June 2017 - Euro Automotive

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Month: June 2017

What Does an SRS Light Mean?

Posted on | 30 Jun 2017 By Anita Gaal

Car lingo can be frustrating to understand for anyone who has not had any formal education in auto mechanics. The jargon is confusing, and like many mathematical formulas, all the car parts are important to know in order to understand the entire process of “how it works.” One of the most frightening occurrences for the average car owner is getting in the car for work, turning the key, and seeing an unfamiliar light on your dashboard. The dreaded “check engine” light is not on, but instead you see the ominous letters: SRS. Your immediate thoughts might include “how big of a problem is this?” or “how much is this going to cost?” SRS stands for supplemental restraint system, or in laymen’s terms, the airbags. The good news is it may be nothing to worry about. The bad news is, it may be more serious and in need of immediate repair to ensure your safety. Whatever the case, it is important that you bring your car into a mechanic shop to be inspected; better to be safe than sorry. Before you freak out, here are a couple things that might be going on if you see the SRS light on your dash.

SRS system is critical in the event of accident

When looking for potential vehicles to purchase, it is likely that one of the criteria included that the vehicle have adequate safety features. The SRS system is critical in the event of an accident because it has proven in many crash tests to prevent damage to the vital parts of the passengers involved. You can imagine how terrifying it might be to experience a car accident where your airbags did not deploy—in this case, you may have been lucky to walk away. Often when you first start your car, you hear a series of beeps, dings, and chimes. Included in the startup of your car is your vehicle’s own assessment of all the functioning parts. The airbag control unit is basically trying to figure out whether or not the airbags will properly function in the event of an accident and to warn the driver of any detected issues. Today, seatbelts are of incredible importance in minimizing the potential injuries that an individual may sustain in a car crash; however, seatbelts can only do so much.

SRS light can mean a number of different things

The complexities of the SRS system are better left to the professional mechanics—the ramifications could be detrimental if you attempt to fix the issue yourself, or bring your car to someone other than an expert in the automotive field. If the light simply flashes upon starting your vehicle, then you can assume the SRS system is working fine and no issues have been detected. However, if the SRS stays illuminated on your dash, then the issue is more serious; the airbag system has been temporarily disabled until the malfunction has been fixed. The SRS light can mean a number of different things. It could be that the car’s battery is drained, or that the airbag system has sustained damage. The SRS light may also come on when the sensors do not detect a passenger in the car with you; weight sensors in the passenger seat usually determine this. In some cases, it is also possible that there may be something wrong with the sensor that detects whether your seatbelt is fastened or not.

Take help from an auto specialist

The best way to avoid a potentially life-threatening scenario is to take any questionable dash lights to be inspected by an auto specialist. It may be that substantial repair work needs to be done. It could also be that the sensor is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced. Or, the SRS light may simply need to be reset on your dash. It may be an attractive notion to simply skip over this issue and let time pass before you finally decide to get it checked out, however, this issue could be relatively inexpensive to fix, and it is important to not leave your safety, or the safety of your passengers, to chance. The first step you need to take toward ensuring your safety is to call your local trusted mechanic shop to make an appointment for a diagnostic service. It is important that you find professionals who you can trust to assess the issue.
Useful Tips to Follow While Buying a Used Car

Posted on | 16 Jun 2017 By Anita Gaal

When you decide that you are ready for a new car, by necessity or sheer free will, then you will likely encounter issues along the way. In order to avoid these issues, it is important that you are informed about things to look for and how to best prepare yourself for buying a car. This is particularly important when you are considering buying a used car. Buying a used car has its obvious advantages: they are generally cheaper, and you can find great deals are cars that have barely been driven. If you decide that buying a used car is a better, more economical option for you, then it is best if you know how to go about looking through your choices. Dealerships have a bad reputation for fibbing on car specs, especially if the car is used, because they tend to not do thorough inspections before they purchase a used car from a seller. Certified pre-owned cars are sometimes a great option if you decide to buy a used car because they have been certified by the dealer to meet the basic conditions for sale. This does not mean you are out of the weeds, so here are some tips to follow while buying a used car.

Figure out how much money you want to invest

First and foremost, it is important to figure out how much money you are willing and able to spend on a car. While used cars are generally cheaper than new cars, this is highly dependent upon what type of car you are looking into buying, as well as a few other specifics. For instance, the price is generally calculated by the age of the vehicle, the mileage on the vehicle, and the shape that the vehicle is in when it arrives at the dealer. You may be wondering how this works for sellers who are not dealership-affiliated—or “private sellers.” Generally the process works the same way, although private sellers can come with their own areas of deceitfulness. For instance, dealerships must disclose information to buyers about the history of the vehicle, while private sellers sometimes do not divulge all the pertinent information; for example, whether or not the vehicle has been involved in a car accident before. Regardless, sticking to a budget is a good way of looking for only the cars that will fit into your price range.

Go through a pre-purchase inspection

Whether you are buying a new or used vehicle, it is crucial that you always test drive it. Just because a car is pretty and shiny does not mean that under the hood everything is kosher. In addition to test-driving the car, it is always a good idea to go through a pre-purchase inspection. If you can have a trusted mechanic first look at the vehicle, it is likely that they will come across a few things that need to be repaired. Keep in mind that used cars are not new; in case we didn’t have to tell you this, used cars have been driven before, have run over things, have accrued usage and mileage that you were not involved in. It is unrealistic to expect a used car to be in tip-top shape, and that is precisely why they come at a discounted price. Pre-purchase inspections are critical when buying used cars especially, because then you can have a better idea of what you’re really getting into.

Take help from a knowledgeable mechanic

Buying a used car is economically usually a great idea, but the success of your purchase will likely depend greatly on what steps you take leading up to the sale. Before you make any purchase, it is important to do your research on the fuel economy, the typical resale value, and the general issues that one may encounter with any given car model. Being an informed consumer is not just about trusting an expert’s opinion, although it can be of great value when you are only somewhat knowledgeable about the details of a particular vehicle—a knowledgeable automotive specialist will be able to help you fill in the blanks by performing a pre-purchase inspection, or giving you any particular advice in regard to the dealership you choose to buy from. Buying a used car can be tricky—so don’t fall into the shiny object trap.