Breakdown
Before we look at what to do in case of a breakdown; it's probably worth mentioning a
few ideas on avoiding them in the first place :
- Make sure that your vehicle is regularly checked and serviced by the official dealer, or
a reputable garage. The latter are not always easy to find, but as with most things,
personal recommendation is the best way to locate a reliable one.
- Always use, and insist on the fitment of, genuine spare parts, packaged by the
manufacturer ; or if these are not available, spare parts made by a well known OEM
(Original Equipment Manufacturer).
- Buy good quality fuel from garages run by the major oil companies and don't risk buying
it from roadside stalls. This is often black-market fuel which has been contaminated
or diluted.
No matter what precautions you take, there is still a small chance your vehicle will
break down at some stage. Here again much depends on the location and traffic; but
the safest thing to do is normally to pull in to the side of the road as soon as you start
to lose power. Switch on your hazard lights, (as long as your battery isn't too
weak). and then walk back along the road about 30 metres (33 yards) and place a reflective
warning triangle on the road behind your car. If you don't have a triangle, you
could achieve the same "early warning system", by laying a trail of branches in
the road behind your car. This is a method widely used overseas, so if you come
across a trail of foliage in the road, you'll know what to expect up ahead. (It will
do no harm to invest $5-10 on a triangle).
- If you have some mechanical knowledge, (and even if you don't), it's a good idea to
carry with you a basic toolkit and a small "field kit" of spare parts; it may be
a simple problem which can be easily diagnosed and repaired. (Tools and Spare Parts
are covered later).
- If your journey is going to take you some way from urban areas, it is also a good idea
to carry a supply of water, fuel, lubricants, brake fluid etc. You would not be the
first person to discover you had simply run out of fuel.
- If you don't have any idea what is wrong and are too far from a town to call a
colleague, or garage / recovery service, the best course of action is to remain with your
vehicle. Sooner or later local people will appear and one may be able to help.
In any event, once there are other people with you, you can ask for a message to be sent
to your destination (or point of departure), telling them where you are.
Alternatively you can remove any valuable items from the car, leave it to be guarded (for
a fee) by a couple of villagers, and take a lift to the next town. (Needless to say, it is
a good idea to pay a proportion of the fee when you return to pick up the vehicle).
- It is also sensible to keep in your vehicle a 7-10 metre (25-30 foot) tow rope, or nylon
towing belt. If you are traveling with others and the distance is not too great,
(and if you still have reasonable use of your brakes), you might find that a tow could
save the day. A tow rope on its own is not much use without a hook or shackle, so
buy a couple of them too. Please remember that the small steel loops at the front and rear
of many modern cars, are designed primarily as lashing rings to secure them on their
transporter trucks. They are not intended for long distance recovery or towing use.
- Another item which can come in very useful is a pair of battery jump-leads (booster
cables). You may find that your battery runs flat for one reason or another and you need
to connect your battery to that of another vehicle to start your engine. There is
only one important thing to remember about using jump leads:
- Connect the POSITIVE (+) terminal to the other POSITIVE
(+) terminal and the NEGATIVE (-) to the other
NEGATIVE (-). If you connect them the other way round you could
cause your battery to explode, and you could be seriously injured by pieces of battery and
battery acid. Thousands of people are injured in this way every year. If you are in
any doubt, wipe the battery clean so you can see clearly which is which. If a
vehicle has been off the road for a while, you should not assume automatically that the
flat battery installed under the hood/bonnet is correctly connected.
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