Nobody knows your vehicle better than you; if you suspect it isn’t driving the way it used to, there’s a good chance you’re correct. The truth of the matter is there are countless reasons and remedies for such a broad subject, but Westerville Automotive in Westerville has compiled a list of a few common problems that can cause a vehicle to drive poorly.
Vibration
Vibrations while driving can be an huge annoyance. The sound and feel of a vibrating car is unpleasant at least, and can be caused by a myriad of things. Typically it boils down to this: something is out of balance. Whether it’s bad or unbalanced tires, your driveshaft, a bad rubber mount or bushing, failing u-joints, bad axles, or otherwise, most vibrations occur because something isn’t balanced as it should be. While there are many things that can cause vibration, fortunately a trained mechanic at Westerville Automotive can generally pinpoint what the problem is fairly quickly. Correlation of the vibration to speed, engine RPM, what gear the car is in, etc. are all observations our experienced mechanics use to quickly diagnose a vibration in your vehicle.
Shaking/Pulling
A shake is different from a vibration in that it can typically be felt in the brake pedal, steering wheel, or front wheels. Rather than the high frequency hum of a vibration, a shake usually occurs at certain speeds or when the brake pedal is depressed. This can be caused by unevenly worn or damaged tires, a front end out of alignment, warped brake rotors, or bad brake pads. Again, one of our technicians can nail down your problem in no time, and typically fixing this sort of issue is straightforward.
Engine stalling/Poor shifting
This one can be a bit more tricky. Everything from an unplugged sensor to a failing transmission can cause your engine to stall or your transmission to shift poorly, or slip in and out of gear. If you have one of these issues, it would be wise to bring your car to the repair shop before any permanent damage is done; sometimes it doesn’t take long. Before you fear the worst, know that often a bad sensor can make your problem seem a lot worse than it is. Bring your car by for a tune-up and we’ll check it out.
The good news is, once you’ve sorted out a problem with the way your vehicle drives, you may not even recognize it as the same vehicle afterwards. Generally, fixing such issues will make a car drive infinitely better, and you’ll suddenly find yourself enjoying your vehicle rather than worrying when you’ll be able to afford a new one. If your car isn’t driving right, visit us at Westerville Automotive today, and let us get your car, truck, or SUV back in shape.
