These car repairs will cost you

But you can avoid them

Owning a car also brings to responsibilities; maintaining it and repairing it. Maintenance is done when the car is not broken and repair follows when the car is broken. Generally, maintenance costs less than repair. That is why we bring you these tips about some of the most costly repair jobs you want to avoid by ensuring that your vehicle is well maintained.

Cylinders

Cylinders are the chamber where the fuel is burned and turned into power. Most car engines have four, six, or eight cylinders. Generally, more cylinders mean more power. But fewer cylinders mean better fuel economy. A car can’t run without an engine, and an engine can’t run properly without functioning cylinders. Any type of engine damage is expensive to repair, but cylinders are the most expensive. The cost goes up with the power of your engine. So don’t let you bad luck, bad driving or bad maintenance habits damage your cylinders.

The Suspension

Your car’s suspension system; the shock absorbers, control arms, springs, and tie rods perhaps take the biggest beating of any part on our rough, potholed, and dirt roads. Whenever, you hit unexpected road bumps, abandoned stones and more on the road, these parts suffer. Fortunately you can do regular maintenance of parts of the suspension instead of waiting to do a major repair job. Unfortunately mechanics usually insist on replacing whole components. Shock absorbers, for example, consist of struts, coil springs, dampers, bushes etc. which makes replacement costly. But it is better than waiting till they fail. Then they will damage the steering rack and other parts.

The camshaft

Inside a car’s cylinder head; the top part of the engine is the camshaft. It is long rotating rod called a shaft that supports several oval-shaped parts called cams. Below the camshaft is the row of air intake valves which control how the engine takes in air. The air is important because that is how the vehicle burns fuel to convert it into energy. Because the cams are oval-shaped; meaning that as they rotate they push the valves to open and close. Over time, a car’s camshaft collects debris and dirt. But it is a very solid part and should never fail if engine is well maintained. But lack of regular engine changes and valve cleaning leads to clogging and eventual breakdown. Getting a camshaft replacement is expensive even before you add labour costs and add-ons.

Head Gasket

The head gasket is the seal that sits between the cylinder head and the cylinders or engine block and, critically it prevents engine coolant or engine oil leaking into the cylinders. The head gasket often goes bad because of the engine temperature going high. The engine gets heated because of many things; bad radiator, no coolant (possibly because of leak), faulty fan etc. These in turn could be cause by lack of basic servicing or maintenance.

You should check head gasket if engine becomes overheated or runs rough, vehicle lacks power, there is steam or white smoke from the exhaust etc. This problem can cause other problems, including a lot of water getting into the cylinders, ‘hydraulic lock’, and complete engine failure. The head gasket itself is not costly. It is the mechanics who charge more because they have to dismantle the top of the engine; the cylinder head. To be done well, the must do valve reconditioning, timing chain replacement, water pump service, or intake and exhaust gaskets.

Engine block

A blown engine is about the worst news that your average car owner is likely to receive. Normal engine issues are the most common car problem reported to mechanics. But a ‘blown motor’ means the engine has suffered so much internal damage that it needs extensive repair or a full replacement. That can be quite costly.

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