, and detonation or engine knock is when it happens at uncontrolled times. A number of things can cause it, including carbon deposits, bad spark plugs, gas with a low octane rating, etc. If you don't do something, this problem could trigger some big time engine damage.
Your belts are worn
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The sound of something like a hammer comes from deep inside your engine as it runs.
Rod knock
When the rod bearings are too worn to do their job correctly, you'll start to hear this hard knocking sound. It's not a good sound, because you'll need to tear apart the engine to repair the damage, and often need to replace far more than just the rod bearings.
Engine ping
Blow head gasket
Bad gas
You try to start the engine multiple times, but all you hear is a clicking, and the smell of gas is strong. Some black smoke curled out the tailpipe as you were trying to start the engine.
Blown muffler
Bad air intake filter
Ionized fuel
Flooded engine
While more often a problem with older cars, if you keep trying to fire up the engine without any breaks, you can flood it. At that point, you need to wait a while before attempting to start the engine again, or the problem will just continue.
White smoke always curls out of the car's tailpipe, no matter how long the engine's been running or what temperature it is outside.
Blown head gasket, cracked block, or chronic overheating
You definitely shouldn't ignore white smoke that doesn't go away once your engine warms up, since it usually comes from coolant being where it shouldn't in the engine. Any one of these problems could be the source of this symptom.
Fouled spark plugs
Plugged muffler
Blown clutch
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The exhaust gases coming out of your car's tailpipe have turned faintly blue.
Coolant leak
Oil leak
While some oil leaks won't cause this symptom, if the oil is combusting or burning, it can result in blue smoke. Like most problems, ignoring this symptom can make things worsen, instead of catching the issue when it's small and easily managed.
Power steering leak
Clogged air filter
When you remove the spark plugs, they're black and wet.
Carbon buildup
Oil fouling
Several things could be the cause of oil fouling, namely Leaking or worn pistons, valve stem seals, or rings. If you put too much oil in the engine, the sump will overflow, and that can foul the spark plugs. The solution is simple enough: install new spark plugs.
Gas implosion
Predetonation
Your trunk smells like mold or mildew each time you open it up.
Worn or damaged weather stripping
The weather stripping around your trunk opening should seal out all rain and water from any other source, no matter how hard it comes down. If the weather stripping is worn and cracking or shrinking, it won't work properly. Damage also creates gaps the water can seep through, so water gets in the trunk and causes the smell. Replace the weather stripping and the problem will be fixed.
Leaking fuel tank
Oil leak
Exhaust leak
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A squealing sound comes from the wheels each time you push on the brake pedal.
The wheels are coming off
Oil has leaked onto the brakes
The brake lines have been damaged
The brake pads are worn
As your pads wear to the point they should be replaced soon, a wear strip is exposed. Since it's harder than the material the pads are made of, it causes a really annoying sound each time you apply the brakes, especially when you press on the pedal hard. If you have the pads changed, the problem will stop.
Your car squeals as you start it up and drive.
Dirty oil
Dead battery
Bad belts and/or pulleys
Most people have heard about squealing belts, but many have no idea that the pulleys those belts rotate on can wear out, making the same noise. It's not a bad idea to have the pulleys replaced at the same time, considering the most expensive part of the job is the labor to get to the belts.
Low blinker fluid
The windshield wipers leave streaks on the glass.
The wipers are worn out or dirty
Your wiper blades are made of rubber, and that rubber endures all kinds of temperature extremes. Eventually, the blades crack dry up, etc. and no longer swipe the glass as well as they should, and so must be replaced. Sometimes, the solution is just a simple cleaning with a microfiber towel, which removes dirt buildup from the rubber, eliminating the streaking.
Your glass is too dirty
Antifreeze has leaked onto the glass
Your blinker fluid is low
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Your tire tread is wearing faster in the middle of the tire, versus either side.
Underinflated tires
Worn tierod ends
Overinflated tires
If you overfill your tires, it actually will cause the edges of the tread to touch the road less often, so it wears unevenly. This isn't good, because you're hurting performance and wearing out your tires faster than if you followed the vehicle manufacturer inflation recommendations.
Bad struts
Your car idles rough and you can hear a slight hissing sound coming from the engine compartment.
Vacuum leak
Your car has many vacuum hoses, which are critical to the proper operation of the vehicle. Like all hoses, they can wear out and crack, or might even be damaged somehow, which results in the rough idle, hissing, and sometimes in noticeably poor fuel economy.
Air intake split
Clogged air filter
Bad spark plugs
You suddenly smell something sweet coming through the air vents, and you're not near a bakery.
