Top 5 Most Common Car Repairs in Myrtle Beach and How to Avoid Them
Myrtle Beach car owners: prevent costly breakdowns with expert tips and service from CVJ Mobile Mechanics, We Bring the Garage to You!
8/18/20255 min read
There's much to love about living in Myrtle Beach; the sun, surf, and all the fun of coastal living. For your car, however, it comes with some unique challenges. Long time locals know too well of the wear and tear brought on their vehicles, and we've had to help a lot of stranded tourists this summer. Between the hot South Carolina sun, salty sea air, heavy traffic, and infrastructure that leaves a lot to be desired, your vehicle is constantly under stress. Over time, these factors can lead to costly repairs if you’re not keeping up with preventive maintenance.
Let's be honest, keeping up with maintenance is a hassle. Issues often go unnoticed until it's too late, especially in this state that does not require annual vehicle inspections. Bringing your car to a shop is nerve-wrecking, fearing long wait times and unexpectedly costly quotes.
At CVJ Mobile Mechanics, we bring the garage to you! We handle vehicle repair and maintenance at your convenience, whether you're at home, work, or on the road. While we can help with vehicle repairs when they happen, we're all about preventative maintenance. Here, we are listing the five most common repairs our technicians deal with, and tips to help you avoid them.
1. Starting and Charging System
Your car’s electrical system works harder than you may realize. It is responsible for all computer driven operations in your vehicle, which accounts for most all systems in newer vehicles. The summer heat not only adds stress to this system, but it also has to work over time to support all additional accessories like A/C, radio, and lights. When your car isn't getting proper voltage, it can not only start to act funky, it risks leaving you stranded.
What happens
Extreme temperatures force electrical components to work harder, overloading the system.
Alternators can fail, leaving your battery uncharged and risking shutting off while driving.
Starters can wear out, causing slow cranking or complete no-starts.
Unaddressed fluid leaks, commonly oil, power steering fluid, or coolant, contaminate the alternator and starter. This damages their components, leading to premature failure.
Corrosion on battery terminals from salty air can interrupt power flow.
Prevention tips:
Look for dim or flickering headlights, radio shutting off, and other accessory malfunctions.
Listen for slow cranking, unusual whining from the engine bay, or clicking noises when starting. These are early warning signs.
A battery light flickering or permanently displaying on the dash is a warning for immediate inspection.
Keep terminals clean and tight; a little corrosion can cause big problems.
Watch out for oil leaks! As well as any other fluids that can make their way into electrical parts.
Extra tip: Extreme heat reduces battery efficiency, so older batteries are more likely to fail during peak summer. Regular inspections can save you from a breakdown in the middle of the boulevard.
Alternators and Starters
2. Braking System
The constant stop-and-go traffic of our town wears down brake pads faster than daily drivers would prefer. The most common complaints we hear are squealing and steering wheel shaking when braking. Unfortunately, if the brake pads are already worn to the point of pulsation while braking, they have damaged the rotors. Ignore it for too much longer, and you may need to replace the calipers as well! Learn the warning signs, and keep up with your maintenance to avoid preventable repairs.
What happens
Pads wear down, metal contacts rotors, and you get vibration or grinding sounds.
Warped or grooves rotors require replacement rather than just pads to ensure braking safety.
When pads are worn, caliper pistons needs to extend further to make contact with the rotor. The pistons may extend passed their protective boot, risking rust and corrosion on our salty roads.
Prevention tips:
Listen and feel for squeaks, grinding, or vibration when braking.
While it can be tricky on our crowded roads, avoiding tailgating that leads to excessive braking.
Check the thickness of your brake pads often and before long trips. Alternatively, schedule a Maintenance Check-Up with us, that'll include an oil change and overall inspection to ensure your vehicle is in good health.
Extra tip: Humid conditions and coastal salt can cause brake components to corrode faster, so more frequent checks are helpful in Myrtle Beach.
Rotors and Calipers
3. Drive Belt
As us South Carolinians know, annual vehicle inspections aren’t required. Because of this, wearable components such as drive belts often go unchecked. Your drive belt connects the rotating crank pulley of your engine to all other engine accessories, often including the alternator, A/C, power steering, and water pump. A failed belt will disrupt the function of those accessories and risks overheating or leaving you stranded.
What happens
Drive belt are made of reinforced rubber, and while they are meant to last tens of thousands of miles, they are a wearable part.
Hot climates and frequent short trips put more stress on the belt, shortening its lifespan.
Bad pulleys can cause belt misalignment, leading to fraying.
Fluid leaks can either break down the rubber material or lead to belt slipping.
Prevention tips:
Check belts for wear during routine inspections, including fraying, cracks, or an uneven travel while the belt is spinning.
Listen for squealing or "chirping" while the vehicle is running or accelerating.
Address any fluid leaks promptly to prevent premature wear.
Extra tip: Drive belt replacement is relatively inexpensive compared to the damage caused by a snapped belt. Catching issues early saves both money and hassle.
a.k.a the Serpentine Belt
4. Suspension System
Your car’s suspension system is what keeps your ride smooth, your tires gripping the road, and your vehicle stable during turns and braking. Around here, bumpy roads, potholes, and frequent construction zones can wear these components faster than in other areas.
What happens
Rough impacts accelerate wear on shocks, struts, and ball joints, reducing their lifespan.
Damaged or worn protective boots allow contaminants like sand, mud, and salt to enter the components, speeding up internal wear.
Even with gentle driving, shocks, struts, and ball joints lose effectiveness over time. Rubber bushings harden, seals wear out, and metal components gradually fatigue.
Prevention tips:
Pay attention to excessive bouncing, swaying, or clunking noises over bumps.
Replace damaged protective boots promptly and clean off dirt and debris when possible.
Slow down over potholes and rough patches to minimize impact damage. Sorry to anyone who needs to commute on Hwy 501.
Extra tip: Good suspension protects more than your ride comfort, it prevents premature tire wear and helps braking performance.
Shocks and Ball Joints
5. Cooling System
Myrtle Beach summers are brutal for engines. High temperatures combined with stop-and-go traffic put your cooling system under constant stress. We cannot say enough to avoiding driving and please shut off your engine when the dash warns that the engine temperature is increasing. Overheating can cause major engine damage like head gasket failure and warped cylinders. It's this time of year we also hear lots of complaints of poor A/C performance.
What happens
Heat and humidity cause rubber coolant hoses to dry out, crack, or soften.
Salt air and moisture accelerates corrosion, especially if road debris caused any nicks on the radiator or A/C condenser.
Prevention tips:
Monitor the temperature gauge and watch for leaks or puddles.
Flush coolant according to your owner’s manual. In the event that coolant is needed, avoid adding non-distilled water that may need to rust and corrosion within the cooling system.
Extra tip: Even small coolant leaks can lead to major engine damage if left unchecked in high temperatures. Preventive care is essential in South Carolina.