Expensive vehicle repair bills can be such a drag, especially when they come unexpectedly. While you can’t completely eliminate expenses associated with fixing your car, you can reduce the probability of having to deal with the more expensive auto repair bills. How? By regularly maintaining your vehicle and replacing parts before they break. Proper vehicle maintenance will also extend the life of your vehicle. That’s a very good thing if you are trying to avoid expensive car payments. In this blog post, you will learn about the 7 most expensive vehicle repairs and what you can do to avoid having to deal with them.
- Turbocharger (also referred to as a Turbo) – Replacing a turbocharger is really quite expensive – possibly costing thousands of dollars! Ouch! It’s a lot of fun to drive a vehicle that is equipped with a turbo, but they also require a certain amount of proper care. Problems with the turbocharger will show signs of poor acceleration, exhaust emissions problems, or the engine makes a loud, shrieking noise. You may even have a Check Engine Light on your dashboard. You can take care of the turbo by changing the oil and filter when it should be changed (use high-quality synthetics), letting the engine warm up before driving at high speeds, and using the high-quality fuel with the octane level recommended by the manufacturer.
- Fuel Injectors: The fuel injectors are responsible for spraying a fine mist of gasoline into the combustion chamber. That means each cylinder has a corresponding fuel injector (e.g. a 6-cylinder engine will have 6 fuel injectors). The timing and amount of fuel to air mixture must be precise for your engine to operate at its best. A clogged or bad fuel injector is unable to deliver the precise amount of fuel. As such, you will end up having problems with engine performance. The engine may misfire, you will definitely notice bad gas mileage, and you may even smell gasoline. As they age, the fuel injectors will need to be replaced. You can prevent this from happening prematurely by having the fuel injectors cleaned according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Head Gasket: Issues with the head gasket can be a nightmare. The head gasket is responsible for preventing coolant from mixing with engine oil. When the head gasket cracks, the coolant mixes with the oil and damage will occur to the engine. Often times, a blown head gasket will happen when the engine is allowed to overheat. Head gasket leaks can also occur in older vehicles. A head gasket problem will demonstrate itself with some of the following: white smoke coming from the tailpipe, an engine that overheats, bubbles in the radiator or coolant overflow tank, oil that looks milky white, and/or serious loss of coolant (without visible signs of a leak). How can you prevent a head gasket problem? By maintaining the cooling system – change the coolant before it’s unable to protect your engine parts, keep watch for leaks and have them fixed, and replace belts and hoses before they break.
- Timing Belt: This is one part that you definitely want to have changed before it breaks. Whatever the manufacturer of your vehicle recommends, follow it. The timing belt controls the camshafts in the engine so the valves open and close at the right time. It goes through a lot of wear and tear. If you don’t replace the belt and it breaks, the valves and pistons will crash into each other causing major engine damage. The timing belt is not readily visible in your engine. In fact, we have to remove several plastic covers to be able to inspect the timing belt. We can’t stress it enough – replace the timing belt before it breaks. Yes, timing belt replacement is an expensive job, but it’s a lot less expensive than having to replace the engine… or having to buy a new vehicle.
- Fuel Pump: As you can imagine by its name, the fuel pump sends fuel to the engine. On some vehicles, it’s located in the gas tank and in others, it’s not. If you begin to hear an odd sound coming from the gas tank or you have difficulty starting the engine, there may be a problem with the fuel pump. How can you minimize problems with the fuel pump? Fill your tank with high-quality tier-1 fuel and change the fuel filter at least once a year. It’s also prudent to not let the gas tank get below ¼ full before refilling.
- A Seized Engine: Not good. When an engine seizes, the crankshaft is unable to turn. It can occur if the engine overheats or you are driving it with low or no oil. If this happens, you will need a new engine or a new vehicle. A word of caution, if the oil warning light comes on while you are driving, safely pull off to the side and call for a tow to our shop in Fort Collins, CO. You can prevent this from happening by checking the oil level and condition once a month and by having the oil and oil filter changed regularly. It’s also important to maintain the cooling system to avoid engine overheating.
- Automatic Transmission: The transmission is quite complicated and must be maintained regularly to work properly. If you have an older vehicle, check the transmission fluid at least once a month. If it smells like it is burnt or looks black/darn brown in color, there’s a problem with the transmission. You will also want to be watchful for transmission fluid leaks. If you notice any of these signs, have the transmission looked at and repaired right away. The best way to avoid transmission problems is to change the fluid and filter on time. We can let you know the best replacement schedule for your vehicle and driving habits. Important to note: If you’ve never changed the fluid or filter and your vehicle is approaching 100,000 miles or more, don’t have this service done. Doing so can cause transmission problems. Instead, check with us.
Avoid major auto repair expenses by having your vehicle maintained at Campus Repair in Ft. Collins, CO
You can keep your vehicle operating its best when you commit to regular maintenance. It’s also the best way to prevent some of these more expensive vehicle repairs. The technicians at Campus Repair in Ft. Collins, Colorado, can assist you. We maintain detailed records of your vehicle’s service history and will let you know when a part needs to be replaced so you can do so before it breaks. Schedule your vehicle service at our auto repair shop today.