Engine Repair at your home
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“The company responds within an hour and dispatches a mechanic shortly after with all the tools and parts required to repair the vehicle onsite.”
-GLOBE AND MAIL
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-CTV NEWS
“InstaMek is an on-demand service that allows vehicle owners to request and schedule a meeting with a fully certified mobile mechanic.”
-CBC NEWS
How does a car engine work?
Car engines are usually described in terms of the number of cylinders they have and the amount of power they can generate. Fuel burns inside of the cylinders, and there is usually anywhere between two and twelve of them, most typically four, six or eight. Inside the cylinders, there are tight-fitting pistons that slide up and down. The pistons are attached to an axle called the crankshaft. The moving pistons turn the crankshaft, which power the gearbox to drive the wheels. The cylinders also have two valves, and inlet valve which allows fuel and air to enter the cylinder and an outlet valve which lets the exhaust gas escape. At the top of the cylinder you’ll find a spark plug, which is an electrically controlled device that makes a spark to set fire to the fuel in the cylinder. It’s the combustion of the fuel in the cylinder, which moves the pistons, which ultimately move your car.
Signs your car needs Engine Repair
- Too Much Exhaust Smoke Excessive exhaust smoke is one of the first signs of engine problems. The color of the smoke can give you a clue of the type of problem you’re dealing with. Blue smoke indicates burning oil, white smoke is an indicator of burning coolant and black smoke implies excessive gas is being used.
- Rough Idle If your vehicle appears to sputter while driving while idle, it may be due to engine problems. Their may be easy solution, like mounting brand-new spark plugs or repairing a sensing unit.
- Stalling If your vehicle dies or idles while driving, you should get your car examined by a mechanic ASAP. This is a very dangerous issue that could lead to a serious accident.
- Knocking Noise A knocking noise coming from under the hood commonly indicates used engine bearings.
- Fluid Leakages If you ever observe something leaking from your car you must have an expert technician examine it. It’s never normal for your car to be leaking fluid. If your vehicle is losing fluid and you don’t address it, you’re going to ultimately require a major repair work.
- Check Engine Light This is a sure sign you are having engine problems. Sometimes it’s a sign of something small but it can also be a sign of a more serious, dangerous problem. You should contact a mechanic for a check engine light diagnostic.
Check Engine Light Diagnosis
When the Check Engine Light is on, your car’s monitoring system will have “fault codes” that indicate the nature of the problem. Your car may have several issues and for this reason, there can be numerous codes. The mechanic will check out the codes using a scanner, analyze the codes, and give a diagnosis. If you accept the repair estimate, they will change the defective part, clear the memory of any fault codes, turn the Check Engine Light off, and allow you drive the car for a couple of days to see if the light returns on or not.
Please note: It may take a number of days of driving the car for the monitoring system to confirm that the repair has dealt with all the problems. If the monitoring system fails any of its interior examinations, it will switch the lights back on. This implies that the car has more issues that were not apparent throughout the initial assessment. The mechanic will have to perform further diagnosis and create new repair estimates for fixing the problems discovered. Although it’s unusual, several visits may be needed to identify and resolve the persistent Check Engine Light issues.
Engine Overheating
There are several issues that can cause your car engine to overheat. These include car overuse or more severe factors like mechanical or electrical failure. If you come across a situation where the engine’s temperature warning light or check engine light turn on, you need to get your engine checked for any possible damage.
Engine Smoke
Smoke seldom comes from the engine bay, and if it does, the problem is usually crucial already. Smoke is not a good sign that some condition is brewing within the engine; the shade vehicle’s exhaust is a far better analysis device. If there is an issue within the engine that generates smoke, that smoke will certainly leave the engine via the exhaust.
Spark Plugs
Spark plug repair should follow the maintenance schedule of the vehicle. It is ideal to replace the spark plugs every 50,000 kms in most of the vehicles. It is possible in a few cases that a spark plug can fail even before the service schedule, but that is rare.
It is always good that you repair the spark plug wires at the same time, otherwise you can experience problems like engine misfires.
Engine Oil Flush
One of the numerous significant functions of car engine oil is to maintain a clean engine by removing impurities and contamination. The amber colored brand new engine oil will turn black or get gritty as it dissolves dirt from the engine. In regular oil change, the oil is replaced that keeps the engine clean. In some cases, there is a residual sludge on the engine and the engine oil flush becomes essential. An engine oil flush is carried out during oil change and it helps cleaning the engine to keep it running smoothly. Once the old oil is removed, the chemicals are poured into the engine that is then idled for some time to ensure the cleaning agent reaches all the areas where oil normally goes. The chemicals are then drained and clean oil is poured in.
How much does Engine Repair Services cost?
It depends on the type of car you drive and the auto repair shop you go to. Our mechanics are mobile, which means they don’t have the overhead that repair shops have. They provide you convenience by coming to your home or office.
What are the causes of engine overheating?
System malfunctioning is one of the main reasons of engine overheating. This is often caused by:
Low coolant. If due to leaks there are not sufficient coolant running through the system, there will be a heat build up and your engine will overheat. It’s always recommended to check for leaks if the coolant is low
Faulty cooling fan: The function of a cooling fan is to draw through the radiator when the car moves at a low speed, like in the case of slow moving traffic. A good way to inspect if there is an issue with the fan is to leave the car idle for sometime to heat up, and check under the hood to see if its running. If it’s not, you need to immediately call the mechanic to avoid serious engine overheating.
Bad thermostat: if you see observe your car overheating regularly at highway speed, it’s better to have the thermostat checked by an expert mechanic.
Clogged coolant passageways: You need to keep your car’s cooling system and radiator clean to enable them to function properly. Solid deposits are build up in the radiator that keeps the coolant from properly circulating. A smart and inexpensive preventive measure is to have your radiator flushed every year to keep it in shape.
When to get an engine oil flush?
An engine oil flush is necessary if you:
- Have not had your car oil changed for a long period of time.
- Do a lot of stop and go driving.
- Let your car sit idle for months
- Bought a second hand car and are not sure if the oil was changed frequently.
What are some symptoms of Bad Spark Plugs?
- Your car won’t start.
- Your check engine light is on.
- Your engine misfires.
- Reduced power or fuel economy
- Unexplained engine vibration
- Failed emission testing.
Even if only one plug is bad, spark plug repair is essential. Note that most engines need to have 4 to 8 spark plugs so they require 4,6, or 8 spark plugs.