The transmission is one of the vital components of your vehicle, literally converting the combustion of the engine to the momentum that is transmitted to your wheels. Usually, your car will give you warning signs of transmission trouble before failing, but what happens if your transmission goes out while driving? 

Transmission Failure: What to Do, and How to Predict It

What should I do if my transmission goes out while driving?

If the transmission in your car fails while you’re driving it, you will not be able to accelerate. This might not be as dangerous if you’re driving 25 mph in your neighborhood, but if you’re going 70 on the highway, or even 45 on a busy road, it can be pretty scary! Here’s what to do if that happens: 

• Turn on your hazard lights (aka emergency lights or four-ways).
• Get to the right and pull over as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Call for roadside assistance or call us to sell your junk car. We pay the most for junk cars in Atlanta! 

Of course, it’s definitely better to deal with a faulty transmission before you get stranded on the side of the road. Keep an eye out for these symptoms of a failing transmission.

What are the warning signs that your transmission will go out?

• If you hear a clunking, whining, or any other unusual sound coming from the engine, you need to check on your transmission.
• Sometimes the check engine light will come on if your transmission is in trouble.
• If you notice that the transmission fluid is low when you check your car’s fluids, it may be due to a leak. Transmission fluid doesn’t burn off like oil, so if it’s low, something’s wrong. A transmission fluid leak (or transmission fluid that has not been changed in too long) can cause serious damage to your transmission and the rest of your engine. 
• Shuddering or shaking while shifting gears is also a bad sign. If you’re feeling vibrations every time you change gears, you need to have your transmission looked at.
• Trouble shifting gears—or not going into gear at all—is another symptom of a failing transmission.
• If your transmission fluid is low due to a leak, or if it is dirty or degraded, your engine can run too hot and you may smell something burning. (A burning smell is never a good sign, so definitely investigate no matter what! Even if your transmission is fine, there may be another issue like leaking antifreeze or a damaged heater core.)

Stay safe on the road and keep your ride running smoothly with used auto parts from U Wrench It… Or if your car is not worth fixing, give us a call at 404-805-0900 to sell your junker for a great price!

It’s always important to watch out for deer when driving in Georgia—especially during their most active hours at dusk and dawn. However, late fall and early winter are the most dangerous months as far as deer collisions are concerned. Even in the highly developed suburbs of Atlanta, there are deer everywhere (as well as raccoons, opossums, armadillos, squirrels, skunks, and coyotes), so it’s important to learn how to avoid animal collisions with your car. 

Tips for Avoiding Animal Collisions

Sometimes animal collisions with cars are unavoidable. However, if you keep these driving safety tips in mind, you can significantly reduce the likelihood that you’ll hit an animal with your vehicle. That’s a win-win-win for you, the local wildlife, and of course, your car! 

Stay alert and consider activity levels when planning your trips.

Deer (the most common large animals involved in collisions here) are most active at dawn and dusk, but they are especially active during their breeding season— late fall/early winter in Georgia. Consider planning your trips to avoid driving at their peak activity times, which also happen to be the times that are hardest for humans to see. If you can’t avoid driving during those peak activity hours, it’s even more important to stay alert and watch the edges of the roadway for signs of deer. If you see movement or the glint of eyes, slow down and use caution.   

Use your high beams when appropriate.

Whenever appropriate, use your high beams (brights) while driving between dusk and dawn. That extra fraction of a second of awareness can help you avoid a collision. 

Expect a herd.

Deer usually travel in groups, so if you see a deer crossing the road, assume there are more following behind. Slow down and keep your eyes peeled when crossing through the area. The same goes for wild turkeys! 

Follow the rules.

