Be Prepared in Case Your Car Breaks Down
Your car breaks down. Things inevitably just seem to happen, and usually at the worst possible time. A flat tire, your engine won’t start, or your car overheats. Here are a few tips that hopefully, may someday help, if you ever experience a breakdown with your car.
What To Do If Your Car Won’t Start
You probably do not have a mechanic toolset in your trunk (or maybe you would not know what to do with one even if you did), so it is a helpless feeling when you are away from home in a car that will not start. If you are in this situation, do not give up – there are a few things that you may be able to do to get back on your way.
If you cannot get your vehicle started, what you hear (or do not hear) can give you some hints about what is possibly going on.
Nothing Happens When You Turn the Key
Most Likely Your Cars Battery is Dead
Getting a “Jump” From Another Car
- Open the hood
- Locate the battery
- Park the donor car near the front of your car
- Turn off both vehicles
- Take your jumper cables and attach one of the red clips to the positive terminal of your battery (usually marked with red or a + sign)
- Attach the other red clip to the battery terminal of the donor car
- Attach one of the black clips to the negative terminal of the donor car
- Attach the other black clip to any unpainted metal surface on your car as far from the battery as possible
- Start the donor car and let the engine run for a few minutes
- Try to start your vehicle
Causes of a dead battery can be as simple as leaving your lights on, or it can be a sign of a bad battery or a bad alternator.
You Turn the Key and Get Lights but No Sound
Your car may not be in park
- Move the gear to park or neutral and see if the car starts
Normal Cranking but the Engine Does Not Turn On
- You may have blown a fuse
- You may be out of gas
The Engine Turns Over Very Slowly
Your battery is weak
- If the engine cranks slowly, then the starter motor is not getting enough power to turn over the engine. In this case, the likely culprit is a weak battery. Giving the battery a jump will not fix the problem, but it will get your car started and get you to a parts store for a new battery.
A Fast Cranking with a Spinning Noise
Your timing belt is broken or off
- Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for a broken timing belt. Take your key out of the ignition and call the towing company or your insurance company if you have roadside assistance on your policy.
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Do You Know the Signs of an Overheated Engine?
It is a scene from countless movies: a family sets off on a road trip, and before long, steam begins pouring from the engine, forcing them to pull over and disrupting their plans. While movies tend to dramatize inconveniences like this, in this case, the reality is not too far off.
Today’s cars have sophisticated cooling systems that are tested for everything from extreme weather to traffic jams, making them far less likely to overheat than cars manufactured 30 years ago. Even so, it still happens under certain circumstances.
Why Do Cars Overheat?
Your car’s engine contains a fixed cylinder and a piston that moves up and down. Gas and air are sprayed into the engine’s cylinder, causing little explosions that move the piston. These explosions generate a lot of heat, which is why your car needs coolant to circulate through the engine and absorb the heat.
When the engine overheats, it is because there is something that is preventing heat from being removed, usually a leak or blockage in the cooling system. The good news is that you can usually avoid problems with your car’s cooling system with regular maintenance from a certified mechanic.
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How Do You Know If Your Car Is Overheating?
There are several signs that can tip you off to an overheating engine:
- A strange smell coming from the engine. Coolant typically has a sweet smell, while oil has a burnt odor.
- Your car’s temperature gauge may spike to the H or red zone.
- Steam coming from under the hood or trunk of your vehicle, depending on where the engine is located.
What to Do If Your Car Overheats
Pull Over
If you see signs of your car’s engine overheating, it is important to pull off the road as soon as possible, ideally within a quarter of a mile, to prevent more extensive damage.
Crank on the Heat
Running the air conditioner puts a lot of stress on your car’s engine. If you see signs that it is overheating, immediately turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heat. This will remove some of the heat from the engine.
Check Your Coolant Level
If the coolant level is low, top it off and plan on scheduling an appointment with a mechanic to find out why you are losing coolant.
Caution! Do NOT open the radiator on an engine that is hot, the coolant is pressurized and could explode.
Get to a Service Station
An overheating engine is not a problem that will fix itself. Even if adding coolant seemed to resolve the issue, if there is a leak, it will only get worse. Taking care of the problem as soon as possible can save you from more expensive repairs down the road.
How To Change A Flat Tire
Whether you are driving across town or across the country, a flat or blown tire can be a stressful experience. Knowing how to take care of it yourself, quickly and safely, can provide peace of mind and help prevent more extensive damage to your vehicle.
What You Will Need
Changing a tire requires a few basic items, including:
- Jack
- Spare tire
- Lug wrench
- Wheel wedges
- Reflective triangles
- Flashlight (if at night)
13 Steps for Changing a Tire
1). Pull off the road as far as possible onto firm, flat ground. If you are on a highway, in the center, emergency lane or there is no flat/firm ground available, it is not safe for you to change the tire yourself. In these scenarios you should call for help.
2). Once your vehicle is parked, have all passengers exit the vehicle and stand as far from traffic as possible.
3). Ensure the vehicle is in park and engage the emergency brake.
4). Keep the vehicle from rolling by placing wheel wedges behind one of the undamaged tires if you are on an incline or in front of the wheel if your vehicle is facing downhill.
5). If you have a hubcap, remove it.
6). Loosen the lug nuts by using your lug wrench to turn them counter-clockwise. After you have loosened the first one, leave it in place. Skip every other lug nut, working your way around until they are all loose.
7). Jack your car up by sliding the jack under the frame, then pumping or turning it to lift your vehicle. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual to see exactly where to put the jack.
8). Completely remove the lug nuts and put them somewhere for safe keeping.
9). Remove the tire by pulling it straight out from the car.
10). Place the spare tire on the screw prongs with the air valve facing out, ensuring that the screws are lined up to the holes.
11). Screw the lug nuts on, first by hand, and then tighten them with the lug wrench.
12). Use the jack to lower your vehicle so the tire touches the ground and does not spin, then tighten the lug nuts again in the same pattern you first loosened them.
13) Drive to the nearest tire shop.
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