Top Causes of car breakdowns

Top Causes of car breakdowns

If you’re like most car owners, you dread the day your vehicle breaks down. Sadly, it’s an inevitability for most of us. But don’t worry – knowing what the top causes of car breakdowns are can help you be better prepared when (not if) it happens to you. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the four main reasons cars break down, as well as some tips on how to prevent them. Read on to learn more!

1. Dead battery

A dead battery is one of the most common causes of car breakdowns. Once it’s drained, you’re stuck in a situation where you need to get your car to an auto shop so that it can be recharged. But what causes batteries to die?

There are three main reasons why this happens:

1) The age of the battery: like people, batteries age and lose power over time. Eventually, your battery will stop recharging and you’ll need to change it for a new one.

2) Leaving car headlights on while this may seem like common sense, many people neglect to turn their headlights off if they’re leaving the area for more than a few minutes (for example, if you’re leaving work for the day.) If your battery is already weak enough, this can be enough to cause it to die.

3) Leaving car lights on after parking: even if you turn off your headlights, they may drain your battery overnight if you don’t park in a place where there’s sufficient darkness.

As for what you can do to prevent a dead battery, here are some tips:

•     Use your parking brake. This will turn off the engine and (hopefully) kill all of the lights. Even if it doesn’t, at least you know that you’re avoiding draining the battery.
•     If your car has a keyless entry system, make sure to take your keys with you when you leave the car.
•     Try to remember to turn off all of your lights – even if it’s just for a few minutes – before leaving your vehicle.

2. Flat tire

Another common car breakdown is a flat tire. Flat tires are usually caused by an issue with the tire valves, or if something punctures your tire and causes it to lose its air pressure rapidly.

If you get a flat tire, what should you do? Well, first of all: don’t panic! Just follow these three simple steps:

1) Try to find the punctured section of your tire.

2) Loosen the lug nuts on either side of the flat. You can do this by hand with most cars, but you’ll need a wrench if they’re too tight.

3) Take off the wheel and replace it with one of your spare tires.

If you don’t have a spare tire, you’ll need to call a towing company like Towing Of El Paso to come and help you.   

3. Running out of gas

Perhaps one of the most common reasons for car breakdowns is running out of gas. If this happens, two things usually happen:

• your engine starts to sputter
• your gas warning light comes on. If you notice either of these two things while driving, pull into the nearest gas station right away. You’ll need to fill up on that cheap diesel soon before it runs out!

4. Engine problems

Engine problems are usually caused by a lack of maintenance, so if you’ve been neglecting your car’s oil changes and tune-ups, it’s probably not shocking to hear that this is one of the most common causes of car breakdowns.

If your engine starts making strange noises or sputtering, pull into a gas station as soon as possible. You’ll need a professional to look at it if the problem’s too bad or you can’t figure out what’s going on.

5. Brake failure

Brake failure is another very common cause of car breakdowns, and it can happen even if you haven’t been speeding: the most frequent reason for brake failure is a simple lack of maintenance.

If your brakes suddenly stop working, you’ll need to pull into a safe spot as soon as possible. The last thing you want to do is cause an accident, so be sure to take it easy if you have to pump the brakes.

6. Electrical issues

Lastly, electrical issues are responsible for a fair number of car breakdowns. If you have an issue with your battery, headlights, or another electrical system on your car, it’s probably best to pull over as soon as possible so that you don’t lose power completely.

If this happens to you, check all of the other fuses that you can find. You’ll need to pull them out and replace them with new ones if they’re blown, but be sure you know what kind of fuse goes where before you do so.

These are just some of the most common causes of car breakdowns. If you want to avoid any more issues with your car, make sure to keep up with regular car maintenance!

ABOUT Towing Of El Paso

Towing of El Paso has been serving the public for years with an excellent track record in the towing and roadside assistance industry. We offer a variety of towing services including light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty. Our towing services are available 24/7 in the El Paso area, so don’t hesitate to give us a call today.