Computers have been installed in all cars since the 1980s. They help to control various parts of your car. Your car’s computer has numerous sensors that connect to it, and these sensors monitor vital components for signs of damage or failure. An engine diagnostic by your Ford dealer will reveal any possible problems in your Ford that have been registered by your computer.
Your Check Engine Light Comes On
The check engine light covers a wide variety of potential engine problems. As we saw, sensors monitor your engine components. These sensors can detect minute changes in the component they’re attached to. The sensor will signal the computer that there’s a problem, and this will cause the light to go on. The light doesn’t, however, tell you anything about what or where the problem is.
To find the cause of the illumination of the light, we will connect your car’s computer to our diagnostic system. This state-of-the-art system can identify any problem. Your computer logs an error code to identify the problem, and the diagnostic system reads and identifies this code. Diagnostic systems save time in identifying a problem, and this time saved saves you money in repair costs.
Strange Sounds
No driver wants to hear strange sounds from the engine. A healthy Ford engine makes almost no sound, so clunking, grinding, or squealing sounds are a sign of trouble. These sounds can be caused by a variety of engine problems. This makes it vital to know where the problem is coming from. It’s also important to remember that some minor problems can make loud, worrying noises.
A clunking noise, for example, suggests that something is loose and moving around. One of the rubber supports on the engine mount may have worn down, for example, and part of the engine now moves as you drive. If you have a manual transmission, this clunking could mean you have a problem with the transmission. Our diagnostic system will pinpoint the area that our technicians need to repair.
Strange Smells
Nasty odors are also not something that’s associated with a healthy Ford engine. Chemical smells, burning rubber, and hot metal as just a few of the possible smells that register a problem. None of these smells are good, and it’s important to find the cause ASAP.
Burning rubber, for example, could mean that you have a worn alternator belt that heating up. This smell can also mean that the electrical insulation in your engine is burning because of an electrical failure. Hot metal smells don’t reveal what metal part is heating or why. The smell could be caused by an overworked alternator straining to supply power. Whatever the cause of the smells, a diagnostic will reveal them.
If you think you may have a problem, or your Ford doesn’t feel right, come into Greenwood Ford for a diagnostic. Once we have the diagnostic, our technicians will fix the problem.
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