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The more research you do on your vehicle, the more prepared you will be for a good repair process. Even if you are mechanically challenged, you will be able to handle car dealings. By using your eyes and your nose, you can identify issues with a troublesome vehicle.

What You See is What You Get

Does your car leave spots behind on the ground when you park it? It could be relatively harmless. Just to make sure, you will want to do some diagnostic work immediately. Ask yourself what color is the stain on the ground? If your color is a glowing green or garish orange color, this indicates a radiator leak. This is not good. Many people have had this problem, only to have their car overheat. Overheating could eventually crack the car's head or blow a head gasket, both of which are highly undesirable.

A burned looking fluid or black ooze could indicate an oil leak. This also needs fixed soon. A leaky seal could be the ultimate culprit. Many cars have been trashed due to this passing unnoticed. A red, glutinous stain indicates an issue with the car's power steering or transmission. Both of these are not good. It is hard to steer without power steering fluid and a leaky transmission has many repercussions. Filmy water spots aren't to be worried about. These could be just be standard air condition condensation pools.

Do You Smell What's Cooking?

Taking a whiff of your car could help your diagnose its problem. Does it smell like something has been burned? This aroma indicates that an electrical aspect has shorted out. This needs to be looked at by a professional. Avoid driving it until you have had it looked at.

Does your car smell of rotten eggs? This sulfuric scent means something is amiss with the catalytic converter. You need to get to a repair shop. A heavy burning aroma means that oil is being burned. Look on the ground for a spot. If transportation is vital to your life, you need to have this addressed immediately. If you notice a blue-hued smoke emitting from your car, this is also a bad sign.

A strong smell of gas is also cause for concern. You may have a gas leak, which is going to need to fixed to avoid excessive gas costs. You could have a leak in the tank or in the lines. A burned rubber smell could mean a break issue. Let the brakes cool after a period of constant braking. You also need to check the parking brake.

Do you pick up a slightly sweet smell? This could be a coolant leak. Until you get to the mechanic, you should watch your heat gauge. If steam is issuing from the car, you need to pop the hood and let the car cool. If you push a car that is overheating, you will ruin your engine. The rule is that if something doesn't smell right, get it to the mechanics immediately.