We hate to say it here at Hightech Automotive but there will come a time when your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine can no longer be repaired. Once this time comes, if you wish to continue to drive your automobile, you will have to replace the engine. Here are five signs that your engine is beyond repair. In some cases, only a portion of the engine may need to be rebuilt to fix the problem. In other cases, you may need to replace the engine entirely to resolve the issue.
1. Constant Knocking
If your engine knocks constantly even with high-octane fuel in it, the problem is most likely in the rod bearings or the rods themselves. The rods and rod bearings are what move the pistons up and down in the cylinders. If the bearings are worn, the pistons will vibrate against the cylinder walls. This is the knocking sound that you hear. If a rod brakes, you will not be able to drive your automobile because the engine will die completely.
2. Constant Overheating
Constant overheating can be a sign of an issue in your vehicle’s cooling system, a cracked head gasket, a cracked exhaust manifold, or a cracked engine block. The first three issues can be resolved with a partial engine rebuild. If you have a cracked engine block, you’ll need to replace the engine. If you continue to drive your automobile when it is overheating constantly, you will damage the engine further.
3. Excessive Exhaust Smoke
As you know, you rarely see exhaust smoke coming out of your tailpipe. Rather, you see steam in cold weather. If your tailpipe has taken up smoking, this indicates there is a problem in the engine. The problem is a severe leak of either fuel, oil, or engine coolant. The color of the exhaust smoke will identify the fluid that is leaking, i.e., black, blue, or white exhaust smoke, respectively.
4. Metal Shavings in the Oil
Metal shavings found in your motor oil indicate that your engine is a complete goner. Unfortunately, you will have to replace the engine, which will die in a matter of hours, if there is metal in the oil. The metal is disintegrating auto parts. That’s right. Your engine is literally disintegrating into the oil. Obviously, this is something that cannot be repaired.
5. Reduction in Power Production
Finally, you will need to replace your engine if it can no longer produce power. As with any machine, your vehicle’s engine has a limited lifespan. You may get hundreds of thousands of miles out of the engine, but there will come a time when it simply cannot produce any more power no matter how much we repair it. This is the time to replace the engine.
Hightech Automotive in Forest City, NC, can help you determine whether you need an engine replacement or your engine can be rebuilt. Call us today to schedule an appointment.