Technical motoring expert Nicol Louw is urging motorists to pay closer attention to the warning signs their vehicles give before small problems turn into expensive repairs.
Louw explained that drivers should never ignore fluid leaks under a parked vehicle, persistent exhaust smoke, unusual vibrations or dashboard warning lights, as these often signal developing mechanical faults.
Fluid leaks
“When you pull your vehicle out from where it’s been standing, are there droplets under the car on the floor? Is there anything that’s lying there? Is there a bit of oil there? Is there a bit of coolant? Is it a fuel leak? There shouldn’t be anything under the car. There shouldn’t be a puddle. The only thing that can be under your car on a hot summer’s day is if you use the aircon; there might be clear water from the aircon system. That’s the only thing that’s allowed. Anything else is telling you that something is about to go wrong or has already gone wrong, and you need to take note.”
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Persistent exhaust smoke
“Some of the other signs, for example, the colour of smoke from the exhaust system. If you start your car up and there’s plenty of white smoke coming out of the exhaust… If it’s a cold winter morning, that’s fine because it shows you that it’s water vapour and it will soon disappear as your engine heats up. But if that white smoke continues, then you know there’s water entering the system somehow, and it mostly can be linked to, like, a head gasket that’s going and so on. So, you shouldn’t expect white smoke out of the exhaust.
“If you see dark smoke, if it’s sort of a bluish tint, it might mean it’s starting to burn oil. You could check your oil level as well, and if it’s burning oil, it can be rings, it can be valve stem seals, high mileage, all of those kinds of things that can start playing up. If it’s just dark clouds, it might be over-fuelling if it’s petrol. On a diesel, you sometimes expect a bit of a dark exhaust if it hasn’t got a diesel particulate filter, but it’s also dark if it’s just becoming a complete plume behind your car; it’s giving you a sign.”
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Unusual vibrations
“The other signs are, for example, is there a vibration through your steering wheel? Is it always there, like maybe it’s wheel balance, or only when you brake? If you start shaking the steering wheel when you’re braking, it tells you that your front brake discs are warped and you need to start looking at that.”
Dashboard warning lights
“…warning lights on the cluster. I mean, I’ve even heard some people say, can’t you just take the light out? I don’t want to look at this light all the time. The little airbag light that’s been there for the last couple of months. Wait till an accident, an airbag doesn’t go off, and you think I shouldn’t have ignored that light, or if that’s the little engine, the amber engine light, and what is this thing doing? I can still drive; I don’t feel anything. Why should I have a look at what’s going on? But those are all signs that there’s something wrong and something needs to be investigated and fixed, and you can avoid high costs by doing it early and not driving until you’re stranded next to the road.”
Investigate, don’t ignore
Louw encouraged motorists to trust their instincts if something feels different while driving.
He urged drivers to investigate unusual noises, smells or handling changes rather than hoping the problem will disappear.
“Even if you’re not a mechanic, you know your car best. So, you would know if there’s something strange in your car, and you can either decide to ignore it or investigate… please investigate and do not ignore.”
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