Flooding has been a recent issue for a lot of areas in the Southeast USA. Places that never got an inch above the heel of puddles suddenly have to deal with rising floodwaters when heavy rains happen in succession. As such, a lot of people don’t know how to deal with it. This includes car owners. As a result, flood damage is starting to be one of the biggest reasons for car repairs. But how can you protect your car from flood damage? If it’s a force of nature that we can’t control, is there any way for you to mitigate the damage?

How to protect your car from flood damage

Fortunately for us, there are ways to prevent our cars from suffering from flood damage.

But first thing’s first, we need to understand that different flood depths produce different types of damage to our cars. Several inches of floodwater is usually not a problem. Once the level reaches your car floorboard, though, that’s when you need to start worrying.

Getting your car partially submerged (around 20-40%) is a cause for concern. When your vehicle gets fully submerged, it’s best to start the grieving process.

So, let’s start with our list of tips on how you can protect your car from flood damage.

Be wary of flood-prone areas

If you have been driving around the exact location for years, you will have a good idea of where the flood-prone areas are. As soon as you see the rain pick up, steer clear of said areas. Not only are flood-prone areas dangerous for your car, but you might also end up getting stuck in said area as more people get stranded.

Always have a backup “flood free” route in your mind at all times. They might not be the shortest, but if it allows you to reach your destination without wading through a flood, they will be the best choice.

Think twice about driving through puddles

So the rain has stopped, and all you have in front of you are puddle-riddled roads. As much as possible, don’t drive through puddles. You might miscalculate the depth of the puddle and end up in a foot or two of water.

If you need to go through the puddle, wait for another car to pass by and estimate the puddle’s depth if it’s something your car can take.

Find a flood-free area and wait

If you are stranded and surrounded by severely flooded areas, find a safe space for your car and wait. There’s no point risking your car. Wait for the floodwaters to subside before venturing out. Some parking areas are elevated enough to keep you and your car safe from rising flood water so you can start there.

Invest in a flood cover

If your home is in a flood-prone location, there is very little you can do. You can relocate your car to higher ground, but there is an issue of security.

However, one thing you can do to protect your vehicle from flood damage is to buy a flood cover. A flood cover is almost like an inverted sun cover. It’s a simple tool that wraps your car from the underside up, keeping water away from entering the engine. Get one as soon as possible so you won’t have to worry about flood damage to your car at home.

Get a comprehensive car insurance plan

If you are worried about flood damage to your vehicle, you might as well get a comprehensive car insurance plan. Basic car insurance plans don’t cover flood damage, so a comprehensive one is much better. You can expect a higher monthly premium, but if it helps your peace of mind, it will be worth it.

T3 Atlanta For Flood Damage Assessment And Repair

If you think your car has flood damage, waste no time and contact T3 Atlanta right away. T3 Atlanta is the leading expert in repairing Infinity, Toyota, Nissan, and Lexus vehicles in the greater Atlanta area. Our team of experts can help assess a flooded car and give an expert diagnosis on what type of repair it will need to get it running.

Call T3 Atlanta to book an appointment today!

It doesn’t matter what season – weather damage is inevitable. It can be in the middle of a hot sweltering summer day or a torrential downpour. Weather does and will continue to be a significant threat to your car. But we are not helpless, though. There is something you can do to protect your car from weather damage in every season. Let’s talk about each one in this article.

How to protect your car from weather damage during extreme heat

Extreme heat during the summertime can be uncomfortable for you, and it can cause a lot of damage to your car’s surfaces. Here are some things you can do to prevent such issues.

Find shade

Always park your car in the shade as much as possible to prevent the heat of the sun from hitting your car directly. However, it would help if you also were wary of where you are parking beneath. If you park beneath a tree, you may have to deal with bird droppings or a tree branch falling. You also have to consider sap and other organic materials from the tree that can cause staining.

If you can’t find a shade for your car, invest in a windshield sunshade at the very least. This will protect your car’s interior surfaces and will help lower the internal temperature of your vehicle.

Check the cooling system

If it’s hot outside, your car’s cooling system will be working double-time to keep you cool inside. This is a good time for you to check it to ensure it is in the best shape possible.

How to protect your car from weather damage during the rainy season

The rainy season might be the perfect time for hugs and hot cocoa, but it can do extreme damage to your car if you are not careful. Well, it’s not the rain per se that you should worry about, but all the chemicals and oils that come with it. Let’s find out what you can do to protect your car.

