Car Maintenance Tips: What to do if Your Car Breaks Down?
Car Maintenance Tips: What to do if Your Car Breaks Down?
By James Hamel
We’ve all had it happen to us at least once. You go out to your car, usually at a time when you’re late to pick up the kids or need to be at an important meeting, and the engine won’t start. The standard reaction to this problem is to panic. At the very least you get a guttural churning sensation in your stomach that is far from pleasant as you know this will not be a fun experience. Kind of like when you have to go see your dentist who you are sure actually worships Satan and is intentionally trying to hurt you. Here are some car maintenance tips.
There are many reasons why a vehicle will not start and there are two kinds of “no-start” conditions that can help you figure out what might be wrong. First there is something referred to as “crank/no start” and then there is “no crank/no start.” Knowing the difference may help either you or the mechanic pinpoint the problem that much faster saving you time and money. Either way, the main thing is not to panic about being late, disappointing people or that you are waiting in an unfamiliar place.
First off, if you are sure that you do not have the mechanical skill to even open the hood call either your car manufacturer’s roadside assistance (there should be a card with the number in your glovebox with the owner’s manual) or if your car is older call a towing company (just dial information or the operator on your cell phone.) Then have them take you to the nearest repair facility and have them diagnose the problem for you.
If you have a “no crank/no start” concern this usually is caused by either a dead battery, a failed starter or ignition switch and in a worst case scenario a seized engine (perhaps from not having oil in it). The majority of the time this problem is caused by a dead battery and usually you will just hear a ticking noise when you turn the key in the ignition. Perhaps you left the headlights on all night or maybe the battery just finally stopped holding a charge (good ones last up to 7 years generally and the life expectancy of your battery should be printed on the side of it). We have even seen batteries go dead overnight simply because someone left their interior dome light on.
If you find that it was something like leaving your headlights on you can save yourself a lot of hassle if you have jumper cables with you. That way you can just find someone with a running car, attach the positive and negative terminals of the battery to the correlating clips on the cables and once that is completed you should be able to start your car. As long as you are sure to attach the positive and negative cables to the correct (+ positive) and (- negative) battery attachments (which are marked) then you should not be afraid of any electrical sparking during the process. It really is easy to do but if you are scared call a professional.
If you hear your engine trying to start but not quite making it to the internal combustion process, however, that means you have a “crank/no start” problem. This is usually more serious and can be anything from a bad fuel pump, bad ignition system, malfunctioning alarm which may have disabled the car, a problem with fuel injectors, serious internal engine failure or it also can just be down to worn out spark plugs. If you have a “crank/no start” concern and are only moderately mechanical you should just plan on having an ASE Certified Mechanic diagnose it for you.
Staying Safe When Your Car is Broken Down By the Road
But let’s get back to your car not starting. The first thing you should do is be sure that your car is out of the way of any traffic preferably in a parking lot of an open and busy shopping area or gas station. The danger is greater for women as statistics show 1 in 3 American women have been the victim of a physical assault and having a broken down car could be a recipe for disaster.
Although female drivers are more likely to be physically assaulted, for some odd reason it is actually men who are more likely to be victims of car-jacking so everyone needs to be on the alert during a breakdown. Pretty much all the time actually so also always remember to keep your doors locked when driving. Some safety experts recommend that women carry pepper spray with them in their purses as well so they will safe while waiting for a tow truck. Or, we suppose, if the tow truck driver decides to make unwanted advances at a young lady it stands to reason that pepper spray would tell him in no uncertain terms “I am not interested.”
Some cars in the past have proven to be less than reliable so breakdown survival skills have always been important! Got any car maintenance tips to share? Please comment.