Hopefully, you’re already following these rules, but we all need a reminder every once in a while: 

• Wear your seat belt. If you do hit a deer or other animal, you’re much more likely to walk away from the accident if you’re wearing a seatbelt. 
• Maintain a safe speed. Speed limits are calculated to let you know the maximum speed at which you can safely navigate a given road. It’s especially important to follow the speed limit during times of increased animal activity, so you have enough time to see them and take evasive action. 
• Pay attention to the road. According to the Georgia Department of Transportation, the number of distracted driving cases in Georgia has risen by over 400 percent in the last ten years. Avoid becoming a statistic by driving safely. Texting, eating, looking at your kids in the back seat, fiddling with the radio, and even having a hands-free phone conversation at all can distract you at the moment when you need your full concentration 

Give them some warning.

If you do encounter deer while driving, try to scare them away from the road. Flash your lights, honk your horn, and slow down. Deer have much more sensitive eyes than humans, so when they see your headlights coming, they are temporarily blinded and may freeze in place. Making noise and flashing your lights can knock them out of it and allow them time to get out of your way.

If a collision is inevitable, don’t slam on your brakes. Maintain your lane while breaking evenly and firmly. If you swerve to miss the deer, you’re likely to cause more damage to your car (and potential injury to yourself and others) by crashing into other drivers or a tree. At the moment of impact, take your foot off the brake. The nose of your car will lift slightly, which may help you avoid the deer coming through the windshield. 

Drive safe, and if you do end up needing any car repairs, be sure to visit us at U Wrench It for affordable used auto parts in Atlanta!

Oil checks are a vital part of vehicle maintenance for any car. Using the dipstick, you can check to see if the oil level is low and if so, top it off before any damage occurs. If you let the oil get too low, or too dirty, it can cause extreme wear and tear to your engine. To keep your car running strongly and smoothly, check your oil every month, and pay attention to these things your motor oil may be telling you. 

What can engine oil tell me about my car?

Dirty Oil

If you notice that your oil is tainted with dirt, debris, or even metal shavings, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Not only will dirty oil fail to protect your engine, but it can also cause more damage than low oil. Depending on the extent and type of contamination, running an engine with dirty oil can actively corrode the engine and lead to a host of issues, both major (catastrophic engine damage) and minor (reduced fuel efficiency).  

Regular oil changes will help prevent dirty oil, but sometimes there are other factors at play. For instance, if you find metal shavings in your motor oil, you may have a damaged or “spun” rod or bearing in your engine. 

Milky Oil

You can tell another type of contamination has occurred if your dipstick comes out with a tan or white, milky-looking color rather than the brown or black of untainted motor oil. That milky appearance is likely caused by a coolant leak. If you notice this issue next time you check the oil, you’ll want to check the head gasket right away. A blown head gasket is by far the most common culprit of a coolant leak. 

If the oil looks milky and frothy, it could be due to condensation in the engine, which introduces water into the oil. This can be avoided by letting your car warm up before driving in the winter. 

Low Oil Level

If you find that your oil level is low, either by checking, or because your oil indicator light is on, it may be that your car simply needs a top-off due to normal use. However, a low oil level can also be caused by a leak, damaged valve seals, or worn-out piston rings. 

Thick, Sludgy Oil

Oil should be relatively viscous, but if you notice that your motor oil is thick or sludgy, you’ve got a problem. Sludginess is caused when oil “gels” or solidifies due to high temperatures, and it won’t run through your engine as effectively, causing potential engine problems. 

You can minimize the risk of developing oil sludge by regularly checking and changing your oil, using synthetic oil, having your vehicle serviced by licensed, trained technicians familiar with your car’s make, and/or performing an engine flush.  

If you perform DIY car repair, U Wrench It is your source for used auto parts in Atlanta. Explore our inventory online now! 

In our last post we shared some guidance on how to jump-start a car, but are you doing everything you can to avoid a dead car battery in the first place? Learn how to keep your car battery charged and your ride on the road with these tips. 

How to Prevent Your Car Battery from Dying

Your car battery—like all batteries—is a complex electrochemical device. In order to function properly, it needs to be maintained in certain conditions. These are some of the “big ones” that are relatively simple but have a big impact on how long your car battery lasts.    

Use it or lose it.

As the saying goes, you’ve got to “use it or lose it” when it comes to your battery’s charge. In order to keep your car battery juiced up, you need to drive it regularly, for at least 10 minutes. 20 is even better. Driving your car gets the battery acid moving, which is important to maintain the battery in good condition. 

