If you look underneath the bonnet of your front-wheel-drive car, you'll see that a lot is going on. The engine, gearbox and transmission are all contained in this area, and the power produced by the motor needs to be transmitted across a short distance to the driving wheels. Of course, those wheels will move up and down and turn through various angles while the major mechanical parts remain static. This magic is mostly down to special parts known as CV joints, and if they are to fail, trouble lies ahead.
Wheel bearings are critical safety and performance parts that allow the road wheel to rotate while attached to a static hub. They are quite simple devices and are designed to last a long time, but much will depend on the operating conditions, driver behaviour and other factors. How can they fail, what are the early symptoms, and what should you do next?
How Bearings Work
Modern wheel bearings are self-contained and do not require any active maintenance.
The side panels of a car are exposed to knocks and collisions when on a highway and when parked. Unfortunately, most car owners do not bother when a crash leads to a ding or a minor dent. While such blemishes might appear innocuous, you do not want to take chances with a faulty vehicle. Therefore, it is crucial to take your car to a panel beater no matter how minor the damage appears.
The battery in your car powers the entire electrical system, so it facilitates everything from the ignition to the air conditioning system and power windows. Unfortunately, many car owners take the out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach regarding maintenance since the battery is tucked away under the hood. That is until their car battery fails unexpectedly and needs to be replaced. That said, you need a reliable provider when the time comes to replace a car battery.
Not many motorists pay attention to their electrical system and this is not surprising. As long as the electrical components of their vehicle seem to be in working order, there would be no reason to pay any mind to them. However, what these motorists are not considering is the fact that electrical issues tend to manifest gradually. As a result, as you miss the subtle signs of an underlying problem, you could find yourself dealing with a seemingly spontaneous breakdown of your vehicle.
