Let's Talk

A service signals checklist for the car owner

 

Let's Talk About Your Car

Next to your home, your car is probably the biggest investment you have. To keep it in top running condition you want to know how to talk to your service advisor or technician to help make sure it is fixed right ... the first time.

Help us help you

This page is designed to help you recognize those times when your car needs special attention... service needed over and above the normal maintenance instructions or in your owners manual. It will also help you explain needed service to your service advisor, technician, or other person who writes up your order so your car can be fixed quickly and with the least amount of inconvenience.

You test drive your car every day

When you get right down to it, you know your car better than anyone. Because you drive it every day, you know how it acts and when it's running right. And you're the first one to notice things that are different from it's normal "feel". These differences are service signals.

Service signals like the signals your body sends you when it's not feeling well. It may be only a slight twinge that quickly goes away. But, at times, it may be a bigger hurt - one that doesn't go away. That's when you know you need help. Your car is the same way.

Know what your car is telling you

When your car starts sending you service signals, you can save valuable time by finding out what it is doing, where it is happening, when it is happening, and under what conditions. You can do this while you are driving. Simply use your senses - hearing, smell, sight, and feel.

This will let your service advisor or technician know what the signals are by describing the signals in the same words they use to talk about service.

Pinpointing service signals

This page makes it easy. It arranges the different service signals according to the senses you use to observe them (hearing, smell, sight and feel). The page also describes the signals as you would observe it, and gives the word or phrase that your service advisor or technician would use to describe it. You and your service advisor or technician can work together to write up your order, because you speak the same language. Better yet, you don't have to guess what's causing the signals.

You can leave that to the experts

How to use this
Service Signals Page

 
  THE SERVICE SIGNALS GUIDE - To find the right description of the service signal that your car is sending you, refer to the listing below. Ask yourself,is the signal something you can hear, smell, see, or feel? Then find the best description of the signal in the "Description" section and look at the corresponding word or phrase listed under "Type". The service signal is what you will want to tell your service advisor or technician.
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  THE SIGNALS CHECKLIST - After you've used the listing below to locate the right type of signal, please PRINT OUT OUR SIGNALS CHECK LIST. Click here to print out the Signals Checklist. On the Signals Check list,check the box for the type of signal you observed and write the word or phrase the service advisor or technician would use to describe the signal is the space box. Then answer the signal questions about where and when the signal happens. You may want to test drive your car before you do this to make sure that you give the right answers.
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 TALKING TO THE SERVICE ADVISOR OR TECHNICIAN - Sometimes you have to wait your turn to talk to the service advisor or technician. This is a good time to look over the checklist. Make sure that your answers accurately describe the signal you are receiving. Then have the checklist with you when the order is written up. That way you'll be sure to give complete information. This will help the service advisor or technician find the cause of the signal so that it can be corrected quickly and accurately. Keep in mind that some degree of the service signals on this page may be considered normal under certain conditions. Your service advisor or technician can help you here.
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 DON'T FORGET SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE - As long as you are having work done on your car, you can save time by including scheduled maintenance that is due. Check in your owner’s manual to see what service may be required. Keep in mind both the mileage and time since the last maintenance.
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When you pinpoint service signals and keep up with regular maintenance, you make servicing your car easier, and more reliable. This process will ensure you years of carefree driving.

NOISE SIGNAL

TYPE                        DESCRIPTION

BOOM;                                            Continous bass drum roll; distant thunder

CLICK;                                            Camera shutter; retractable ball-point pen

CLUNK;                                           Heavy door closing

GROWL;                                         Angry dog

HISS;                                               Air escaping from a tire; steam from a radiator

KNOCK;                                          Knock on a door

RATTLE;                                         Baby's rattle; stone bouncing around in a can

ROAR;                                             Lion; waterfall

RUMBLE;                                       Bowling ball rolling down the alley

SPIT;                                               Drop of water on a hot skillet

SQUEAK;                                       Tennis shoes on a wooden floor; mouse; door hinge that needs oil

SQUEAL;                                        High-pitched squeal of a pig; fingernails scraping on a chalkboard

WHINE;                                           Kitchen mixer; Dentist's drill, mosquito

WHISTLE;                                      Tea-kettle boiling; low whistle

ODOR SIGNAL

TYPE                        DESCRIPTION

COOLANT;                                   Sweet, steamy odor, usually accompanied by steam from

                                                         under hood.                                                                

