Vehicles don’t breakdown often, particulary not more modern well maintained vehicles anyway, but when they do it can be a major inconvenience. The worst part? Most reasons for car breakdowns are often so easy to avoid. We’ve put together some of the top reasons (in no particular order) why vehicles breakdown so you can try and avoid it in the future.
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Flat/Faulty battery
This is the number one cause of vehicle breakdowns. If you drive shorter journeys rather than longer ones that give the engine a chance to warm up, you’re likely to drain the battery after a while. A top tip for if the short trips are necessary is to take your car for a longer drive once in a while to give the battery an opportunity to recharge. Do this in the daylight, so you don’t use battery energy for your headlights, to get a quicker charge! If the car is to be laid up for a while, perhaps see if the manufacturer of that vehicle recommends trickle charging the battery to keep the charge and optimise the battery lifespan?
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Tyres
Your tyres will often fail at the fault of debris in the road, however this can still be mostly avoided. When your types pressure is low and they are under-inflated, they are more likely to overheat causing damage. Make sure you regularly check your vehicle’s type pressure and tread. Check for splits and bulges, too, and again, if the car has been sat, there is a danger that the sidewalls can crack and perish. So, regardless of tread, keep an eye on sidewalls too.
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Fuel
Putting in the wrong fuel or not having enough fuel to start with is a big, preventable reason for a lot of breakdowns (both vehicle and mental!). Make sure you’ve got enough fuel before you start your journey – before you get the warning sign! If you do make the dreaded mistake of filling up with the wrong fuel, do not start the engine. Instead, call a breakdown recovery service such as ourselves to get your car to a nearby garage and cipher the incorrect fuel out of the car.
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Clutch
Using your clutch too much or too agressively can cause it to prematurely wear. Vehicles that have sat for a while have a greater chance of a hydraulic issue or a cable seizing or snapping. And don’t do burnouts at the traffic lights…
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Electrical issues
This is common with more complex cars. Some systems in a car that are electrically powered can start to behave unpredictably if there is a fault – if this happens, get your vehicles checked out to prevent a breakdown.
Keep your eyes peeled for part 2 of this article series to see how you can hopefully avoid a vehicle breakdown in the future…