Your check engine light may seem like an ominous sign that something terrible is about to happen to your car, but don’t panic – it’s not always the case. The check engine light comes on when your vehicle’s computer detects a problem with the emissions system. Since the problem may be significant or small, let’s help you get to the bottom of the cause with the top reasons your check engine light is on.

1. Your gas cap is loose, worn, or missing

Your gas cap may be a small part, but it does a big job in keeping fuel and gas fumes inside your gas tank while keeping dirt and road debris out. This is the simplest reason your check engine light is on, and it’s also quite easy to fix.

First, you’ll want to tighten the gas cap to make sure it’s secure. If your check engine light doesn’t turn off, then you’ll need to get a new one. Similarly, if your gas cap is missing, it’s time to get a new one. Your local auto supply store will have a replacement part.

2. Your oxygen sensor is bad

Your oxygen sensor helps regulate the fuel-air mixture that goes into your cylinders by measuring how much oxygen is in your exhaust system.

Depending on the year, make, and model of your car, your vehicle may actually have several oxygen sensors. A fault in any one of them can trigger your check engine light. This problem is easy enough to fix with a replacement oxygen sensor, but make sure you determine which one is faulty first!

3. Your spark plugs and/or ignition coils may be the culprit

Your spark plugs ignite the fuel and air mixture that enters your engine cylinders. A worn-out spark plug can trigger a check engine light, as can faulty spark plug wires.

Your vehicle’s ignition coils are responsible for generating the electricity your spark plugs need to work. Older vehicles may only have one coil, while newer vehicles typically have one coil per spark plug. An issue with a single coil can trigger a check engine light.

4. Your mass airflow sensor is bad

Your mass airflow sensor may sound the same as an oxygen sensor, but it’s actually a different part. This sensor detects air temperature inside your engine, which in turn helps your car’s computer adjust the fuel-air mixture so your car can run efficiently. You will need to have this part replaced if it’s gone bad.

5. Your catalytic converter is failing or faulty

In short, your catalytic converter takes the harmful gases your engine produces during normal operations and converts them into odorless, less-harmful gases. Although many modern catalytic converters last the life of the vehicle, they can become damaged or wear out prematurely, triggering your check engine light. This problem doesn’t go away on its own and can cause significant repair costs if left unchecked.

Read more about the signs of a faulty catalytic converter»

6. Your vacuum hose is leaking

Your vacuum hose is part of the EECS (evaporative emission control system), which is designed to prevent gas vapors from escaping. When your vacuum hose is old and/or leaking – you guessed it – this problem can trigger the check engine light. The gasket that connects your vacuum hose to the rest of the EECS can also crack or wear out, likewise triggering the check engine light.

Troubleshoot Your Check Engine Light With T3 Atlanta

If you’re dedicated to getting to the root of the problem yourself, you can always purchase a code diagnostic reader to read what error codes are in your engine’s computer. Alternately, you can visit us at T3 Atlanta for fast answers about this troublesome light. Our service centers are open and honoring social distancing guidelines to protect our guests and our team.

Tucked at the very back of your vehicle out of sight and out of mind, your car’s exhaust may not seem like it does much. In fact, it plays an essential role in reducing emissions, controlling noise, and maximizing your engine’s efficiency and power. We recently talked about the top reasons that you might see white smoke coming out of your exhaust. Today, we’ll be looking at why you might see blue smoke coming out of your car’s exhaust.

1. Bad valve seals

The valves in your engine serve two main functions: to let gasoline and air in and to release exhaust out.

Like much of the rest of your engine, oil lubricates the valves to help them operate normally. Valve seals prevent the oil from getting into other parts of your engine. When your car’s valve seals wear down, oil can escape the valves. The resulting combination of burning oil and gas can cause blue smoke.

2. Stuck or blocked PCV valve

The PCV valve (aka the positive crankcase ventilation valve) is responsible for recycling gases in your engine’s crankcase back into your intake manifold. This process gives your engine another chance to use any uncombusted gases, thus improving your gas efficiency.

When your PCV gets stuck in the closed position or becomes blocked, the imbalance of pressure in the crankcase can cause oil to get into the engine. The burning oil in the engine leads to the blue smoke coming out of your exhaust.

