The Optimist’s Guide to Car Repair

Hopefully you’re the kind of person that tends to see your gas tank as half full even when it’s nearing that nice little red line, you may end up costing yourself more in car repairs. So unless you’re really convinced that money grows on trees, and you live in the middle of a forest, you might want to check your optimism at your car door. 

Here are 4 signs you may not recognize as problematic, if you tend to look on the bright side.

Ding ding ding
These may seem like happy sounds, like a doorbell or a game show announcement. However, if you hear this sound in your car, it probably doesn’t mean that you have an unexpected guest, or you will soon hear the words “we have a winner!” Instead, it's your car telling you it’s having trouble, in some way. The sound may seem happy, but your vehicle is not trying to celebrate your brilliance or driving prowess. It’s not trying to make pretty music, either. When you hear this sound, you need to look at your dash board and see if any lights are on, indicating specific areas that need attention.

Colorful lights
These may remind you of a Christmas tree or other happy spectacle. While you may like the idea of a dashboard decorated in a variety of colorful lights, such a display is not good. “Check engine,” “brakes,” “low oil,” or other words are lit up for a reason: You need to address those issues instead of enjoying the pretty lights. The longer you wait, the worse the issue can become, costing you more money, in the end. If you really like the colored lights, maybe you can find a string of Christmas lights that works with a car charger.

Bouncy, bouncy
Going to an amusement park or carnival brings back childhood memories of giggle-inducing jostling and bouncing. If you’re going down the road and feel extra movement, though, this is not your car’s way of giving you an exciting ride. Bouncing could mean tire issues, and pulling to one side could mean alignment problems. You need to get these kinds of things checked out. If you wait to have these kinds of problems serviced, they will likely get worse, not better. 

Smoke
One of the signs of summer is the sights smells of barbequing food outside. If you see or smell smoke and feel extra heat when you’re on the road, though, try to stop yourself from envisioning grilled steak. If the smoke is coming from your vehicle, you could be in need of car repair as well as in real danger. You don’t just need to get your vehicle into the shop when you have the chance; you need to pull over at the nearest safe spot, get out of your car, and call for help. 

Optimism can be a good thing, but not when it comes to car repairs. Problems will not solve themselves; instead, they will become more severe. Hoping for the best is fine, once you have your vehicle being looked at by a trained professional.