The engine is as important to your car as the heart is to your body. Fortunately, if your engine stops working, you can have it repaired or replaced so you can get back on the road.

The moment you notice your check engine light come on, the best course of action is to bring your car in to the shop as soon as possible. Though this warning light can mean a lot of different things (not just your engine), hooking your car up to a diagnostic scan tool can help you get a handle of what's wrong with your car. The scan tool is a miniature computer that is accessible with most modern cars that have a computer system.

Assuming that you take care of your car by replacing the oil and belts frequently, if your car drives jerkily that could very well mean it has an engine problem. Bear in mind also that if your car drives jerkily and you don't take it in for engine repair, you could risk having the engine fail at a crucial moment in which you have to accelerate. There really isn't a convenient time for an engine to fail, so it is best to play it safe and be cautious.

Smoke is something you never want associated with your car, because it always means there is a problem with it. A particularly common issue with smoke is when your tailpipe emits white smoke when the motor is idling. This generally means that there is too much antifreeze or water condensation and it has gotten into the fuel supply.

You could always add coolant to the engine yourself, but coolant is not intended as a cure for engine repair issues. Should you neglect to take your car into the shop and forget to add enough coolant, you could find that white smoke will come out of the hood, which almost always means your engine has overheated. When that happens, the car will stall.

Whenever your engine is showing signs of trouble and you need engine repair, you don't have to worry. ACME Auto Repair of Hopkinsville, KY, has a mechanic available to get your engine working good as new. Have us take a look under your car's hood today!