It pays to beware of these 10 Most Wanted Car
Killers, the corrosive agents of your car’s destruction from within.
They tend to be stealthy killers, often escaping the notice of even the
most careful car owners.
Thankfully there's a way to protect your car. Get to know your car’s 10 worst enemies.
Then ask your service advisor about Scheduled Maintenance. There’s a
quality service specifically designed to protect your car from each
one of the 10 Most Wanted Car Killers. Oxidation of engine oil
produces harmful sludge that can reduce engine cooling, accelerate
component wear and plug passages necessary for proper oil circulation
and lubrication. Abrasive material then accumulates within the engine,
which can destroy bearings and promote seal leakage. Likewise, oxidative
by-products of fuel reduce the volumetric efficiency of fuel pumps and
filters, and can result in costly fuel injector failure. Higher tailpipe
emissions and poor fuel economy always follow in the footsteps of
damaging fuel deposits. Heavy carbon residues
build up on fuel injectors, thus reducing their optimal efficiency. This
leads to a poor fuel spray pattern, reduced injector cooling and flow,
and inefficient combustion. If left unattended, this condition can rob
an engine of power and will produce excess exhaust gas smoke, poor power
and fuel economy and shortened injector life. Rear differential ring
and pinion gears can suffer scoring, fretting and pitting due to lack
of lubrication and corrosion. Stress cracks may develop that serve to
weaken the gear surface and promote further damage. Also, excessive gear
and bearing noise may indicate that abrasive metallic wear is occurring
within your gear set. Progressive gear wear within this unit will have a
negative effect on seals, causing fluid leakage. Gummy residues derived
from residual fuel vapors have a tendency to accumulate within the air
intake (plenum) over time. These deposits restrict air flow and disrupt
combustion air swirl and dispersal. This all serves to decrease engine
efficiency and fuel economy. Engine devices like MAF sensors, Idle Air
Controllers and critical throttle plate clearances are also impeded by
these gummy deposits. Transmissions operate
under widely adverse conditions and expose the transmission fluid to
wide swings in temperature. As Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ages,
it forms sludge, which reduces fluid circulation and transmission
cooling. Abrasive metal particles generated from aged ATF will ruin
seals and cause irreversible damage to internal transmission components.
A customer may eventually experience erratic shifting, excessive
vibration or noise, or even transmission failure. High pressure power
steering units require excellent lubricants to function properly. Damage
to gears, seals, O-rings, bearings and bushings, and spool valves are
dramatically increased by poor quality lubricants. Critical brass and
other soft alloys rely on the proper balance of lubricant additives to
ensure long power steering life and trouble-free operation. Minerals found in tap
water have the tendency of combining with the additives found in
automotive coolant. When this happens, they form a chemical complex
called “phosphate scale,” which coats the heat transfer surfaces of the
radiator and heads, resulting in decreased heat-transfer efficiency.
When this occurs, your car will overheat and run much hotter than it was
designed to. This scale can also lead to the destruction of water pump
bearings. The gradual
deterioration of brake fluid over time happens by exposure to heat,
pressure, and moisture contamination. As the brake fluid additives
deplete, the fluid breaks down at an increased rate, resulting in
corrosion of brake parts, poor compressibility and eventual loss of
brake function. Mildew, mold and
spores can inhabit your automotive climate control system. The presence
of moisture in air conditioning ducts is common since the air leaving
the air conditioner evaporator is saturated with it. Air conditioning
used continuously during hot weather provides little time for ducts to
dry out. High moisture in ducts can cake with dirt and provide an
environment for mold to grow. This situation leads to serious indoor air
contamination problems, resulting in symptoms of illness such as
headaches, watery eno, nausea, skin disorders and fatigue. Slower than normal
cranking may be a sign that your battery is holding less than it’s
optimal electric charge. Oxidation of the battery terminals and build-up
of exterior dirt and corrosion accelerate the loss of current through
the case of the battery, thus prematurely discharging it. . |