Automobiles are prone to many different kinds of damage and malfunctions. Just by virtue of the moving parts and the amount of road hazards, they will malfunction at some point in their lifespan. Some estimates say there are 30,000 components to a modern automobile, so it’s inevitable that some of them will fail at some point. Fortunately, vehicles tend to make some kind of noise or give some kind of indication before they fail completely. So here are a few sounds and ticks to look for that will indicate you need automotive repair services.
Ticking Sound
Sometimes when you start your car, you will hear a ticking sound. The sound might run for the entire time you are driving, or subside after a few minutes. If it’s coming from underneath the hood of the car, you should pop the hood and listen for it. In many cases, the problem is a tensioner arm. Your car has a series of belts that control most of the spinning components. Those belts need to stay under tension to work properly. If you hear a ticking, the tensioner arm could be malfunctioning. You’ll need automotive repair services in Gaithersburg, MD sooner rather than later.
You can visit a place such as Eurowerks to have your tensioner arm looked at. If it’s not coming from the tensioner arm, the ticking could be a different problem entirely, which is especially true if you hear a hissing.
Hissing Sound
If you hear a hissing and/or a ticking sound, you should check your tire pressure frequently. If your tires are leaking fast enough that you can hear it, you’ll need immediate automotive repair services. If it’s not the tires, turn off your car and let it sit for a few minutes. You should then look at your car from the front and back, and if it’s leaning one way or the other, you could have air shocks that are leaking.