3. Your car has a blown-out turbo

If your car has a turbocharger, a blown-out turbo may be causing the blue cloud behind your car. A blown-out turbo can be identified by a broken or damaged oil seal. In this case, oil gets sucked into your engine’s combustion chamber. There, oil mixes with fuel and leads to blue smoke.

4. Your engine is worn out

With modern engines lasting so long these days, it can be easy to forget that even the best-constructed engines can wear out. When it comes to worn engines as a cause of blue smoke, any seal – whether it’s in your pistons, valves, and/or other components – can lead to the mixture of burning oil and fuel notorious for causing blue smoke.

5. Transmission fluid loss

The transmission modulator is a part in older cars that detects your current engine load in order to most efficiently shift from gear to gear. If your transmission modulator goes bad, it can lead to your engine sucking in transmission fluid. Once inside your engine, transmission fluid and fuel burn and cause blue smoke to come out of your exhaust.

Keep Blue Smoke Away With T3 Atlanta

There are many potential reasons that cause blue smoke to come out of your exhaust. The easiest way to detect the exact cause of the problem is with a certified, experienced mechanic. T3 Atlanta is here to help. Our team will quickly assess your Nissan, Lexus, Infiniti, or Toyota and find what’s causing the blue smoke in your engine. Give us a call today for fast and friendly service!

Every car owner knows the annual inconvenience of getting an emissions test. When that dreaded ‘fail’ score comes back, what should be a short trip in and out can become a prolonged process with multiple visits. What makes a car fail an emissions test? Here are 5 reasons.

5 Reasons Your Car Can Fail An Emissions Test

1. Catalytic converter issues

Your catalytic converter is an important part of your exhaust system, converting harmful, sulfurous-smelling gases into odorless gases that are safer for your health and the environment. Whether there’s damage to your catalytic converter or it’s gone bad or faulty, issues with your catalytic converter can make your car fail an emissions test.

2. Your EVAP system isn’t working properly

Your Evaporative Emission Control System (EVAP) is an intricate system of vents, hoses, and programs responsible for making sure that harmful gasoline vapors stay inside of your fuel system. This can cause your car to fail an emissions test if this system is faulty in any way, including cracks, leaks, and other damage.

3. Your oxygen sensor is faulty

Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor is responsible for measuring the amount of oxygen present in your exhaust fumes, which in turn tells your onboard computer if your car is performing normally. When your oxygen sensor is faulty, it can do more than give your car a ‘fail’ on its emissions test. A problem with this sensor can lead to other problems such as rough idling, decreased engine performance, engine overheating, and higher emissions.

4. Your vehicle is running a fuel-rich system

More is better, right? Well, not when it comes to your engine’s fuel mixture. A fuel-rich system means that your car is burning more fuel than it should. This can happen for many reasons, including faulty fuel injectors, fuel injectors that are clogged or leaking, a faulty mass air flow sensor, or a faulty oxygen sensor.

5. Your gas cap is loose or leaking

Your gas cap has an important role, keeping gasoline inside your gas tank and contaminants such as dirt, water, and other debris outside of it. With any luck, your problem is as simple as a loose gas cap that you can tighten at the emissions shop.

If your gas cap has a worn seal or is leaking, you’ll need to get a replacement. Fortunately, this is an easy DIY project: you can easily pick up a new gas cap at your local auto parts shop and replace it yourself.

Prevent Failed Emissions Tests With T3 Atlanta

Whether you’re preparing to get your vehicle’s emissions test done or you need to try again, T3 Atlanta can help. We’ll inspect your vehicle and make sure it’s ready for inspection, helping save you the time, hassle, and headaches of repeat visits to the local emissions testing center. Give us a call today at one of our two convenient metro Atlanta locations!

No one needs to tell you that when your car is working correctly, you shouldn’t see any smoke coming out of your exhaust. When something isn’t quite right in your engine, though, there are actually several colors you can see in your exhaust smoke. Blue, grey, black, and white smoke colors each have a different cause. Today, we’re going to talk about what white smoke coming out of your exhaust means.

White Smoke: When To Worry

You may be surprised to learn that there are, in fact, occasions when white smoke coming out of your exhaust is completely normal. The key here is density and duration.

