When you get into an automobile accident it’s usually easy to tell how serious it is. If the car is not drivable you can assume it’s either going to the wrecking yard or a repair shop. Sometimes the car is drivable, but you can still see that it’s going to need serious repairs to get it back to being safe to drive. There are some accidents however where the car doesn’t seem to have been damaged much and you assume it’s fine. After a minor crash, your car may seem fine, but there may be problems that can crop up later.
Your battery life may be reduced because the impact of the accident jarred it. This jarring can short out the lead plates in the cell or even break the plates. Either one of those issues can reduce battery life significantly.
Your check engine light is there for a reason. After a minor accident, it takes an average of three days for the cars computer to check everything and reset. This means that some problems associated with an accident could go unnoticed for several days before your check engine light tells you there’s something wrong.
Sometimes cars develop leaks well after an accident. A hose may have gotten nicked in an area where it’s difficult to notice. It could be weeks before a leak develops. Leaks can develop with radiator hoses and connections as well as heater and air conditioning systems. All these systems can develop delayed leaks caused by a seemingly minor accident.
After having a minor accident, it may take time before problems can start to develop. It is advised that special attention to warning light and strange smells be taken. Consider having the car inspected 30 days following an accident. Insurance companies may cover some of these later developed problems if it can be proven they were caused by the accident, but the longer you wait, the harder it will be to prove.