UPDATE: Goodwill Car Donations is currently accepting vehicle donations. Call 866-233-8586 to schedule an unattended FREE pickup. To learn what actions we are taking to ensure you are protected when you donate a vehicle to Goodwill Car Donations, please click here.

3 Signs of a Blown Engine and What You Can Do About It

Car Engine Stopped | Goodwill Car Donations Photo by Gustavo Fring under Pexels License

A Damaged Engine Can Pose Dangers to You and Other Drivers

When you buy a car, it’s often said that its sale price is just your initial payment. Becoming a car owner puts you on a journey of constant maintenance, checkups, repairs, and parts replacements. You can expect all these especially if you drive your car daily.

Minor problems or replacements like brake pads or wheel bearings are usually easy to fix. However, for issues related to your engine, things can be more complicated and costly to repair.

The engine is the heart of your vehicle. Without it, your car is nothing more than a hulking piece of metal. A damaged engine greatly affects the performance of your car, making it a hazard both to you and other drivers on the road.

Your engine can get damaged in many ways. Overheating is a common reason as well as hydrolocking, which happens when you try driving your car through a flood and your engine gets submerged, filling its cylinders with water.

Every vehicle has a recommended schedule for its maintenance, and manufacturers highly encourage drivers to follow it. Being diligent in your car checkups and oil changes can help you avoid costly engine repairs or a blown engine.

3 Signs That Your Car Has a Blown Engine

Always be on the lookout for symptoms of trouble whenever you drive your vehicle, especially if it’s been a while since its last checkup. If you’re driving and some things seem off, whether they’re strange lights on the dashboard or weird knocking noises, you should stop somewhere safe immediately.

The worst-case scenario is that your engine is on the verge of giving up. You wouldn’t want to be in the middle of the road when that happens!

Check out these 3 signs that may indicate engine damage or a blown engine:

  1. Check engine light is on.

There’s a reason why the “check engine” light is there. Don’t ignore it — it can very well save you from harm when you suffer a blown engine. Play it safe by scheduling a trip to the car shop as soon as you’re able to.

  1. Car performance isn’t how it used to be.

Is your car taking longer to speed up than before? Is there an increase in your fuel consumption? If your car’s performance is noticeably different compared to how it used to be, it might indicate an internal problem that you need to get checked out.

  1. More smoke spewing out.

An increase in your car’s exhaust is typically a bad sign, signaling that something might have broken down inside your vehicle. A trip to the auto shop is always warranted when this happens to avoid an even bigger headache.

Your Busted Car Still Has Value — Use It to Help the Needy

If you suffered a blown engine or some other serious car problems, you probably got the shock of your life when told of the huge costs of its repairs. Splurging money on repairs would be unwise since these wouldn’t guarantee that your car would be restored to its former pristine condition.

Still, just because your engine suffered damage doesn’t mean your vehicle has lost all its value. You can still squeeze some benefits from it by using it to help disadvantaged individuals living in your community. You can do that by handing over that clunker to us at Goodwill Car Donations.

We’ll do our best to fix and shine your vehicle for free and have it ready for auction. Once the vehicle is sold off, we’ll use the proceeds to support the life-enhancing programs of the Goodwill organizations serving your area. These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofits cater to individuals who are burdened with disabilities, lack of education or essential skills, and other disadvantages, such as having prison records. They use the funding they get from vehicle donations to provide their beneficiaries with job training, employment opportunities, scholarships, livelihood assistance, disability benefits, and other critical community-building support services.

To donate, all you have to do is contact us. We’ll handle everything else from that point on, including picking up and towing your vehicle at absolutely no cost to you.

Your charitable contribution will also make you eligible to receive the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season.

Furthermore, your gift will also allow you to savor the satisfaction of having served your community by helping empower your less fortunate neighbors.

You can donate almost any type of vehicle even if it’s already in bad condition.

For information about our quick and convenient vehicle donation process and other important matters, feel free to check out our FAQs page. If you have questions, call us at 866-233-8586 or leave us a message here.

Turn Over Your Clunker to Us Today!

Are you ready to transform your run-down car into a vital source of assistance for your community’s disadvantaged residents? Turn it over to Goodwill Car Donations today! Call us at 866-233-8586 or fill out our online donation form now!

Red Porsche 911 | Goodwill Car Donations Photo by Tnarg under Pexels License