• Is the smoke more like vapor or mist? Does it appear when you first start your car up and then go away quickly? Is it also cold outside? If so, you don’t have to worry about anything. It’s most likely condensation.
• Is the smoke dense like fog? Does it continue flowing out of your exhaust for as long as your car is on? Worse, does it also smell like something is burning? If so, it’s time to make an appointment with your mechanic.

If you’ve run through this checklist and still aren’t sure whether or not to be concerned, it’s a good idea to give your mechanic a call.

The Most Common Causes Of White Smoke Coming Out Of Your Exhaust

Now that we’ve addressed when not to be concerned about the white cloud behind your car, let’s talk about situations that fit into the second category, where your car produces dense white exhaust the entire time it’s running.

1. Your EGR cooler is bad

Your Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler is part of your exhaust system that helps reduce emissions. A bad EGR cooler can drain coolant into the exhaust system, where the combination of exhaust and coolant causes the white cloud behind your vehicle. If your EGR cooler is bad, you will need a replacement.

2. Your vehicle has a cracked cylinder head or bad head gasket

When working properly, your vehicle’s head gasket prevents coolant from getting to the cylinders in your engine. If your head gasket develops a crack or has a poor seal, it can let coolant get into the cylinder. There, the combination of engine oil and coolant leads to white smoke coming out of your exhaust. The cost and extent of repairs for this issue will depend on the exact issue present in your engine.

3. Your coolant tank is leaking

A leaking coolant tank is another possible cause of white smoke, although this problem is usually seen coming from the engine compartment and not the exhaust pipe. It’s rare for your coolant tank to leak, but when it does, it’s important to get a replacement since your coolant keeps your engine working at a normal temperature.

4. Your fuel injectors aren’t working like they should

Your car’s fuel injectors are responsible for delivering a precise amount of fuel to the engine. If these parts become faulty for any reason, then excessive fuel burn can result in greyish or white smoke coming from your exhaust.

Your engine control unit – the computer that tells your fuel injectors when and how much fuel to inject into the cylinders – can also cause white smoke. In these cases, an error with the timing and/or the amount of fuel being injected into the vehicle’s cylinders is the culprit.

Other Causes Of White Smoke Coming Out Of Your Exhaust

In addition to the causes we’ve listed above, there are a few more possible reasons that there is white smoke coming out or your exhaust.

• Leaking transmission fluid or antifreeze
• Oil leak (this generally causes blue smoke, but can produce white smoke in some vehicles)
• A cracked engine block

Fast and Convenient Auto Repair With T3 Atlanta

As you can see, there are quite a lot of potential reasons that can lead to white smoke coming out of your exhaust. If you want a definitive answer without the hassle of diagnosing the problem yourself, call T3 Atlanta. Our experienced, friendly mechanics can quickly assess your Nissan, Lexus, Infiniti, or Toyota and find the cause of the issue. Give us a call today at either our convenient Smyrna or Decatur location and we’ll pen you in for an appointment!

A friend once said that every car is a brand new experience. The feel of the seats, the bounce and flow of the car, and even the smell. Cars smell differently, right? Doesn’t matter if they have the same air freshener – they always have a distinct smell in them that makes them unique. But what if your car smells like rotten eggs?

Now that’s something nobody wants to smell inside a car – or anyplace else, for that matter. When a car smells like rotten eggs, there is no amount of air freshener that can make it smell better. On top of that, it is proof that there is something wrong with your car (unless you do have real rotten eggs inside your car, which is a different problem altogether).

Bad Smells Inside Your Car

To any car owner, smelling different things from inside your car spells trouble. For example, if you smell something musty like used socks, then it’s probably mold and mildew within your air conditioning vents. If you don’t address that right away, you might endanger the very people riding your car.

If you smell rubber then something is probably burning or heating up. It could be your clutch plate or a slipping drive belt.

Simply put, these weird smells help you recognize if there is something wrong with your car. But what about smelling rotting eggs while your car is running?

Smelling Rotten Eggs Inside Your Car

Assuming you have ruled out the presence of actual rotten eggs inside your car, this smell should tell you that there’s something wrong with your car. This could mean a few things.

