Last week we covered 5 of some of the typically most common causes of vehicle breakdown and how you can avoid them in the future. We’re going to jump straight into the remaining 5 (in no particular order)!
6) Punctured tyres
Normally, if you get a punctured tyre you can do a relatively quick fix with a spare. If you’re not carrying a spare tyre or if the inlation ‘kit’ often supplied with new cars nowadays won’t repair the damage however, then one of your only options is to call for a breakdown service such as ourselves to replace the wheel/tyre. To avoid this situation in the future, it’s always worth considering carrying a spare wheel that is in a usable condition, even if it’s a space saver. Inflation kits are ok for slow punctures to get you to safety and for a tyre that has run flat, but they won’t help a tyre that has shredded or come away from the rim.
7) Air conditioning and cooling system
When the some comes out, the air conditioning goes on. The problem, however, is that in the hot (and indeed, really cold) weather there are a lot more cooling-related faults. In order to avoid overheating your systems, make sure you or your garage check the coolant level and ensure that there is enough antifreeze to avoid breakdown issues. Ideally, anto freeze should be changed in regular accordance with your vehicle manufacturers recommendation (typically every 3 years or so).
8) Alternator issues
The alternator is in charge of keeping the vehicle battery charged. Even if you’ve got a brand-new battery, if your alternator is broken your battery will run out of charge and your vehicle will subsequently break down. This is major because your battery works for your lights, windscreen wipers and sound system but most importantly to keep your car going! If you have found that your ignition warning light has lit up and your engine is hotter than normal, it could be that the belt that drives the alternator and the water pump is damaged – stop your car and call your breakdown provider. Another tell-tale sign can often be a noisy squeal from the engine, or a alternator belt that is showing lots of black debris as it slips on a siezed pulley…
9) Lost keys
This isn’t technically a car breakdown, but vehicle breakdown service providers are sometimes called out because vehicle keys have been misplaced. Ensure that you’ve got two sets of car keys kept in separate locations so you can’t misplace them. You can always get a replacement from your main car dealer. Whilst this is a relatively simple sounding issue, a new key at some manufacturer main dealers, can cost you in excess of £500 to replace…so this is by no means the cheapest of the 10 most common problems.
10) High-tension leads (HT Leads)
High-tension leads deteriorate with age. They’re in charge of carrying the spark from the ignition system to the spark plugs. Without warning, they can just wear out making it difficult to start your car. You can use a damp-repellent spray, but you’re best off heading to your garage for a thorough look at your ignition system for any starting problems. The good news, is that these are normally extremely quick and easy to replace.
Have you ever broken down for any of these reasons? Avoid them in the future by following some of the tips mentioned!