When we say a completely dead engine, we mean an engine that has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced. Righter’s Auto Repair can inspect your engine thoroughly to determine if it can be repaired or needs to be replaced. There are five instances when it might be a better idea to replace the engine because the damage is so severe that it is not cost-effective to repair the engine. Let’s talk about these instances below.
1. Constant Engine Knock
If your engine is knocking constantly, you could be on the road to a broken rod. If you break a rod, the engine is useless and it needs to be replaced. The knocking sound that you hear is the pistons banging against the cylinder walls. This can cause serious and irreparable damage to the cylinder block. A cylinder block can be replaced, but it requires a partial engine rebuild to do it.
2. Constant Overheating
If your engine is overheating constantly and the cooling system has been replaced, there is likely a cracked engine block to blame. Again, a cracked engine block is a seriously damaged cylinder block that cannot be repaired. Consequently, we will have to rebuild your engine to replace the damaged engine block. In some cases, it may be wiser to replace the engine altogether.
3. Excessive Exhaust Smoke
Excessive exhaust smoke flowing out of the tailpipe is a sign that your engine is hemorrhaging coolant, fuel, or oil. Naturally, there must be serious engine damage to cause such a hemorrhage. The color of the exhaust will tell you which fluid is burning away. White is coolant, black is fuel, and blue is oil. You shouldn’t drive your automobile if it is releasing excess exhaust.
4. Extreme Power Loss
An old engine that has reached the end of its life will no longer be able to generate power. No amount of repair work will restore the engine’s operation. In this case, the engine must be replaced because it is completely dead. All pieces of machinery have limited life spans. Your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine is no exception. Replacing the engine with a new one will restore the power.
5. Gray or Silver Motor Oil
Finally, if your motor oil has turned gray or silver, it has metal flecks in it. This is a very bad sign of a damaged engine that is going to die at any moment, especially if the contaminated oil continues to circulate through it. The reason why your oil has turned gray or silver is that the engine parts are disintegrating into it.
Righter’s Auto Repair in Grand Ledge or Lansing, MI, would be happy to assess your engine’s health to determine whether it needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Give us a call today.
