6 symptoms of a damaged car undercarriage that need immediate repair.

1. The machine is malfunctioning or making strange noises.

When driving, noises may emanate from under the vehicle, especially louder and clearer when driving over rough roads with potholes. This could be due to worn or loose bushings and tie rod ends in the steering column.

This serves as a warning that the A-arm needs to be replaced as soon as possible before it deteriorates further and affects other components in the chassis system, impacting vehicle operation.

2. The exhaust system is making unusual noises.

If you detect unusual noises and exhaust leaks under the hood, you need to keep the engine running and open the hood to investigate further. The simplest case is a leak in the gasket between the exhaust system and the engine, or a loose bolt; simply tightening the bolts should solve the problem. If the main cause is a cracked exhaust pipe, you need to have your car inspected immediately.

3. The engine's power is significantly reduced, and it experiences considerable inertia.

When the engine is only running at low speed, the cause could be that the idle speed is too low, the fuel tank is low, the filter is clogged, etc.

The engine idle speed needs to be adjusted, more fuel needs to be added, and the fuel filter needs replacing or cleaning.

4. Tires squeal loudly when stopping or parking.

When you hear noises or a loud squealing sound coming from the wheels, immediately suspect that the tires are worn out, warped, etc., and of course, replacing the tires is necessary in this case.

5. The car veers to one side even when driving on a flat road.

The phenomenon of a vehicle veering to one side when braking is caused by uneven braking force applied to the wheels, due to oil leaks in one of them, localized blockages in the oil lines, etc.

If you encounter such a situation, you should take your vehicle for repairs, because prolonged operation will make it more prone to rollovers in situations involving sudden braking at high speeds or while cornering.

6. The engine coolant temperature is higher than normal.

Normally, the engine temperature of a car is usually between the H (hot) and C (cold) temperature gauges. If you experience unusually high engine temperatures while driving, you should not continue driving on challenging roads. If the temperature reaches the H mark, absolutely do not drive the car; continuing to drive will have very dangerous consequences for the engine.

* How to check the extent of damage to the undercarriage of a vehicle:

- Start the engine and observe the color of the exhaust fumes. Black or white exhaust fumes are both problematic. Black exhaust fumes indicate an overly rich fuel-air mixture or lubricant leaking into the combustion chamber. White exhaust fumes are due to water mixed in the gasoline or a burnt cylinder head gasket.

- Check the color of the spark plugs. If the spark plugs have an unusual color, it could also be a cause of undercarriage damage.