Proactively wash and wax your car

One of the most significant issues with rain is the water spots it leaves behind. To prevent such things from happening, you should proactively wash and wax your car to seal and coat it properly. This will give your vehicle a barrier between the paint and the rain. This means cleaning your car is much more manageable while protecting it at the same time.

Seal all openings

The interior of your car is off-limits to water. As such, you should make sure you seal all openings that will allow water to seep through the interiors of your car. Double-check the rubber linings on the doors and have them repaired right away if you see issues.

How to protect your car from weather damage during blizzards and extreme cold

When people talk about extreme weather, one of the first things that come to mind are blizzards – which is warranted. Snow is something we don’t experience often here in Atlanta, but it can cause a lot of damage to your car if you’re traveling up North.

Cover your windshield with a towel

Are you tired of waking up in the morning only to see your windshield covered in snow? This means you have to scrape it all off before you start your day. Eliminate this by placing a towel on your windshield the night prior. When morning comes, remove the towel along with all the snow that accumulated that night.

Check your tire pressure

When it is colder, your tire pressure might get low – dangerously low. So make sure to check it now and then and fill it up once it gets too low.

Get snow tires

If you experience frequent snowstorms, you might as well get snow tires. These tires are created specifically to help cars during winter road conditions. If you don’t want to invest in snow tires, consider getting chains – but make sure that they’re allowed where you will be driving first.

Get special wiper fluid

If you feel like the current wiper fluid you are using is only causing more problems than solving them, you should get winter-specific wiper fluid. This type of wiper fluid does not produce streaks and will help prevent your windshield from getting dirty.

All-Weather Maintenance And Repair At T3 Atlanta

Feel like there’s something wrong with your car? Take it to T3 Atlanta and let one of our expert mechanics take a look. We specialize in Nissan, Toyota, Infiniti, and Lexus cars. T3 Atlanta is a trusted name in car repair and maintenance in the greater Atlanta area, so you can be sure you are in good hands.

Give T3 Atlanta a call or a visit today!

There are a lot of things that are outside the control of man, one of which is the weather. Depending on where you live, a few days of rain can either be a bummer or something that will keep you up at night. This is because flooding in some areas is no joke. In some places, like in the Southeast US, flooding is a big problem for car owners. But what should you do if you have flood damage in your car? What are the things you should do first? Let’s talk all about that in this article.

How does being submerged damage your car?

This question is self-explanatory, but to better handle flood damage in your car, you have to understand what damage it does first.

First off, your car’s engine is not built to be introduced to water. Aside from possibly damaging electrical components, your vehicle will not run right when water enters the cylinders and pistons. If you try to turn on the engine when moisture is present in areas it shouldn’t be, it can total your car. Then there’s also the musty odor and silt that gets left behind,

The truth is, some vehicles that have been submerged in a flood can still run. But the number of repairs and replacements it might need often make them lost causes. You need an expert to assess the flood damage in your car thoroughly.

So, what should you do if your car got partially or fully submerged?

What to do when your car gets flooded

Check the overall damage

While an expert mechanic should do this, you can do a preliminary check of the damage done by the flood to your car. While doing so, don’t forget to take pictures of your vehicle for your insurance.

Refrain from trying to see if your car still works. Leave that one for the experts. At this point, you need to determine which areas of your vehicle were flooded. A partially flooded car has a higher chance of working while a fully submerged one is good as gone.

Dry it up

The first actual thing you can do for your car at this point is to help remove as much moisture as possible. This is to prevent further damage and inhibit the growth of mold. You can either push your car to get it into a good area or have it towed. The goal is to transfer it to a place where you can ventilate it properly.

You can use a dry/wet vacuum to suck up any remaining water within the car. Use dry towels to dry the cushions or seats. You can also opt to put the chairs under the sun if you know how to remove them.

Process your claim

Depending on the type of insurance you have, you can start processing your claim if the car is totaled. Regular insurance usually does not cover flood damage, so you should check the fine print first.

Call your agent and tell them about the current condition of your car. You can send the pictures you took when you did your inspection as well. Ask them what you should do next to start processing your claim.

Get an expert to see if your car can be salvaged

After calling your agent and knowing your options, you can focus on drying your car, or you can go and call an expert to help you inspect it further.

