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‘It’s typically a sign that your engine’s pistons are worn out’: Expert reveals how to tell if your car’s engine is about to go

Unless you're an experienced mechanic, it might be difficult to tell when a major issue is happening with your car.

Whether you're collecting dashboard lights like Pokémon or turning up the music to pretend you don't hear a weird thump coming from the engine when accelerating, one mechanic says there are five surefire ways to tell that your engine needs attention.

In a video that has drawn over 625,000 views on TikTok, car expert Andy's Auto Advice (@andysautoadvice) says there are five things to look out for when it comes to maintaining your engine.

5 signs your engine is about to give out

You're burning through oil

"If your engine is burning a lot of oil, this is a definite sign of what is to come," he says in the video. "It's typically a sign that the rings on your engine's pistons are worn out, and that's allowing the oil to bypass the rings and get up into the combustion chamber of your engine. Yes, you can continue to drive your vehicle like this, but over time it will continue to consume more and more, and kind of snowball on itself. If you forget to top off your oil, well, kaboom."

Low engine compression

"If your engine is misfiring due to lack of compression in one of the cylinders," he says. "Granted, this could be a bad head gasket, but if it's not a bad head gasket, or spark plugs or coils, that can be a very bad sign. That typically will be an issue with the valve train on your engine, or something down inside of the lower part of your engine failing and that will soon lead to catastrophic failure."

(Here are the low engine compression symptoms to watch for.)

The low oil pressure light

"If your engine's low oil pressure light is on, like on the dash, the light is on, yes that could be a bad oil pump or a bad oil pressure switch, but you allow this to go ignored for a long period of time, and your engine will go kaboom," he says.

A knocking sound, deep within your motor

"I'm not talking about leaking exhaust or a leaking exhaust manifold, nothing like that. I'm saying a knocking sound coming from deep within your motor," he says. "If you start your vehicle and it has a knocking sound from the engine, and it increases when you accelerate, this is a telltale sign that your rod bearings or your rod caps are going out. You'll have a very short period of time of driving that vehicle before one of those connecting rods fails completely and you're left with a seized engine."

If you haven't changed the oil

"If you do not change the oil on your engine, it will fail, guaranteed," he says. "Some people out there will say, I've driven 30, 40, 60,000 miles without an oil change and it runs like a top. Because every video has contrarians in the comments, I know that. But if your engine is trying to pump literal sludge through the components of the engine, it will fail because it will not be getting proper lubrication where it needs it. It's only a matter of time before it seizes."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Andy for comment.

Why can ignoring engine maintenance be catastrophic?

Aside from the engine being the part of the car that makes it go—arguably the most important part—failing to maintain an engine can lead to much bigger issues.

Forgetting to get oil changes can lead to the oil turning into sludge, which can also cause the engine to overheat. An overheated engine can lead to the warping of expensive parts or the outright need for a total engine replacement.

It can also lead to the formation of sludge and deposits, which reduces fuel efficiency and can ultimately shorten the life of a vehicle, making operating the car more expensive in the long run, and likely needing outright replacement far sooner than expected.

'Still dealing with the aftermath'

Regarding Andy's recommendation to keep up with oil changes, several viewers commented on the video that their cars were heavy consumers of the petroleum-based product and expensive to keep up with.

"laughs in vw/audi with oil consumption," one commenter wrote.

"my Audi thinks I am Saudi prince," another commenter wrote. "I must pay it daily with oil."

"Hyundai denied my engine repair last month," a commenter wrote. "Said i dont have oil change reciepts from 2022. This was a 2021 Hyundai Tucson. Drunk oil like crazy. Still dealing with the aftermath."

Along these lines, some viewers recommended changing engine oil as often as possible, or at least in shorter intervals than recommended by manufacturers.

"The best thing anyone can do for their engine: change the oil as often as possible," one commenter wrote. "It’s money well spent."

@andysautoadvice Take care of that engine! #engine #tipsandtricks #cartips #enginerepair #cars #tips #vehiclemaintenance #car ♬ original sound - Andy’s Auto Advice

"Change your oil every 5-6K miles with good quality oil like Mobile 1 you won’t have any of those issues," another commenter wrote.

"I've been adding 1qt of oil to my daughter's sportage every week for years," a commenter wrote. "At 190k mi now, it still runs like new. Also has the low oil press light."

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