Few things are more frightening than your vehicle starting on fire, especially if you’re in it. There are some signs that things are too hot – literally and figuratively – underneath the hood or elsewhere in the automobile. If your vehicle is running too hot, it’s best to find the overheating source right away and fix it. This is just one sign you’re on the road to a car fire. Here are four others.
Cracked Hoses or Loose Wires
Your car, truck, or SUV’s hoses and electrical wires are protected. The hoses have a coating on them to help them stand up to your engine’s heat. Electrical wiring is encased. If you see cracks on your hoses yet they aren’t that old or your electrical wiring seems frayed, this is an indicator that there is something wrong with the engine or electrical system. What’s worse? Wires contacting metal can cause sparks.
Burnt Fuses
Your vehicle’s electrical system doesn’t work that much differently from your home’s electrical system. If something surges the system, the fuses will trip. It could be a component itself, such as your car radio, or it could something more serious, such as a voltage problem. If you constantly have to change your automobile fuses, there is something wrong with the electrical system that could start a fire.
Fluid Leaks
You already know that gasoline is flammable, but did you also know that other automotive fluids can be flammable, too? If you have fluid leaking out of your automobile, it’s a good idea to let us find the leak and fix it before it spells big trouble. Should the leaking fluid touch hot spots on your vehicle’s engine or suspension, it could ignite, which makes for a very dangerous and life-threatening situation.
Fluctuating Gauges
Finally, your car, truck, or SUV’s instrument panel contains a ton of helpful information. If you notice the gauges fluctuating strangely, especially dancing up and down, you might have a problem with your electrical system. The gauges might initially move because of a leak or your vehicle overheating, but if they continue to move, you’ve got an electrical issue on top of the other issues.
Let us take a look. We can perform a full vehicle inspection or just a partial one based on some of the signs listed above. Call University Auto Repair to set up an appointment or stop by our automotive service shop. We’ll make sure your vehicle isn’t a fire hazard so you can rest assured its safe.
