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A gurgling noise from your vehicle usually means air or fluid is moving through a system where the flow is not completely smooth. The sound may come from behind the dashboard, under the hood, near the coolant reservoir, or underneath the vehicle. It may appear during startup, while accelerating, after shutting the engine off, or when using the heater. If you have been asking, why is my car making a gurgling noise?, the answer may involve low coolant, trapped air in the coolin

A sudden drop in fuel economy can become expensive quickly. You may notice that the fuel gauge falls faster, your normal commute requires more frequent fill-ups, or the vehicle’s estimated miles per gallon has decreased. Even if the car still drives normally, increased fuel consumption may indicate that the engine, tires, brakes, sensors, or fuel system are not operating efficiently. If you have been asking, why is my car using more gas than usual?, the answer may involve low

Your vehicle should start and idle normally after a fuel stop. If it begins shaking, hesitating, stalling, surging, or struggling to start immediately after filling the tank, something may be wrong with the fuel vapor control system, fuel quality, or air-fuel mixture. If you have been asking, why is my car running rough after getting gas?, one of the most common answers is a failing evaporative emissions purge valve. However, a loose gas cap, overfilled fuel tank, contaminate

Your brakes should operate smoothly and quietly when you press the pedal. If you hear clicking, tapping, snapping, or light clunking during braking, something may be shifting, contacting, or moving more than it should. The noise may come from one wheel, the front or rear of the vehicle, or somewhere underneath the floor. If you have been asking, why is my car making a clicking noise when braking?, the answer may involve loose brake pads, worn caliper hardware, damaged anti-ra

Your vehicle’s A/C compressor is one of the most important parts of the air conditioning system. It circulates refrigerant, builds pressure, and allows the system to remove heat from the cabin. When the compressor does not engage, the vents may blow warm air even though the blower motor and climate controls appear to work normally. If you have been asking, why is my car AC compressor not turning on?, the answer may involve low refrigerant, a blown fuse, failed relay, pressure

Your vehicle should shift into drive or reverse without a hard bang, heavy thud, or noticeable clunk. A slight change in engine load is normal, but the vehicle should not jerk aggressively or sound like something underneath is moving into place. If you have been asking, why is my car making a clunk when shifting into gear?, the answer may involve worn engine mounts, damaged transmission mounts, loose drivetrain components, excessive axle play, transmission problems, or delaye

Starting your vehicle should produce a brief, smooth cranking sound followed by the engine running normally. If you hear grinding, scraping, screeching, or metal-on-metal noise when you turn the key or press the start button, something in the starting system may not be engaging correctly. If you have been asking, why is my car making a grinding noise when starting?, the answer usually involves a worn starter motor, damaged starter gear, worn flywheel or flexplate teeth, weak

Your vehicle should move through its gears smoothly without sudden jolts, hesitation, or harsh movement. If the car jerks when accelerating, slowing down, or shifting between drive and reverse, something may be interfering with engine power delivery or transmission operation. If you have been asking, why does my car jerk when shifting gears?, the answer may involve low transmission fluid, worn transmission components, faulty shift solenoids, engine misfires, damaged mounts, s

A sweet, syrup-like smell inside or around your vehicle often means engine coolant is leaking or escaping from the cooling system. Antifreeze has a distinctive odor that may appear under the hood, through the air vents, inside the cabin, or near the exhaust. Even if you do not see a puddle, the smell should not be ignored. If you have been asking, why is my car smelling like antifreeze?, the answer may involve a leaking hose, damaged radiator, failing water pump, loose reserv

Your vehicle should start within a few seconds of turning the key or pressing the start button. If the engine cranks longer than normal before finally starting, something may be preventing it from receiving the correct fuel, spark, air, or sensor information during startup. If you have been asking, why is my car taking longer to start?, the answer may involve a weak battery, low fuel pressure, worn spark plugs, leaking fuel injectors, sensor problems, starter wear, or an elec