If you normally have a lengthy commute to work, don’t just let your car sit when you have a week or more off. You still need to drive it even during the holidays, letting it run about as long as your usual commute. 

Keep it warm.

While our winter weather here in Atlanta isn’t nearly as cold as that of northern climates, it still gets plenty cold enough to kill a battery. One of the best ways to protect your battery from winter freezing damage is to park it somewhere warm—at least in relation to the outside temperature.

If you have a garage to park in, that’s an obvious choice, but if not, you can still choose to park in the sunniest area of your parking lot or driveway, in the busier part of a parking deck, near any kind of equipment that emits ambient heat, close to a heated building, etc. Don’t park in heavy shade. There are even thermal blankets designed just for car batteries to help retain heat even during freezing temperatures. 

Test and charge your battery.

Your battery has a mechanism called a “trickle charger” that is supposed to keep it charged even when not in use or during extreme temperatures. However, if the weather stays below freezing for too long, your trickle charger might not be able to feed enough power to keep up. 

In order to maintain a charge, you need to recharge your car battery every once in a while. A local repair shop should be able to charge your battery and even test it to give you an overall picture of its health. 

Keep it clean.

And last, but not least, keep it clean! Just because your car battery is under the hood doesn’t mean it’s clean. Road dust, dirt, engine grime, and even leaves and other organic material can actually drain power from the battery. An occasional wipe with a paper towel or soft cloth will help.  

Good luck keeping your car battery running strong. Remember U-Wrench-It is always here with the best used auto parts and junk car buying prices in Atlanta!

While certainly not the worst car problem to have, it’s always a bummer to find out that your car battery has died. Fortunately, you can often get your ride back up and running by jump-starting the engine! 

This is one of the most useful car DIYs to know because at some point, you’ll either need to jump off your own car, or you’ll be able to help someone else jump theirs. There’s no need to wait for roadside assistance if you can assist yourself. Keep reading to learn how to jump-start a car safely, and remember that you can find jumper cables, batteries, and much more at U Wrench It, your local source for used auto parts in Atlanta. 

How to Jump-Start a Car

Get your jumper cables ready.

You should always keep a set of jumper cables in your trunk. Fortunately, if you don’t have them for whatever reason, most people do. If you’re able to get the help of a neighbor, friend, or just a really nice stranger in a parking lot, they’ll likely be willing to loan you their cables and give you a jump. 

Get set.

Park the assisting vehicle near enough that the jumper cables can reach from one car’s battery to the other’s. Make sure both cars are in Park and turn off both ignitions, then pop the hoods and secure them in the open position.

Attach the jumper cables.

• On one end of the cables, clamp the red clip onto the positive terminal of your battery. You’ll be able to identify the positive terminal either by its size (larger in comparison to the negative terminal) or it will be labeled with “POS” or a “+” sign. 
• Attach the other red clip to the positive terminal on the other vehicle, then attach the black clip to its negative terminal. 
• Go back to your vehicle and attach the remaining black clip to an unpainted metal surface away from your battery. Again, DO NOT ATTACH A BLACK CLIP TO THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF THE DEAD BATTERY. Doing so can actually cause the dead battery to explode, which will definitely take your experience from “minor annoyance,” to “Someone call 911!”
  You’ll need to ground the black clip by attaching it to an area on the engine block or chassis well away from the battery. 

Charge the battery.

Once your jumper cables are connected, turn on the operational vehicle and let it run for a few minutes. This will give the dead battery some time to charge up.

Start your dead car and keep it running. If it really was a battery issue that made your car not start, running your car for at least 30 minutes will charge the battery back up. If the jump-start doesn’t work, you may have another issue, which can range from minor (dirty battery terminals) to more serious (alternator problems).   

Finally, remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that you initially put them on. (So this time, you would unclamp the black grounded clip from your (recipient) car, the black clip from the power source car, the red clip from the power source car, and then the red clip from your (recipient) car.