One of the things they would check will be the oil and the vehicle’s electrical components. If your mechanic has experience with flooded cars, they can outright tell you if the vehicle is too far gone or if it is still repairable.

Depend On T3 Atlanta For Support

Flood damage in your car is not a laughing matter. That is why the team of T3 Atlanta is ready to offer expert advice and support for people who have had their cars flooded. Our team of expert mechanics specializes in diagnosing and repairing Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan cars. Call T3 Atlanta today and let us help you assess your situation further.

Accidents happen. No matter how careful we are, some things are outside our control. Even the best drivers have had the unfortunate experience of accidentally hitting a parked car. When you hit a parked car, it’s easy to panic and feel terrible about yourself. But it’s also one of the most common accidents and is usually solved quite easily if you don’t let your brain overthink. Here’s a quick checklist of what you need to do when you accidentally hit a parked car so you can resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

What to do after you accidentally hit a parked car

Stop

If you hit a parked car, stop right away. Don’t flee the scene or try to move your vehicle. Fleeing the scene of the accident will only make your situation worse. Driving your car can also cause additional damage to both your cars, so as soon as you feel the impact, stop.

Relax

So you accidentally hit a parked car. You might be panicking at this point, and that’s normal. You should first gather yourself and relax. Panicking will not help you think straight.

Assess the situation

Accidentally hitting a parked car can result in a simple dent, or it can result in somebody needing emergency help. Assess the situation and take the necessary steps to address the current problem adequately. If somebody needs help, call 911 right away.

Take responsibility

At this point, the worst is over. It would be best if you took responsibility for the accident right away. Report the accident even if there is little or no damage. Some states will legally require you to report the accident and leave your information.

If the other car’s driver is not present, leave your name, phone number, driver’s license number, and license plate number in a note so the driver can contact you if they have any issues.

De-escalate the situation

There are situations where the parked car driver is present, and they are not happy with the accident. Assuming you have already taken responsibility for the accident, called the police, and provided the other driver with the necessary information, you need to de-escalate the situation.

There are multiple ways to do this, but the simplest way is to apologize and not join in on the other person’s frustrations. Hopefully, this will temper the anger and surprise of the other driver so things don’t escalate.

Take pictures

To lessen the chances of becoming a victim of fraud, take as many pictures or videos as possible. Make sure you include shots of the damage to the other car, their license plate, and other angles of the accident.

It’s also wise to take pictures of your vehicle as you may need them if you want to use your insurance to repair your car. If you left a note, take a video or picture of it placed on the vehicle. This will be visual evidence proving you followed the law.

Call your insurance company

Your insurance company should be notified of any accident your car is a part of. Even if you can’t locate the owner of the parked vehicle or if you left a note, you should still inform your insurance company of the accident. This ensures that you and your insurance company are protected and will have all the information needed.

Have Your Car Checked At T3 Atlanta

When you are part of an accident, it’s safe to assume that your car has suffered some form of damage. What could seem like a small dent on the outside may hide a more significant problem underneath. If you hit a parked car, you may want to have your car checked and fixed as soon as possible. If you are anywhere near Metro Atlanta, the experts at T3 Atlanta are ready to help you out.

T3 Atlanta has over 20 years of experience servicing Infiniti, Lexus, Toyota, and Nissan vehicles. Give T3 Atlanta a call today, and let us take good care of your car.

I think most, if not all, drivers will agree that parking skills are one of the top driving skills that one should master right away. When you become an expert in parking, you can quickly identify if a spot can fit your car and what you need to do to squeeze your vehicle into that space. Parking outside your favorite restaurant is one thing, but parking on hills can be challenging for several reasons.

Safety Tips When Parking On Hills

Before we move forward, let’s clear something up first: parking on hills will not damage your vehicle in any way. It doesn’t matter if the one who told you is a guy who drives a semi for 20 years. Hills are not bad for your car – as long as you do it right. That’s why we wrote this article – to tell you everything you need to know to avoid endangering yourself and the people around you.

1. Use your handbrake

Newer vehicles have a hill-start assist feature that prevents your car from rolling backward from a complete stop. This happens because the vehicle “holds” the brakes for a few seconds after you physically release the brake pedals.

Sadly, your car may not have this feature so that you can settle on the next best thing – your handbrake. When starting your vehicle while parked on a hill, keep your handbrake engaged until you feel your vehicle accelerating.

