After raising seven children through their teenage years, I've had my fair share of experiences with selling used cars that have body damage. As a child saved up to buy a newer car, I was relied on to find a way to sell their old one for the most money possible. I have learned that fixing small dents and other aesthetic issues with your vehicle is a great way to significantly increase the sales price you ask when you put it on the market. But not all dents are worth paying to have fixed because it won't affect the value much. Whether you are just trying to make the money back that you've put into your vehicle or you're trying to make a profit, hopefully the pages on this website will give you some insight into what's worth putting your time and effort into fixing and what's best left untouched.
When driving your car, you may begin to notice a strange smell that makes your trip unpleasant. Not only will you want to identify the cause of the smell to make your trip more enjoyable, but the smell may also indicate that there is something wrong with your car.
Burning
If you notice a burning smell, this might be the result of an electrical wire shorting out. The burning smell comes from the plastic around the wire or the fuse melting. This problem will need to be solved by an experienced auto repair technician or else your car will experience severe long-term electrical problems.
Rotten Eggs
A rotten egg smell is a sign that there is something wrong with your car's catalytic converter. The byproducts of combustion are not being processed correctly. Fortunately, there might still be time to have the problem corrected by an auto repair technician before your catalytic converter is ruined. Also, if you purchase gasoline only from well-trafficked gas stations, the gasoline will be less likely to be old and less likely to harm the catalytic converter.
Gasoline
Modern cars have vapor-recovery systems that prevent the gasoline vapors from escaping into the air. Therefore, if you smell gasoline while driving your car, there might be something wrong with the vapor-recovery system.
Maple Syrup
If you notice a maple syrup smell when you are outside of your care, this is a sign that your radiator is leaking. If you notice the maple syrup smell on the passenger side of the car on the inside, this indicates that you have a bad heater. Regardless, if you take your car to an auto repair technician, you will be able to have it diagnosed.
Mold and Mildew
When you turn on your air conditioner, you might notice a smell that is similar to gym socks. This is a sign that mold and mildew are growing inside your AC unit. If you turn off the AC and allow the fan to run on high, this will dry the AC unit out enough to where you might be able to kill the mold and mildew.
Sweet and Oily
The engine coolant has a very sweet and oily smell. If you notice this type of smell, there is likely a leak in your coolant system. This problem will get increasingly worse over time if you do not correct it early on. But fortunately, this problem is not expensive to fix if you fix it as soon as possible.
If you notice any of these problems, it is best to call in the professionals. For more information, contact a local repair shop like CARSTAR Tim's Collision.
Share23 June 2015