Your vehicle should start within a few seconds of turning the key or pressing the start button. If the engine cranks longer than normal before finally starting, something may be preventing it from receiving the correct fuel, spark, air, or sensor information during startup. If you have been asking, why is my car taking longer to start?, the answer may involve a weak battery, low fuel pressure, worn spark plugs, leaking fuel injectors, sensor problems, starter wear, or an elec

Your vehicle’s temperature gauge should rise gradually as the engine warms up and then remain close to its normal operating range. Small movements can be normal under changing driving conditions, but the needle should not repeatedly climb toward hot, drop back down, or move unpredictably while you drive. If you have been asking, why is my car temperature gauge going up and down?, the answer may involve low coolant, trapped air, a sticking thermostat, failing temperature senso

Finding wet carpet, damp floor mats, water stains, or a musty smell inside your vehicle is never normal. The moisture may appear after rain, a car wash, or running the air conditioning. Sometimes it collects only on the passenger side. Other times, it spreads through the front floor, rear carpet, trunk, or headliner. If you have been asking, why is my car leaking water inside?, the answer may involve a clogged A/C drain, damaged door seal, blocked sunroof drain, windshield le

A chirping noise from your vehicle may sound minor, but it can be an early warning that a belt, pulley, bearing, brake component, or suspension part is beginning to wear. The sound may resemble a bird chirping under the hood, a rhythmic squeak near one wheel, or a short high-pitched noise that changes with engine or vehicle speed. If you have been asking, why is my car making a chirping noise?, the answer depends on when the sound occurs. A chirp that speeds up when you rev t

A scraping noise while driving can make every mile feel uncomfortable. The sound may come from one wheel, underneath the vehicle, near the brakes, or somewhere around the suspension. It may happen constantly, only during turns, only when braking, or only after hitting a bump. No matter when it appears, scraping usually means two parts are contacting when they should not be. If you have been asking, why is my car making a scraping noise while driving?, the answer may involve w

A vehicle that will not accelerate past 40 MPH can feel scary, especially if it happens while merging, climbing a hill, or trying to keep up with traffic. You may press the gas pedal and hear the engine rev, but the vehicle barely gains speed. Or the engine may refuse to rev normally at all, almost like the vehicle has placed a hard limit on itself. If you have been asking, Why Is My Car Not Accelerating Past 40 MPH?, the answer usually comes down to limp mode, transmission p

A car that struggles to start first thing in the morning can throw off your whole day before you even leave the driveway. You turn the key or press the start button, and instead of firing up normally, the engine cranks longer than usual, starts rough, sputters, or needs multiple attempts before it finally runs. Sometimes it acts perfectly fine later in the day, which makes the problem even more confusing. If you have been asking, Why Is My Car Hard To Start In The Morning?, t

Washer fluid may not seem as serious as oil, coolant, or brake fluid, but it still matters. If your washer fluid keeps disappearing, leaves a blue puddle under the vehicle, sprays weakly, or will not reach the windshield at all, there is likely a leak somewhere in the washer system. It may be a small plastic hose, cracked reservoir, loose connection, damaged pump seal, or broken nozzle line. If you have been asking, Why Is My Car Leaking Washer Fluid?, the answer usually come

A vehicle should respond clearly when you press the gas pedal. It does not have to feel like a race car, but it should build speed smoothly and predictably. If your car feels weak, slow to respond, hesitant, or unable to accelerate like normal, something is affecting power delivery. If you have been asking, Why Is My Car Losing Acceleration?, the answer usually comes down to a fuel delivery problem, ignition issue, airflow restriction, dirty sensors, transmission concern, exh

A sweet antifreeze smell from your car usually means coolant is escaping somewhere it should not. You may notice the smell after driving, when the heater is on, when sitting at a stoplight, or right after shutting the vehicle off. Sometimes there is an obvious puddle. Other times the coolant smell is there, but you cannot see a leak right away. If you have been asking, Why Is My Car Smelling Like Antifreeze?, the answer usually comes down to a coolant leak, heater core issue,