2. Keep a safe distance from other cars

Most of the time, parking on hills will require you to parallel park with other vehicles. If that is the case, it is always wise to give the cars behind and in front of you a bit of distance. This gap will allow everybody to drive out with as little danger as possible comfortably.

It would be best to always count for this “allowance” when looking for a parking spot as a responsible driver. If you feel like the space available will not allow for this allowance, it’s better to look for a different spot.

3. Engage in first or reverse gear when parking on hills if you are driving a stick

If you are parking facing upward, put your car in first gear. If you are parking facing down, put the car in reverse. This is a manual “safety net” in case your handbrake gives out. Just don’t forget to set your stick back to neutral before starting your vehicle so you don’t accidentally hit the cars behind or in front of you.

4. Get a wheel chock if necessary

If you see yourself parking on hills a lot of times, you may want to consider buying a wheel chock. This will only become necessary if you are hauling heavy cargo in your vehicle while being parked on a hill. Regular vehicle owners won’t need a wheel chock, and a large rock or block of wood can also do the job.

5. Don’t forget your tire positioning

If by any chance, your brake, the gears, and your wheel chock fail, there is still something you can do that will prevent a bigger accident – proper tire positioning. It’s pretty simple as well.

• If you are facing uphill, turn your wheels away from the curb.
• If you are facing downhill, turn your wheels towards the curb.

This ensures that if your car rolls backward or forward, it will always hit the curb and serve as a chock.

Quality Car Repair Services In Metro Atlanta

Parking on a hill is not always easy, but by following the tips mentioned above, you can slowly master it. If you feel like something is wrong with your handbrake, your car’s hill-assist system, or gears, then you should go to a trusted repair shop so they can take a look.

Drivers in Metro Atlanta trust one name for all their Toyota, Nissan, Lexus, and Infiniti cars, and that’s T3 Atlanta. T3 Atlanta has been in the service of giving drivers peace of mind for over 20 years. Give T3 Atlanta a call today and let our expert mechanics take care of your car.

Looking at modern cars, you can’t help but be amazed at how far technology has taken us from trying to run cars using steam power to electric vehicles traveling as far as 200 miles in one charge. Advances in technology affect every aspect of the car, from the tires to the safety features of vehicles. But these developments are not without their fault. One particular safety feature always seems to catch drivers at the most inopportune time. You might be thinking of many things right now, but we are talking about getting your car stuck in park. Why does it happen? What should you do? Let’s talk all about it.

Why is my car stuck in park and what should I do?

Most modern cars will not shift out of the park position randomly without applying the brakes. This is a safety feature that prevents unknowing passengers from shifting the car out of park. This is a feature that many of us are pretty aware of, but it gets unnoticed most of the time.

However, there are cases when the shifter seems to be stuck in park, and no amount of steady pressure appears to be able to make it budge.

To better understand why this happens, you need to get to know the parking pawl. The parking pawl is a device that locks on a parking gear. The parking gear is then locked to the output shaft in the case of the transmission. This prevents the vehicle from moving when in the park position. As soon as the driver selects any other gear aside from park, the mechanism is released.

As to why your car gets stuck in park, there are a couple of reasons. The most common ones are the following.

Parking on an incline

When your shifter seems to be stuck in park when parked on a slope, this could be because the parking pawl gets wedged on the parking gear due to pressure. Just imagine the whole weight of the car and passengers being put on the parking pawl. There will be difficulty in shifting if this is the case.

When you find yourself in such a position, the best thing you can do is relieve the pressure. You can do this by having another individual rock the car back and forth. For cases where the incline is too steep, you may need the help of a tow truck.

To prevent this from happening, make sure you engage your parking brakes first before placing your vehicle in park. This ensures that the weight and pressure of the vehicle are distributed to the car’s braking assemblies and not on the parking pawl.

Shifter interlock failure

Another reason why your shifter gets stuck in park is the shifter interlock system. This system was initially implemented to ensure that the vehicle does not accidentally shift to reverse or drive. The system prevents the shifter from moving from the park position until you step on the brake pedal.

When this system fails, you can’t move the shifter even if you step on the brake. The good news is that most vehicle manufacturers install a shift lock release to solve such an issue. To bypass the interlock, you can turn your key to the accessory position then move the shifter to neutral. If this fails, there’s also a manual shift lock override that can be engaged with the help of a flathead screwdriver or key.

The location of the override can differ from car to car, so it’s wise to familiarize yourself with its location with the help of the owner’s manual.

