How to Avoid a Car Breakdown
According to RAC, they deal with more than two million car breakdowns a year – that’s around 7,000 a day just from one breakdown company!
Whether it’s as part of your day-to-day driving or while embarking on a long trip on the motorway, breaking down and losing access to your car is a disaster. However, by taking a proactive approach to car care and maintenance, you can reduce the chance of this happening to you.
In this article, the team here at Ken’s Autos will provide you with our top five tips on how to avoid a car breakdown.
- Look after your battery
One of the biggest causes of a car breakdown is problems with the battery. Often, batteries become flat without people even realising it, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the condition of yours.
On average, a car battery will last you between three to five years, and there are usually a few signs that it is on its way out. If your battery is dying, a warning light should pop up on your dashboard alerting you a change is needed. If you spot this light, then you should change your car battery as soon as possible to prevent it from dying and causing a breakdown while you’re out on the road.
Car batteries may also struggle to hold their charge during the colder months of the year as the cold can prevent the battery’s chemical processes from working properly. Keeping a battery charger in your boot is therefore a sensible idea at this time of year.
Many modern cars feature AGM batteries and at Ken’s Autos we can help replace any battery type.
- Check tyres regularly
A flat tyre is another common cause of breakdown and can be incredibly disruptive — especially if you don’t have a spare to hand.
While it may be difficult to avoid objects out on the road that can cause a flat, regularly inspecting your tyres and looking out for cuts, splits or holes as well as pieces of glass or nails that can cause damage is a good way to prevent one from occurring in the first place.
If you do notice damage, you should get the tyre replaced as soon as possible.
Plus, you should always ensure the tread depth of your tyres is no less than 1.6mm. This is the legal tread depth requirement.
- Have your car regularly serviced
It is recommended that your car is serviced at least once a year, and it’s important that you keep up with these appointments.
While not a legal requirement, car servicing can help spot potential issues before they cause a future breakdown, such as problems with timing belts, brakes and your vehicle’s suspension.
A service will also identify if any of your car’s lightbulbs need changing, something that is particularly important during the cold and darker winter months.
- Keep an eye on warning lights
While it may be tempting to ignore warning lights on your car’s dashboard, they are there to indicate a problem.
Whether it is a problem with your battery, engine, brakes, tyres or anything else, you should always address the issue as soon as you see the warning light has appeared.
Ignoring it increases the likelihood of a breakdown.
- Keep oil topped up
Oil plays a fundamental role in your car’s performance, lubricating key parts and ensuring they don’t break down prematurely. If you don’t keep your oil topped up, you are likely to encounter problems that may even result in your car breaking down. It’s recommended that you top up your oil at least every three months.
Whether you need a battery replacement or car servicing, here at Ken’s Autos we can help you to reduce the chance of suffering from a car breakdown. Providing leading automotive services and spare parts to drivers across Nottingham, Mansfield, Derby and beyond, please contact our expert team today.