First, this could mean that there is something wrong with your car’s catalytic converter. The catalytic converter is the part of your car that converts harmful gasses into safer ones. One such harmful gas is hydrogen sulfide and this is the cause for the smell. If the catalytic converter is faulty, it cannot effectively convert the hydrogen sulfide into the harmless and odorless sulfur dioxide. If this is the case, you really need to replace the catalytic converter because this can lead to a car fire if not addressed right away.

One of the more common issues with catalytic converters is when their fuel pressure sensor fails. If it fails, the catalytic converter gets filled with oil and it affects the whole emission system, which leads to the harmful gasses to leak.

Another less common cause of a rotten egg smell inside your car is old transmission fluid. For manual cars, transmission fluid is expected to be replaced regularly. If you haven’t done that lately, the transmission liquid might have leaked into other parts of your car and stagnate – causing it to smell.

What Should I Do If My Car Smells Like Rotten Eggs?

The good news here is that smelling rotten eggs inside your car won’t mean it’s going to explode anytime soon. This gives you enough time to have an expert check your car. As a rule of thumb, if you feel something is off in your car, then you should let a mechanic check it.

If you have a Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, and Nissan in Atlanta, then you can trust T3 Atlanta to take care of all your maintenance and repair needs. We have expert technicians ready to service your car. Call us today and have your appointments set. Our garage practices physical distancing and proper disinfection practices to comply with recommended COVID-19 guidelines.

Parallel parking is a real challenge that is a real beauty to behold, especially when an expert does it. It’s mind-baffling how they manage to make something so complicated look so easy. Not to mention very useful in different situations. For city people, learning how to parallel park is a necessary skill because it is hard to find good parking spaces.

How To Parallel Park Step-By-Step

So, how do you parallel park? Is there magic involved? Do you need years of apprenticeship to do it? Truth be told, parallel parking is a mix of familiarity with the vehicle you are using and a little bit of logic.

Depending on who you ask, there will be a good mix of answers. But here’s a definitive guide that can help you parallel park just about anywhere.

1. Remember when I told you about familiarity with the vehicle you are using? This is why. To parallel park safely, you need to be able to ensure that you find a parking spot that your car can actually fit in.
2. Line up the back of your car with the back of the front car. It does not have to be exact but you need to be as close as possible to completely lined up.
3. Stop. Breathe and relax.
4. While not moving (not moving forward or reversing), turn the wheel of your car all the way to the right – as far as it will go. Remember, your car should not be moving as you are turning the wheel.
5. Set your sights on the back of your car to make sure there are no obstructions in the way.
6. Start to back up slowly. Don’t change the orientation of the wheel. Check your left side mirror and wait until you see the license plates of the vehicle at the back. At this point, your car should be on a 45 degree angle. Stop.
7. If you see the license plate of the vehicle behind you, bring the wheel back to the middle position. Slowly back up again.
8. Wait for your front bumpers to be lined up with the rear bumper of the front car, then stop.
9. Turn the steering wheel all the way to the left to slowly position your car to be properly aligned with the rest of the cars.
10. Straighten your wheel and adjust accordingly. Make sure you give enough space in your front and back for everybody to be able to comfortably and safely drive away if needed.

But What If I Am Not Good At Parallel Parking?

Good question. You won’t learn to parallel park in a day. If you live in the city then you know parallel parking is a necessary skill. Should you just leave your car at home? Not necessarily.

While parallel parking can be hard, everybody can learn it. But expect to hit a few bumps along the way (in this case, a few front or rear bumpers). If you are not yet confident, you can install parking bumpers on your car to make sure you don’t sour another person’s day.

Keep Your Car In Tip-Top Shape At T3 Atlanta

We may not be able to grab the wheel and parallel park your car on demand, but we’re always available for advice about how to parallel park and other helpful car care tips. Give us a call whether you need routine maintenance or an in-depth repair. We’ll help you get back on the road quickly!

Need your car to run faster? Maybe want it to be more fuel-efficient? How about a cleaner engine? If you are looking for these types of upgrades, then fuel additives might sound like the perfect solution. Let’s talk about the fact and fiction of these magic car engine elixirs and, hopefully, by the end of the article you can see for yourself if they are worth the extra monthly expense.

What Are Fuel Additives?