Brake switch failure

Another reason why the interlock feature does not disengage appropriately is because the system does not detect the brake pedal being depressed. To diagnose if this is the issue, have another person check if your brake lights light up when you step on the brakes. If they fail to light up, this can be the reason why you can’t shift your car from park.

If you get your car stuck in park, you should have it checked right away. Even if it’s just due to the pressure of being parked on an incline, it should still work. This means your vehicle might require maintenance work. For the other two reasons, you need a trusted repair shop to take a look at your car to fix the problem.

Fast And Friendly Auto Repair In Atlanta

If you are in Atlanta and get your car stuck in park, don’t hesitate to give T3 Atlanta a call. T3 Atlanta offers general repair services for Infiniti, Lexus, Toyota, and Nissan cars. With more than 20 years of experiencing the cars of Metro Atlanta, you can rest assured knowing you are in good hands with T3 Atlanta.

Imagine driving through a picturesque landscape enjoying the breeze when you feel your car jerk and jump. You hear that familiar sound of metal hitting the pavement. That’s when you realize you just hit a giant pothole. But how bad is hitting a pothole for our cars? How much damage can one pothole do to your vehicle, and what are the most vulnerable parts of your car when you hit a pothole? Why are potholes bad for your vehicle? Let’s take a look.

What is a pothole?

A pothole is a general term that refers to any depression in the road surface where traffic has removed broken pieces of the road. As a result, a hole is created on the road surface. Several things can cause potholes, but the most common culprits involve water in the underlying soil structure and heavy traffic passing over.

Hitting a pothole is not a rare thing. You probably hit a big one now and then, which does not mean you are a terrible driver. Sometimes we just can’t avoid potholes, whether due to other traffic on the road or pedestrians. Even seasoned drivers have their own pothole story.

While potholes are more prevalent in some areas with poor road construction, no street is immune to developing them, especially when the street regularly experiences heavy traffic. Even on miles of flat and even roads, a pothole can still appear out of nowhere.

Why are potholes bad for your car?

Potholes are bad news for your car, as hitting one can cause damage to your vehicle. The damage will depend on how hard you “hit” the pothole. The faster you are going, the more problems it can cause. That is why it is always wise to go slow in areas riddled with potholes. But what actual damage can potholes do? Let’s find out.

What kind of damage can potholes cause your car?

1. Tire blowouts and wheel damage: In the worst cases of pothole encounters, you can see tires get split or punctured. This may result in a blowout and possible wheel damage. If you are going at a reasonably high speed during such an accident, you can end up losing control of your vehicle and veer into other cars or oncoming traffic.
2. Misalignment of your steering system: When you hit a pothole hard, it can cause damage to your car’s steering system. The sheer force of the hit can cause a misalignment, which can then affect how well you can control the vehicle. This severely increases your chances of getting into an accident.
3. Damage to the exhaust system: Some potholes are deep enough that your exhaust system scrapes or just crashes into the ground. The damage can be critical enough to affect your engine. A damaged exhaust system may also affect you and your passengers with carbon monoxide poisoning.
4. Physical damage to your vehicle: If you hit a pothole hard enough, you will probably hear some scratches and thuds. This is your car hitting the road or ground below. Aside from causing problems to your exhaust, wheels, or steering system, hitting a pothole can also cause other physical damage to your car. Cars with shallow clearance are prominent victims of such accidents. For starters, your fenders and side skirts might get damaged when you hit a pothole.

Steer clear of potholes at all times

If you want to save yourself the trouble of worrying about the damage potholes can make on your car, you should steer clear of potholes as much as you can. You can do this by paying close attention to the road at all times and maintaining just enough speed so you can react to seeing a pothole. This is especially true if you are not familiar with the route you are going through.

If, despite your best efforts, you hit a pothole hard in Atlanta and you feel like your vehicle is experiencing some problems, give T3 Atlanta a call so we can have a look. Our team of expert mechanics can check your car to diagnose what’s wrong and what needs to be done to fix the problem. Give us a call and we’ll book you in for an appointment today!

Any standard car has around 15-20 warning and/or status lights on its dashboard. As a car owner and driver, you should familiarize yourself with these lights and understand what each one is for. That way, you know what’s wrong when one of them lights up. One of the newer lights added to car dashboards is the airbag warning light. As the name suggests, it’s a warning light connected to the airbag of the car. But what does it mean if it lights up? Let’s find out.

