Nothing can pour cold water on a road trip faster than a breakdown! Who wants to spend their Mashujaa Day in a roadside garage while a greasy-handed mechanic makes potentially costly repairs? Let’s see what causes most car breakdowns and a little foresight prevent them.
There are no guarantees, but staying on top of car maintenance certainly reduces your chances of experiencing a breakdown. Here are the 10 most common breakdown issues, and ways you can fix them.
- Bad Battery
A faulty battery is one of the most common causes of breakdowns. If you don’t take long trips very often, your battery won’t have much of a chance to charge. You can remedy this by charging it yourself every couple of weeks, either manually or by driving around. Also, when you have your car serviced, ask the mechanic to check that the connections are secure and the terminals are free from corrosion. Any signs of corrosion could indicate that you need a new car battery. We ignore this most of the time.
- Flat Tyre
Checking the pressure in your tyres is a good way to avoid a potential flat, but even that won’t help if your tyres have reached their end of days. Unfortunately, some cars and SUVs don’t come with a spare—which is something you’ll need to have if you’d rather not be left high and dry on the highway with a flat e.g. The Vanguard comes with a repair kit instead of a spare. Also, check that you have proper tire tread depth.
- Running Out of Fuel
Incredible as it may seem given the low fuel warnings on today’s cars, running out of fuel is still one big cause of stranded motorists. Technically, it’s not really a “breakdown,” but if your car has no fuel, it’s not going to take you anywhere! Be smart and pay attention to your gas gauge, and always carry a fuel container in the boot, make sure it’s metallic. Petrol stations are by law no allowed to sell you petrol on plastic containers.
- Alternator Problems
Your vehicle’s alternator works by continually converting mechanical energy into electrical energy to keep your car’s battery charged. If it fails, your battery’s power will drain very quickly, and you’ll be stuck. Keep an eye out for dim cabin lights or blinking gauges while your car is idling, sluggish windshield wipers, or flickering headlights—all of which are issues that indicate your alternator may be about to go. Take preemptive action and take your car for a visit to your trusted mechanic. Don’t let it go or you will end up dark roadside in the middle of nowhere.
- Spark Plugs That Have Lost Their Spark!
One of the most important components of your car’s ignition system is its spark plugs. They’re what ignite the fuel and start the combustion process that gets and keeps your engine running. One word to avoid a breakdown due to faulty spark plugs: Tune-up! Get a tune-up every few months, or as recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer.
How to know when you need a tune-up
- Broken Starter
Car won’t start, yet the battery seems fine? It could be your starter, and a broken starter is just the start of much bigger problems. Ask your mechanic to include a starter inspection during your next vehicle checkup. Swap a broken one with a new OEM starter before the problem does get out of hand.
- Coolant Leaks
A broken hose leaking coolant can lead to an overheated engine—and a car that’s not going anywhere without a billow of smoke trailing behind. Check hoses for softening or cracks, and keep tabs on fluid levels to prevent this from happening to you. Newer cars usually don’t require complete coolant flushes very regularly—about every 100,000 to 150,000 kilometers —but a leak will speed that up significantly.
- Lockouts
Without your keys, you’re obviously not driving anywhere. People consistently lock their keys in their cars, and most of us don’t carry around another key. Keeping a spare set inside the house or at the office will at least get you off the hook if you’re in one of those two places. Otherwise, you have to come a flatbed customer if a lockout happens in a far flung area.
- Engine Trouble
Of course, engine trouble can mean a number of things, but one of the most obvious causes is owning a car with high mileage. There are only two solutions to that problem:
- Swap it with a new or used
- Have frequent checkups and repairs written into your budget
- Transmission Woes
A problem with your transmission may not be a breakdown in the classic sense, but driving a car with an obvious transmission problem, such as rough shifting, gears slipping, or delayed engagement is a risk no one should take. If you notice any such transmission symptoms, the best thing to do is to get your car into your mechanic have it looked at before you end up needing a costly new transmission.
Read the original article on Northside
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