Troubleshooting Tips

A car owner who adheres to standard service intervals will not need to use this section of the manual very often. The reliability of branded parts is such that if you inspect or replace parts and assemblies subject to wear within the specified time, then a sudden breakdown is unlikely. Malfunctions can occur not only as a result of a sudden breakdown, but also due to the accumulation of damage over time. Serious malfunctions are usually preceded by characteristic signs hundreds or even thousands of kilometers before the breakdown. Those components that sometimes break down without warning are usually small and can easily fit in the trunk.

When any malfunction occurs, the first step is to decide where to start looking. Sometimes it's obvious, other times it's not. An owner who does not really think about half a dozen adjustments or replacements may be lucky and a malfunction (or her symptoms) disappear, but he won't know what to do if the problem reappears and he may end up wasting more time and money than necessary. A calm and logical approach will cost less in the long run. Always take note of any signs of abnormal operation that may have been noticed during the time interval prior to the failure, such as loss of power, high or low gauge readings, unusual odors, etc. Remember that the failure of parts such as fuses or spark plugs can only be the result of basic malfunctions.

These pages provide tips to help you troubleshoot the most common problems you may encounter while using your vehicle. These faults and their possible causes are grouped under headings referring to various vehicle components or systems such as engine, cooling system, etc. Possible causes of malfunctions are indicated in brackets by chapters and sections that contain a description of the corresponding repair procedures. When troubleshooting, the following basic principles apply:


Check for a malfunction. You must know exactly what the symptoms of a malfunction are before you begin work. This is especially important if you are helping troubleshoot someone who may not have described the problem very accurately.

Don't miss the obvious. For example, if the car won't start - make sure there is gas in the tank? (Do not rely on anyone's words and do not trust the fuel indicator!). If a fault occurs in the electrical circuit, look for a loose connection or broken wire before removing the tester.

Treat the disease, not the symptoms. Replacing a dead battery with a fully charged one will relieve you of the problem for a while, but if you do not find the cause of the discharge, the new battery will also quickly discharge. Similar. replacing oil-contaminated spark plugs will allow you to continue driving, but remember that the cause of the contamination (with the exception of the use of non-regulated candles) not excluded - it must be identified and eliminated.

Don't take anything for granted. Remember, in particular, that "new" component can have "congenital" defect (especially if it's been lying in the trunk for months), and in the troubleshooting sequence, don't bypass components just because they're new or recently installed. When you finally find the source of a difficult problem, you will probably realize that everything was obvious from the very beginning.