What are airbags for?

Before we talk about what you do when the airbag warning light comes on, let’s first talk about what airbags are. An airbag is considered a passive vehicle occupant-restraint system that activates whenever it senses a collision. It is designed to inflate within milliseconds to protect the passengers from fatal injury, then subsequently deflate to prevent suffocation.

The airbag system in your car consists of 4 major parts. These are:

• The airbag cushion
• A flexible fabric bag
• An inflation module
• An impact sensor

Nowadays, the airbag is part of a more extensive system called the SRS or supplemental restraint system. That is why the airbag warning light is often called the SRS light on certain occasions. Whenever the SRS light goes on, you have to consider several possible circumstances, which we discuss below.

What does it mean when the airbag warning light is on?

1. Your airbags might not deploy: The first thing that comes to mind when the airbag warning light goes on is that your airbag might not deploy when you need it to. The warning light is connected to the sensors in your vehicle’s SRS, so when it detects something is wrong, the light goes on. While this is not the case all the time, it is the safest and most logical assumption.
2. There’s something wrong with your seatbelts: As mentioned above, the airbag is just part of a more extensive system called the SRS within your vehicle. So, when the SRS light or airbag warning light goes on, there’s a possibility that other parts of the SRS have problems too. One of the more common culprits is your seatbelts. When there’s something wrong with the pretensioners on your seatbelts, the airbag warning light or SRS light will turn on.
3. The crash sensors might be due for a replacement: Crash sensors in our cars are not designed to be used multiple times. So, if you have had a minor crash in the past, there’s a chance that you need to replace your crash sensors.
4. You may have problems with your electrical wiring: There’s a chance that your SRS light is on not because your airbags have issues but because there’s something wrong with your vehicle’s wiring. A faulty SRS computer might also be a reason.

Never Fix An SRS/Airbag Problem Yourself

There are many videos online showing how you can fix your SRS/Airbag warning light. Most of these fixes are risky and can cause more significant problems in the future. Worst case scenario, you’ll end up with a faulty SRS, which will cause the whole system to fail when you need it to work most – like in a crash.

While it is true that seeing your airbag warning light go on is not an emergency situation, you should not disregard it, either. It’s best to visit your trusted mechanic ASAP to get it diagnosed. Most importantly, understand that the best way to solve the issue is to have a professional fix the real problem and not follow a DIY video online.

If you see your SRS light turn on, contact T3 Atlanta. We can have one of our expert mechanics promptly check your vehicle. T3 Atlanta specializes in servicing Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan vehicles. We can help you trace why your airbag warning light is on and provide a real fix for it. Contact T3 Atlanta today.

A knock on your door at 3 in the morning can surely put any person on edge. But you know what’s scarier? Hearing a random knock coming from your engine while you are traveling at high speeds. Strange engine sounds are considered one of the “scariest” things a driver can see or hear while driving. It can come as a knock, ping, clicking, or low, muffled sound. The thing is, when a weird sound comes from your engines, it’s a sign something is wrong, and you should probably stop.

But not all strange engine sounds are the same. Which one are you experiencing, and what’s the probable culprit? As we list the most common engine sounds you might hear, let’s find out what they mean.

Strange Engine Sounds And What They Mean

Sound: Squealing

• The culprit: Loose serpentine belt

A squealing sound is never good in any situation. But when it hails from under your car’s hood, it becomes a bit more serious. The most common source of a squealing sound from your engine is the serpentine belt. It can be either loose or worn. When the serpentine belt is having issues, some engine accessories will get affected.

However, if you think the squealing only happens when you turn, it could also be your steering system. Squealing when you hit the brakes can mean your brake pads need to be changed.

Sound: Grinding

• The culprit: Possible worn-out bearings, worn clutch, or bad CV joint.

A grinding sound coming from your engine compartment can be the result of a lot of things. If you hear the grinding sound while driving and even when idling, there’s a big chance your bearings are worn out.

Hearing a grinding sound when you shift is a sign you have a clutch that needs replacing. Lastly, hearing grinding noises when you make a turn can mean you need to replace a CV joint or look at the health of your car’s suspension.

Sound: Tapping and clicking

• The culprit: Low oil

When your engine starts to emit a tapping or clicking noise, the most common reason will be that it is low on oil. To verify this, just add more oil to the engine. If the sound stops, it’s caused by low oil.