Oil filter burst
Blown tire
Engine overheating
Your car's engine doesn't normally produce sweet smells, but when it does, that's an indication the coolant is cooking. If that's the case, the engine is also overheating, and you need to address that problem right away.
Detonation
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The engine RPMs fluctuate up and down as you're cruising on the highway, pressing on the accelerator consistently.
Poor fuel delivery
Called surging, this is a problem with not enough fuel reaching the cylinders. The source could be a clog in the fuel filter or injectors, or maybe that the gas tank is almost empty.
Low oil level
Bad spark plugs
Fouled blinker fluid
The engine oil pressure light turns on while you're driving.
Blown gasket
Blown fuse
Low tire pressure
Low oil level or oil pump failure
If you see this light come on while driving, pull over and turn off the engine immediately, since continuing to drive could result in serious damage to the engine. The loss of pressure could be as simple as not enough oil in the sump, or that the oil pump has stopped working. In a few rare instances, the gauge or warning light malfunctioned.
The dome light won't come on when you open any of the doors.
The light is switched off or the bulb burned out
The dome light is triggered by small buttons or sensors in the doorjambs, so there's a slight chance a button could stick. But when opening any of the doors doesn't turn on the light, either the bulb needs to be replaced, or someone set the light to not turn on when the doors open.
Low engine oil
Blown radiator
High tire pressure
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The key sticks in the door and trunk locks.
The ECU is malfunctioning
The key is damaged/worn, or the locks need lubrication
If you have a car that doesn't come with a remote, which is a rare thing these days, or your remote isn't working, you might find yourself using the key to unlock and lock the doors. Over time, the key will wear down or might even become damaged, so you must replace it if lubricating the locks with graphite doesn't fix the problem.
Your warranty has expired
Brake fluid has dropped
You're traveling downhill and the brake pedal suddenly has no pressure.
Vapor lock
If you ride on the brakes, or press them continuously, while going down a steep grade as a way to keep the car's speed in check, that can vaporize the fluid in the brake lines. The emergency brake will still work, but you should only pull that once the car has come to a stop. Use the different gear settings on the transmission to slow your vehicle so you can do that, and the next time, use those lower gears to control your speed, instead of just relying on the brakes.
Low brake pads
Low blinker fluid
Low power steering fluid
Each time the air conditioning comes on, the stench of vinegar fills the car cabin.
Recirculation setting creates mildew buildup
As you run the air conditioning in the car, the cold air generates condensation in the air conditioning system. If you draw in outside air, that condensation evaporates, but constantly recirculating the air means the drain for condensation buildup can back up, allowing mildew to start growing. Have your mechanic clear the drain, and run the air conditioning with outside air more often.
Clogged air filter
Leaking refrigerant
Someone smoked in the car
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A squealing sound comes from under the hood as the car makes turns at lower speeds.
Worn camshafts
Low power steering fluid or a bad pump
Check the power steering fill reservoir to see if the fluid is topped off, which could be the cause. If it is, the pump might be failing, or the belt that powers it is worn and needs to be replaced.
Rusty steering rack
Too much blinker fluid
The windshield spray nozzles suddenly stop working, but you hear a motor running.
No washer fluid or clogged nozzles
If you hear the motor running when you turn on the nozzles, the problem might be that there's no washer fluid. If the reservoir is full, insert a needle into the washer nozzles to clear any salt, sand, etc. that might be clogging them up.
Blown circuit
Bad relay
Bad blinker fluid
The engine fan keeps running after you shut off the car and are walking away.
Bad relay
Malfunctioning battery
Power surge
Overheating engine
The engine fan can and will run independently, based on the engine temperature. That means if you hear it kick on after you shut the car off, the engine is so hot, the fan needs to be running to prevent damage. Check the coolant level, once things have cooled off, and refill it above the minimum line. The thermostat could be failing.
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The steering wheel shakes as you apply the brakes.
Flat patches on the tires
Unbalanced wheels
Worn tierod ends
Uneven brake rotors
Over time, the brake rotors might wear unevenly, and that causes vibrations. It can start off light but over time, it becomes more pronounced, to the point that you can feel it through the steering wheel. The solution is to either resurface the rotors or replace them.
One or more tires constantly lose air pressure and need to be refilled multiple times a week.
Slow leak
You might have driven over a nail or something sharp, causing damage that allows air to leak out slowly. Other common sources of slow leaks are worn valve stems and improperly mounted tires. While air temperature changes can cause the tire pressure to fluctuate, it wouldn't cause a continual slow leak. Have a qualified tire shop inspect the tires to locate the source of this problem.
Bad air pressure sensor
Changing temperatures
Cheap tires
You Got:
/35
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