BURNING OIL;                             Heavy, thick odor, possibly accompanied by smoke from

                                                         under hood

ELECTRICAL SHORT;              Acrid odor, like burned toast

EMISSIONS;                                 Continous and heavy sulpher odor, like bad eggs

GASOLINE;                                   Odor of gasoline vapors

OVERHEATED BRAKES;         Burning material odor, like burning rubber

OVERHEATING;                          Hot, metalic odor, usually accompanied by coolant odor

  

                                                

     

VISUAL SIGNALS

TYPE                        DESCRIPTION

AXLE LEAKS;                               Stains that are black in color, heavy thick consistency

BLACK SMOKE ;                          Smoke that is thick and dark

WHITE SMOKE;                            Smoke that is billowy, white or slightly blue

STEAMY SMOKE;                        Smoke that disperses quickly and is similar to fog

COOLANT LEAKS;                      Stains that are lighter and thinner than oil with a

                                                          consistency similar to water, pinkish or greenish in color

ENGINE OIL;                                  Stains that are brownish in color with a thicker consistency

TRANSMISSION OIL;                  Stains that are slightlh thicker than water and have a redish

                                                          color

WARNING LIGHTS;                     Steady of flashing red or amber color warning lights

                                                          usually with a symbol or message (which one is important)

WATER LEAKS;                           Clear liquid

 

PERFORMANCE SIGNALS

TYPE                        DESCRIPTION

CUTS OUT;                                   Temporary complete loss of power. Engine quits at sharp

                                                         irregular intervals. May occur repeatedly or intermittently.

                                                         Usually worse under heavy acceleration.

DETONATION ;                             Mild to severe ping, usually worse under acceleration.

                                                          Engine makes sharp, metalic knocks that change with

                                                          accelerator pedal position. Sounds like popcorn popping.

DIESELING;                                  Engine runs after ignition switch is turned off. Runs

                                                          unevenly and may make knocking noises.

HESITATE;                                    Momentary lack of response as accelerator pedal is

                                                          pressed.

                                                         Can occur at all speeds. Usually most severe when starting

                                                         from a stop. May cause engine to stall.

MISS;                                              Pulsation or jerking that changes with engine speed.

                                                          Exhaust has steady spitting sound at idle or low speed. Not

                                                          normally felt above 30 miles per hour.

ROUGH IDLE;                               Engine runs unevenly at idle. Car may also shake.

SLUGGISH ;                                  Engine delivers limited power under load or at high speed.

                                                         Won't accelerate as fast as normal. Loses too much speed

                                                         going up hills. Has less speed than normal.

SPONGY;                                       Less than anticipated response to increased accelerator

                                                         pedal movement. Little or no increase in speed when

                                                         accelerator pedal is pushed a little to increase speed.

                                                         Continuing to push pedal down will finally give an increase

                                                         in speed. Softer feel than normal. Not as firm, as in brake

                                                         pedal, soft feel.

 

HANDLING SIGNALS

TYPE                        DESCRIPTION

BOTTOMING;                                 Felt as a heavy thud when going over speed breakers or

                                                          pot holes. Suspension moves to extreme end of travel

                                                          and hits compression bumper.

BRAKES FADING;                       Stopping action seems to decrease causing longer than

                                                          normal braking distance.

PLAY IN STEERING;                   Steering wheel must be turned unusually far before car

                                                          responds.

HARD STEERING;                       Car unusually difficult to steer, especially during

                                                           parking.     

LOW BRAKE PEDAL;                  Brake pedal must be pushed unusually far to engage

                                                           brakes.

PULLS;                                           Car tends to move to one side, either right or left, when

                                                           steering wheel is momentarily released.

PULLS/GRABS;                            Car has tendancy to move to the right or left as brakes are

                                                          applied, or brakes engauge suddenly when applying

                                                          steady pressure to brake pedal.

SHIMMY;                                         Rapid side-to-side motion of both front wheels felt in

                                                          steering wheel.

SWAYING/PITCHING;                  Mushy or spongy ride, car takes unusual length of time to

                                                          recover from bumps in the road.

VIBRATION;                                  Car shakes.

WANDERS;                                   Car tends to meander, requiring frequent steering

                                                          corrections to maintain direction.   

 
Southtowne Hyundai of Newnan
800 Bullsboro Drive
Newnan, GA 30265
Phone: (678) 552-2638
Email: Contact Us
Fax: (770) 251-8816
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