Fuel additives: you’ve probably seen them on the shelves of every store that sells car stuff. They come in different shapes and colors but they always have something in common. They promise something big.

It can be as simple to understand as “cleans your engine as you go” to something as grand as “make your car run like it was 10 years younger”.

While there are other tests or studies that show whether or not they are telling the truth or not, the fact still remains that a lot of people are using these additives for their promised effects. Depending on the additive you are looking at, they contain a variety of chemicals that “promise” to give your car the different benefits you see in their product cover.

Are They Really Effective?

This is the question you have been waiting to get answered, right? It’s hard to give a solid answer but the best one we can give is that while they do seem to be so confident with their promises – there’s really no evidence showing that they are all effective. We can attribute it all to their marketing. If you ask me, it’s all about the hype with zero evidence to back them up.

The good thing is that they rarely do anything bad to your engine so if you really want to try them out it shouldn’t cause you problems afterwards.

While there are people who stand by their claim that they are really effective it all boils down to the gravity of the problem in the first place. This means if your car is a bit older and already experiencing problems with, let’s say fuel efficiency, then you might get better results than newer cars.

However, it can be unfair to lump them all together. Not all fuel additives are full of hot air. Some of them actually work. For example, there are diesel additives that are designed to prevent diesel from gel in colder climates.

The performance boosting additives are the ones that really have a bad reputation for being misleading. There have been plenty of tests on different octane boosters and none of them have shown consistent and promising results.

As for the additives that promise to clean your engine, they are quite redundant in nature. A lot of fuels nowadays contain cleaning agents so you might not need to add more – unless you have a really old car and you need the extra oomph in the cleaning department.

Maintenance is Key

While the promises being made by fuel additives can be very tempting, they are not the best answers to your car issues. Fortunately, with regular maintenance (and a repair here and there), you can keep your car back in tip-top shape year-round. For older cars, this can become quite a challenge, but nothing is impossible if you have a team of expert mechanics that can turn back time to get your car into like-new condition.

The team at T3 Atlanta are the mechanics you need to help you out. You can schedule regular maintenance to keep your car running at its best for as long as you own it. Give us a call today and we will pen you into the schedule right away.

Fuel additives are pretty much what they sound like: a substance you add to your fuel. There are a lot of types of fuel additives at your local auto supply shop, some of which prevent problems while others improve performance. Fuel injector cleaners are an additive that sounds like a great way to keep your engine running smoothly, but do they work? Let’s find out.

But First, What’s A Fuel Injector?

A fuel injector is a small part that regulates how much fuel is sprayed into your car’s engine. In some cars, the fuel is sprayed into the engine’s inlet manifold or port. In other cars, fuel is injected directly into each cylinder.

Regardless of the exact setup, the basic function remains the same: the harder you press on the accelerator, the more fuel enters your engine, and vice versa.

Why Do They Need To Be Cleaned?

Fuel injectors are one of those ‘out of sight, out of mind’ car components. You never really see them, and as long as they’re working correctly, you don’t think about them.

The truth is, fuel injectors sometimes do need to be cleaned. Debris from the fuel system or the fuel itself can accumulate in your fuel injectors. Corrosion in your fuel system can also contribute to debris build-up. When enough carbon and debris deposits have built up, this can influence the efficiency of your vehicle, increase the emissions, and even affect the way your vehicle performs.

So, Do Fuel Injector Cleaners Work?

The idea behind fuel injector cleaners is that you add them to your gas tank, where they dissolve debris and restore your engine’s function to normal. Since fuel injectors cleaners are combustible, they are burnt off with normal engine use, meaning you’ll need to add more cleaner periodically. But do they work?

The short answer: Maybe.

The long answer: There haven’t been any scientific studies definitively proving that fuel injector cleaners work. That said, there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that they can help. So, you can always try it and see for yourself.

There’s some debate about how frequently you need to add these cleaners to your engine. Some people suggest that you add a bottle with every fill-up. Others suggest adding a bottle with every oil change, about 3,000 – 5,000 miles depending on your vehicle’s recommended maintenance schedule.

Ultimately, if you’re set on trying a fuel injector cleaner, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and don’t expect magical results overnight. Just like it takes years for carbon to build up in your engine, it may take a few rounds for the cleaner to take full effect.

