Twelve of the things vehicles do to get your attention, what each one usually means, and how urgent it actually is. Written by the people who diagnose them all day.
Vehicles are honest. Long before something lets go, it taps you on the shoulder: a sound, a light, a feeling through the wheel or the pedal. This guide is the twelve taps we hear about most at the counter, what each one usually means, and how urgent it actually is. Usually is the honest word, because the same sound can have two causes, and the inspection is what settles it.
Metal on metal at the brakes, which usually means the pads have worn through to the backing. Stopping still works, and every stop is now wearing parts that cost more than pads. This one goes to the front of the line.
Most brake pads carry a small steel tab that sings on purpose when the pad gets low. It is the polite version of number one, and it is telling you to plan the visit before the grinding starts.
Usually a worn ball joint, sway bar link or a loose exhaust hanger. The inspection tells us which, and finding it while it is a clunk keeps it a small repair.
A shake in the wheel usually points at balance up front, a shake in the seat points at the rear, and a worn part underneath can look like either. It is measured on the machine rather than argued about.
Alignment, a dragging brake, or uneven tire pressure. Check the pressures first, because that one is free. If it still pulls, bring it in and we will find which of the other two it is.
A battery announcing its retirement, and South Dakota winters move that date up. A load test takes minutes and tells you whether you have another winter in it.
The battery, its connections, or the starter. If a jump gets it going, drive it here rather than home, because a battery that took a jump once usually asks again on a colder morning.
Sweet smell is coolant, and colored spots on the concrete are the system telling on itself: green or orange is coolant, red brown is often transmission fluid, dark brown is engine oil. A pressure test finds a coolant leak while it is still a hose clamp.
A steady light with the vehicle running normally usually gives you time to plan the visit. The code stays stored even if the light goes out, so we can read the history either way.
Flashing means a misfire that can damage the catalytic converter, which is one of the most expensive parts on the vehicle. Ease off, and call us before driving it far.
The classic wheel bearing tell. It grows with speed and changes pitch when the load shifts in a lane change. Caught early, it is one corner instead of one corner plus a tow.
Air or moisture in the brake fluid, a leak, or a master cylinder on its way out. Brakes are the one system where the cautious answer is the only answer: have it looked at before you need them in a hurry.
Call (605) 339-9717 and describe it in your own words. A minute on the phone usually finds the next step, and most estimates go out the same business day.
