If your aim is to save money on your car expenses and to make sure that your company car remains a financially sensible asset, then making sure it gets the care it needs is vital. Not only can it save you those high repair costs, but it can prevent it from depreciating faster, meaning it keeps more resale value. However, people will often consider certain “hiccups” to be relatively benign when they could be signs of a much bigger problem.

Here are the car symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore.

Don’t Ignore Your Dashboard Lights

It is true that the lights on your dashboard can light up for a variety of reasons, some more serious, while some might be as simple as a problem with the electrical system showing the wrong thing. However, you should get to know the various meanings of dashboard symbols to understand that each symbol is a sign of something that needs to be addressed pronto.

Any Differences to Your Tyres

If you notice a difference to your tyres, it’s imperative to check it out ASAP. This might be a tyre pressure warning on your dashboard, but you should physically check the pressure to make sure there’s no sinking on either side of the car, too. Similarly, uneven tread wear and any feeling of loss of traction on the road are indications that you need a tyres service. Aside from being the part of the car that meets the road and most affects your drive, your tires are connected to your suspension and other vital parts of the car, so any harm done to them can have a ripple effect.

Leaks Under the Car

There are various leaks that can affect your vehicle. Whether it’s corrosion causing a radiator leak, contaminated fluid that wears through the car or clogs up the transmission systems, or holes forming in your seals and gaskets, they can all lead to a fluid leak under the car. You can learn to identify the leak, but there is no puddle that’s okay to ignore. Whether it’s coolant, meaning your car is more likely to overheat while you’re driving it around, or motor oil, which can lead to engine damage if you run low on it, you should get it fixed and have your fluid changed.

Engine Smoke or Vapour

A distressing sign, there’s no doubt about that. However, you might be surprised by the sheer number of people who will stop to let the vapour or smoke clear away, then start driving as usual straight after. There’s a good chance that your engine is overheating if you see smoke or vapour. You can use coolant and top it off while waiting for it to cool, but you should take it for inspection before the heat starts to do serious damage to engine components, causing repair costs to skyrocket.

It’s always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to the condition of your car, both for your finance’s sake as well as your safety’s. Keep that in mind.