How To Prevent Carbon Buildup In Your Engine

There’s an old saying that goes, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’. The same goes for your engine – and your fuel injectors. Keeping your engine clean can help prevent carbon buildup and the decreased fuel efficiency and vehicle performance we mentioned earlier.

No, we’re not talking about disassembling your engine and giving every component a detailed cleaning with a toothbrush. All you need to do is purchase high-quality gasoline on a regular basis. You’ll usually see these referred to as ‘top tier’ gasolines. Top tier gasoline contains special additives and detergents in their formula with superior fuel system-cleaning properties.

It’s true that even the best gasoline can still contain some impurities, often picked up from transit or from the fuel holding tanks at the gas station itself. However, your fuel system’s filters should effectively filter these impurities out.

AAA recently conducted a study with an independent laboratory to evaluate, among other questions, whether top tier gasoline is better at preventing deposit build-up in your engine. The answer was an emphatic yes. The study found that non-top tier gasolines caused 19 times more engine deposits than top-tier fuels. You can read the full report here.

So, if you want to keep your engine clean and running great for years to come, make sure to purchase top-tier gasoline with every fill up.

My Fuel Injectors Need Cleaning – Now What?

If you’ve purchased an older or used vehicle, you may have discovered that your fuel injectors are clogged and aren’t operating like they should be. What now? Well, as discussed above, you could try a fuel injector cleaner. But that might take time, and it might not even work at all.

That’s where fuel injector cleaning comes in. For the intrepid, you can purchase a DIY kit and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to restore your engine’s performance and fuel efficiency.

For those of you who would prefer to let the professionals take care of it, T3 Atlanta can help. We’ll assess whether your fuel injectors are causing your engine woes or if something else might be awry and recommend the best solution for you and your vehicle. Give us a call or visit us at one of our two convenient metro Atlanta locations in Smyrna and Decatur for fast and friendly service on your Lexus, Infiniti, Toyota, or Nissan.

Your car ignition switch is one of the most important parts of your car: it starts your engine, after all! But did you know that just like other components on your vehicle, your ignition switch can wear out too? Today, we’re going to talk about the signs of a failing ignition switch to help you identify when it’s time to have this essential part replaced.

The Signs of a Failing Ignition Switch

Your ignition switch is generally located on the steering column, though the exact location does depend on what kind of car you have. You’ve probably noticed that there are three different positions your key can take. The first powers on your electronics, such as your interior lights and radio. The second powers on the fuel and ignition systems, so your fan may turn on when your key is at this position. The third position, of course, starts your car.

Wait. Why is this important? We promise it is. Now let’s talk about the first sign of a failing ignition switch.

Issues Powering On Your Car Accessories

The first key position on your ignition should turn on your radio, interior cabin lights, and other electronic accessories your vehicle has. If you turn your key to position #1 and nothing happens, that’s a strong sign that your ignition may have an issue.

However, this could also be a problem with the lock cylinder or fuse and wiring problems, so it’s important to have your car checked out to make sure there isn’t a larger problem going on.

Your Car Starts… And Then Stalls

Once you’ve turned the key and you hear your engine roar, that should be that until you’ve reached your destination, right? Well, yes, unless your ignition switch is faulty. Why does this happen?

The ignition switch works well enough to power up the ignition system and fuel pump, hence why your car starts. But if it’s faulty or failing, it cuts off power the moment you let go of your key.

Your Car Stalls While Driving

This is possibly the most frightening way to realize that your ignition switch may have a problem: you’re driving along, minding your own business, when all of a sudden your car shuts off. Your power steering and brake hydraulics stop working, and you unexpectedly find yourself at the center of an accident just waiting to happen. This may sound like a tale your uncle would tell, but it’s a real possibility if your ignition switch fails while you are on the road.

As you might have guessed, if your car stalls while you’re driving, you absolutely need to bring your car in for service as soon as you can!

Fix Your Failing Ignition Switch At T3 Atlanta

If you’ve noticed any of these three signs of a faulty ignition, T3 Atlanta can help. We can diagnose the exact cause of your ignition troubles and prescribe the best solution for your vehicle. Give us a call or make an appointment today at one of our two metro Atlanta area locations!