Knock Knock
There are three main killers of motor vehicle engines, lack of lubrication, lack of cooling, and mechanical failure. The first two contribute to the third while the third will really only be found on its own, in modified cars. Failure to maintain your car will lead to premature engine wear and eventually engine failure. when an engine fails you may as well prepare yourself for an expensive repair because this kind of repair is not cheap nor easy.
Related: Can I just add oil to my car instead of getting an oil change?
Below we will take a look at the different types of failures, what causes them, and how to quickly diagnose the failure so that you can prepare yourself for the repair bill.
Who needs an oil change?
The oil inside your engine allows the moving metal surfaces to glide past each other seamlessly. This friction breaks down the oil over time requiring new oil to be added or for the entire supply to be changed out. If you do not replace the oil, the lubrication quality deteriorates until the oil no longer does its job and the metal surfaces begin grinding against each other. This results in parts wearing down until eventually they break or bind together causing the engine to lock up or seize completely.
This is easy to diagnose as the starter will no longer turn over the engine, a mechanic can confirm this by trying to turn the engine with the use of a breaker bar non the crankshaft pulley, or the car is stuck in place and cannot move. Your car's dashboard will also be lit up like a Christmas tree.
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do here, most mechanics will tell you that the cost to overhaul the engine will be greater than just replacing it with another, either way, it is going to be a costly exercise.
It is a costly lesson to learn about sticking to service intervals and checking your oil regularly
Chill out bro
The engine cooling system on a car is a closed-loop system that allows the coolant to travel around the engine block dissipating heat generated from the combustion process. This system needs to be checked periodically and filled if needed. The system is usually filled at the expansion tank or radiator cap openings. Running an engine without coolant will result in "heat soak" in which the metal components of the engine absorb too much heat and expand past their operating point, resulting in seized rotating elements, blown cylinder head gasket, cracked cylinder heads, or even a cracked engine block. The heat soak will also negate the lubricating effects of the oil, leading to the above-mentioned failure.
Diagnosing this is also rather easy as your car will give sufficient warning by means of a temperature gauge on the dash. Sadly once steam or smoke starts pouring out of the engine bay it is too late and you are going to be in for a hefty repair bill. You may be lucky if you caught it in time and only have to replace a head gasket but this is still a very expensive repair and one can never be sure that there isn't further damage deeper within the engine.
an easy test here is to check either the oil dipstick or coolant reservoir and if the oil looks milky or there is oil in the water you will have a blown head gasket, if the coolant reservoir is bubbling or there is steam coming out the exhaust you will also have a blown head gasket.
Bits 'n pieces
This situation applies to the drivers that fail to do regular services and checks and those that choose to meddle in the factory tuning of their cars. Pushing an engine past its normal operating parameters will result in catastrophic failure which basically means a small explosion from under the bonnet.
This is usually where the oily bits from inside the engine make their way out of the engine in spectacular fashion, usually with some fire and smoke to liven things up.
Sadly there is no diagnosing this and this usually means an entirely new engine and or car.
Responsible ownership
All of the above situations can be avoided if you practice good ownership and service your car accordingly and do regular checks on the fluid levels in your car. Whenever you stop for fuel and the petrol attendant offers to check the oil and water, take them up on their offer.
If you insist on doing aftermarket tuning, ensure that your tuner is well known and recognised within the industry and don't push your engine past its limits or you will be paying the price later down the line
