Ailments your car might suffer from …
Anyone with an older car will know that the range of random problems your car can pick up as it gets older is quite astonishing. Some drivers are luckier than others with the number of problems they have but at some point everyone will have something to deal with.
If you have recently bought a new car or have a car that is just getting a bit now, this article will look at a number of common issues that can arise and let you know what they should do about them when they arise.
Rust
Also known as 'car cancer', rust is a very common issue with most cars as the salt picked up from roads corrodes car body work and undersides. You may notice small 'brownie orange' patches appear around your wheel arches at first which slowly get darker and often crumble away to dust. Rust can appear anywhere on the metal parts of your car and can only really be deal with using preventative methods which include a range of chemicals or by cutting away the 'infected' part of the bodywork and filling the gap with body work rebuilder or by removing the whole panel of the car.
Noisy Exhaust
Another very common issue with older cars is a noisy exhaust. This is normally caused by a hole appearing in your exhaust before the tailpipe, which in turn is commonly caused by rust appearing on the exhaust system or through damage. The noise is due to the exhaust fumes escaping through the hole and can be repaired by any garage. This should be treated with quickly too as exhaust gases are hazardous to your health, and depending on the location of the hole they can escape directly into the cabin. Safest thing to do is to take your car to the garage as soon as your exhaust starts making a noise. Although some performance car parts may make it sound like you have a hole when you do not.
Cracked Windscreen
Driving at high speeds can cause small stones to hit your windscreen at well over 60mph. Normally these will just bounce off, but occasionally a slightly larger stone can cause a crack. If you see a crack appearing it is a good idea to get it fixed immediately as it can quickly turn in to a bigger crack and be a real hazard if it happens at high speed. If the crack is in the drivers field of vision or if it is bigger than 3cm in diameter you may need to get the whole windscreen replaced, but if it is smaller than this or away from the drivers view you can probably get it fixed by a windscreen specialist who can seal it with a special glue and gun.