Photo by Andrew “Donovan” Valdivia
Most modern cars are built to endure minor roadside situations and are somewhat reliable. But there can be numerous conditions where things can go wrong, making it impractical to continue your journey.
What to do in case of Car Breakdown?
Car breakdowns can occur anytime and be in any shape or form. Often, it’s hard for drivers to establish the cause of the breakdown, let alone fixing it.
If you face a breakdown, follow the steps below.
- “If you can steer it, clear it.” Remove your vehicle from the road to the side to cut down rubbernecking and any other car wrecking.
- Turn on the hazard lights.
- If you’re on the roadside, stay inside the vehicle while calling the emergency towing company for help.
- Contact family and nearby relatives to keep them informed.
Engine Overheating
Car engines can overheat due to several reasons. It can be the faulty fan belt, the leaking water pump, cracked cooling system, or a bad thermostat. Most engines operate around 195°F to 220°F, and any defect in these vital car components can raise this temperature beyond normal. When exposed to high temperatures, the seals, gaskets, and other essential parts can be severely damaged.
A leak in the cooling system, condensed coolant, low engine oil level, broken water pump, and similar problems cause severe heating in the engine. Overheating vehicles need to be immediately taken to a mechanic, so call a local car towing service near me.
Accident or Fender Bender
Obviously, no one wants to get into an accident, but they can happen anytime and anywhere, as with any inevitable misfortune. Accidents or collisions are one of the major causes of needing a tow service. The U.S. car accident statistics show that, on average, the number of car accidents every year is 6 million. And a whopping more than 90 people die in car accidents every day.
Along with the towing company, the drivers also need to prepare for any unforeseen situation. And save the contact information of a 24-hour emergency towing company in their mobile phones to quickly get the service. The expert tow truck driver will figure out the vehicle damage and the next steps, as well as the services required to move your vehicle.
A towing company needs to know the condition of your car. You should be able to provide them the make and model of the car and the car’s current condition. This will help the tow truck driver to bring appropriate equipment. For example, if your car is fully damaged, a flatbed tow truck may be used to tow your car. Or, if the car is slightly damaged and the rear wheels can run properly, they may use a wheel-lift tow truck.
Ran out of Gas
When you get stuck at a remote location without any gas left, though it might sound eerie, it could happen to anyone. Everyone would feel the goosebumps when stuck on a creepy and dark highway with no gas. There can be many reasons to face such a situation. For example, it could occur due to a gas leak, broken fuel gauge, or faulty gas meter showing you the wrong reading of the gas in your car tank.
Regardless of the reason, if you get stuck on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere. You will think of getting help from an unknown passerby, but it could bring more fears. Or you may want to walk to a gas station, leaving your car unattended on the side of the road. It might seem a good idea, but long and deserted roads can be dangerous both for your car and your safety. So, you’ll need to call a professional towing company offering the best fuel delivery services near me. A reliable and efficient towing service provider like Flag towing will reach your location promptly with the required fuel supply to get you going.
Flat Tire
Flat tires can become a real pain and occur when you least expect it. Be it from damaged treads, low pressure, or a foreign object from the road causing the tire to flat out. Though it may be possible that you can change the tire, you don’t have a spare tire, or the replacement is also flat. Besides, not everyone knows how to change a flat tire and would require a professional towing and roadside assistance service expert to do the work.
Mostly a towing service can change the flat tire, remote tire repair, install a new one, or even tow your car to the nearest tire shop, all depending on what you request. In-arguably, you will need to call a flat tire towing service near you to have it fixed.
Before you Call a Towing Service
If you get into a car accident, be vigilant and perform the following steps before calling a towing service. You need to inform the towing professionals about your car’s condition and situation and request the appropriate type of towing service. Also, be prepared before the tow truck professional arrives.
Take pictures of the damage.
Take pictures of your vehicle from every angle possible because you’ll need them later on. Your car insurance company will most probably send someone to take the pictures for documentation. However, the one’s you take can be used to claim any false assumption by the insurance company or help you in the off chance that unexpected damage might occur to your car while being towed.
Get in touch with the Insurance company.
You need to contact your insurance company before requesting a towing service. Does car insurance cover breakdown repairs? Because people often contract towing companies without knowing if their insurance will cover the cost or not. Insurance companies might only work with certain towing services, so it could affect your choice of who you call for towing.
Get a Free Towing Estimate
In case your insurance company isn’t bearing the towing cost, you’ll want to ask the tow company for a cost estimate before they dispatch their tow truck towards your location. The towing prices depend on many factors and the company as well. Some service providers have flat rates based on the vehicle while others charge by the mile. So, it’s always good to know beforehand to avoid any surprises later on.
Towing Method
When you tell the towing company about the condition, the towing experts at the company can assess the situation and recommend the towing services needed. There are flatbed, wheel-lift, and hook and chain towing techniques. The tow truck drivers can use any of these towing types; make sure to ask before you order.
Keep the receipts
This comes after your car being towed by the tow truck driver and throughout the accident, but it’s worth stating. Insurance companies usually will reimburse part or the whole towing cost, but you need to provide original receipts.
Need a Tow?
Whatever the situation, now you know when to call the towing service and what should be done before the call. If you ever need a towing, call SPN America extended network of towing throughout America.