Sometimes it can be a bit difficult to identify why your vehicle is acting weird. But one thing you must ensure is that the engine is fit and ready to go. Or else you may cause more serious damage to your car, not to mention yourself. So, how to know if the engine is bad?
If your car is making crackling noises at startup, the engine light is illuminated, or experiencing a loss of power, it might be the engine. Moreover, there can be other signs like an odd odor coming out of the car. Make sure to get your vehicle checked by a professional to avoid unwanted circumstances.
To get a more elaborate insight on how you can identify issues with your engine, keep reading the rest of the article.
How To Know If Engine Is Bad?
Some obvious signs indicate that something’s wrong with your car engine. If you can identify the issue at an early stage, you can minimize the damage and the cost. So, let’s take a look at the symptoms of a bad engine.
1. Engine Light
The easiest way to know if there’s something wrong with your engine is to keep the light in check. If you see the light illuminate, you can be certain that the vehicle needs a visit to the mechanic.
It’s best not to be late in such cases. The issue might be minor, and getting it checked will certainly save you money compared to when the problem increases.
2. Knocking Sound
When you start the engine, if you hear it make a knocking sound for a few seconds and then stop, this might be a symptom of a bad engine. Similarly, other noises that are not supposed to be there when you drive your car can also be considered an engine problem.
If you’re not an expert on confirming the issues your vehicle is having, the best thing to do is to take the car to a professional mechanic. It might not be anything at all. But it’s always better to be certain.
3. Increased Exhaust
Another way to identify a bad engine is to check the smoke coming out of the tailpipe. If the smoke emission is more unusual compared to what usually happens, take your car to an auto shop. If you see black smoke coming out of the pipe, it can indicate that the vehicle is burning more fuel than usual.
4. Decrease In Performance
One way to tell whether the engine is alright or not is to monitor the performance. If the fuel efficiency is not like usual and the vehicle requires warm-up time, it’s a good idea to get it checked by a professional.
These are not necessarily a symptom of a bad engine. However, they could be. The only way you can be sure is to get the car checked.
5. Odd Odors
If your vehicle’s exhaust smoke smells bad, it can be caused by an engine failure. When the smoke continues to smell like that, you need to take your car to a professional and get the engine checked.
6. Engine Running Even After Turning Off Ignition
One common issue with high-performance vehicles is that the engine keeps running even when you have turned off the ignition. This can be a result of a faulty engine. Even though there can be other sources that can cause the same issue, you need to get the car checked.
7. Rough Idle
When you stop at a red light and notice your car having a hard time staying on, this might be an issue. A healthy engine would not struggle to stay on when you’re on the road. So, if you notice your car doing so, make sure to pay a visit to the auto shop.
8. Oil Color
You can also check the engine oil for signs of a bad engine. If the oil does not look like it’s supposed to, you can assume that the engine is at fault. You may notice cream color oil inside the engine if your engine is not in the state it’s supposed to be.
To Summarize
Let’s point out the things you can take as a sign of a bad engine.
- The engine light is on.
- Annoying noises are coming from the engine.
- Your car is having difficulty starting up or staying on.
- Bad odors coming out of the smoke.
- More smoke than usual.
- Black smoke coming from the tail pipe.
- Decreased fuel efficiency.
- Change in oil color.
- The vehicle is burning more fuel to run the same distance as before.
FAQ
How do you know if your engine needs to be replaced?
There are signs you can follow to be certain about your engine condition. If you are experiencing annoying noises, excessive smoke coming out of the engine, loss of power, etc., your engine might need replacing. However, you can only be certain after you get your car checked out by a professional mechanic.
Can a damaged engine be fixed?
This entirely depends on how much you’ve damaged your engine. If it’s minimal and replacing a few parts will do the trick, then yes, the engine can be fixed. On the contrary, if the engine is too damaged, it may be beyond repair. So, you will have to replace the engine in those cases.
Final Words
Sometimes the answer to how to know if engine is bad is easy. Sometimes it’s more complex. There are a lots of symptoms that you can use to identify if it’s caused by the engine. It’s always a great idea to get your vehicle checked on a regular basis.
The symptoms mentioned below may not be caused by a bad engine at all. But they’re still unusual and need attention from a professional. You may think it’s costly to get your car to the shop for every little problem. But imagine the cost you will have to bear if the vehicle suffers from more permanent damage.