However, this is not a solution, as the low oil levels may be a sign that there is a much bigger problem. It’s important to take your car to a mechanic to verify the reason your car has low oil.

Sound: A loud bang

• Culprit: Backfire

If you hear a sudden loud bang from your engine that sounds like the 4th of July, you might have just heard your car backfire.

A backfire happens when the fuel does not get appropriately burned inside the combustion chamber. When the fuel-to-air ratio becomes too rich or too lean, it can cause a backfire. It’s always wise to stop the car and call a tow truck in this situation.

Sound: Knocking

• The culprit: Detonation knock

While a detonation knock can sound like a cartoon character’s finishing move, it’s a reasonable cause of strange engine noise. A metallic knock or ping sound results when the cylinders detonate in more than one place simultaneously.

Knocking sounds can be caused by several things, including loading your car with gas with the wrong octane rating, poor timing, or a broken knock sensor.

Don’t Put Up With Strange Engine Sounds

When running properly, you shouldn’t hear anything unexpected from your engine. Call a mechanic right away if you think your engine is making a weird or strange noise.

Better yet, give T3 Atlanta a ring. Our trusted team of expert mechanics can diagnose any strange engine noise coming from your vehicle. With over 25 years of service, you can rest assured knowing your Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, or Nissan is in good hands with T3 Atlanta.

If you have been driving cars for some time, you know that there are signs that you need to pull over immediately. Maybe it’s a sound you hear, a weird movement, or just a feeling that you need to slow down and pull over to check something out. Most often than not, these moments reward you with the relief of knowing you prevented a bigger accident from happening because you pulled over.

But if you are pretty new to driving or driving a new car, this sense might not be as developed, or you may not be able to identify the car’s quirks. So to help you out (or to refresh your knowledge), here is the list of the signs you need to pull over immediately.

5 signs you need to pull over immediately

Lack of visibility

If you want to drive safely, you need to see what is in front of you. Just imagine, you are driving a 3000-plus pound vehicle traveling at 65 miles an hour. This means you need at least 316 feet to get your car into a complete stop – and this is during ideal conditions.

Visibility can be hampered by several reasons – fog, rain, mud or dirt, a broken windshield, and snow/ice. The thing is, if you feel like you can’t see well (or at all), you should pull over and fix the problem or wait for the weather to change before charging on.

A loud noise

Nothing good is ever going to come out of a loud or sudden noise that comes up while driving. A car in good condition will make no loud or sudden noise, so you need to pull over when you hear something. In the best-case scenario, you just hit a rock that ricocheted or hit a bump.

Worst case, one of your spark plugs is now nowhere to be seen. What you need to do is to pull over, do a quick check of the engine and the under-chassis to see if anything is loose, hanging, or missing.

Seeing your temperature or oil light on

There are several lights on your dashboard that can tell you what condition your car is in. Of all these lights, there are two that can signify that your car is about to incur a big repair bill within minutes. These two lights are the temperature and oil lights. When they turn on, it means your engine is overheating, or you are losing oil pressure. Once they go on, stop and pull over right away.

Don’t even think about driving another mile “to see how far I can still go.” The damage caused by low oil pressure and overheating can amount to thousands. Sure, you might need to drive a little bit to get to a safer area before calling a tow truck but don’t push your luck.

A weird smell

We all know how our cars smell like, and if you are traveling with people, then there are a few kinds of smells you are already anticipating during a drive. However, when you do get hit by a weird smell that can’t be traced back to somebody’s armpits or dinner, then you should pull over ASAP.

Again, it could be anything, but it could also be your catalytic converter telling you that something is wrong. Most of the more common smells that should initiate a stop include the smell of burnt wire insulation or a gas leak.

Smoke and fire

If your car is smoking and if you see fire, then you should stop and pull over as soon as you can. You can also stop and get out right away as long as it is safe to do so (eg. you are driving on a remote country road with no one in sight).

Smoke or fire indicates something is already burning within your car, so it is in your best interest to stay away. At this point, you may need to call the fire department to help you put it out.

Call T3 Atlanta For All Your Car Problems

If you have pulled over due to the situations and signs mentioned above, don’t hesitate to give T3 Atlanta a call. We’ll get your car to tip-top shape in no time. We specialize in servicing Nissan, Toyota, Lexus, and Infiniti cars. Reach out to us, and we’ll take care of you and your car right away.