You’re driving along, enjoying the scenery and looking forward to getting home after a long day at work. Then you hear a strange noise and realise that something is wrong with your car. What should you do in this situation? While auto repairs can be expensive and inconvenient, they don’t have to be terrifying. In fact, if you know what to do when your vehicle breaks down or needs service then it can actually be quite straightforward — especially if you have an emergency roadside assistance plan.
Are You Stuck On the Side of the Road?
If you are stuck on the side of the road, your first action should be to call for help. If you have a phone with service, simply dialling the emergency number is an option. If you are in a remote area and it does not look like there is any way for help to reach you immediately (for example if there is no cell reception), then getting out and walking toward the nearest road may be necessary. Once at that road, try flagging down someone who might be able to lend assistance or at least point out which direction they were headed.
What To Do When Your Car Stalls
If your car stalls, don’t panic. First, turn off the engine and take a deep breath to calm down. Then try restarting the car—if that doesn’t work, move it to the edge of the road (you should always do this anyway). If you can’t move your vehicle for any reason or if you’re in danger by staying where you are, call for help and wait until someone arrives to assist you. If there’s no one around who can help and it’s safe enough for you to exit your car safely without being hit by other vehicles on the road or falling into traffic or some other danger zone like an open manhole near where your vehicle broke down.
What to do When You Run Out of Fuel
Don’t panic! This can be easier said than done, but if you’re on the side of the road with your car broken down and your fuel light flashing, it’s important not to get too worked up. You don’t want to make any more mistakes than necessary—and panicking will most likely make things worse.
Don’t leave your car unattended when it breaks down in an unsafe location or condition such as on train tracks or in heavy traffic (it’s not safe for anyone else!). Try not to attempt anything risky like pushing or starting your vehicle yourself—these actions could cause further damage or injury depending on where you are when this happens. Call a car mechanic instead! The mechanic will come out right away and save you from harm by taking care of any mechanical issues before they grow into big problems that require more time-consuming repairs later on down the road.”
What to Do If Your Car Overheats
When your car overheats, it’s important not to panic. Most cars have a built-in cooling system that will kick in when the engine begins to overheat, so it’s often possible to drive at least a little way before pulling over and letting the vehicle cool down. If you’re on a highway, however, this can be very dangerous—highways aren’t exactly known for their easy access or pleasant surroundings—so it’s better if you pull over into a safe place as soon as possible.
Don’t drive fast: Driving slowly will prevent your car from overheating too quickly. The last thing you want is for your car to stop while travelling at high speeds!
Don’t drive far: You don’t want to push yourself too hard when dealing with an overheated vehicle; this could lead not only to further problems but also make it more difficult for someone else (such as another driver) who might come upon the scene later on and be unable to get around yours thanks its position along the side of the road where there aren’t any shoulders.
Don’t drive in traffic: Traffic jams cause stress on both humans and machines alike; try not to get stuck behind one especially since there may be no way out without turning off onto side streets whose directions are poorly marked.
Don’t drive in city areas where traffic lights are close together because these sudden stops/starts can easily cause cracks or breaks within engine parts due to thermal expansion/contraction cycles occurring between each instance.”
What to Do If Your Tyre Goes Flat
If your tyre goes flat, here are some things you should do:
- Check your spare tyre. If it’s damaged, get a new one as soon as possible and make sure to keep it in a place where it will stay inflated.
- Change the tyre yourself or call for help if you’re not comfortable doing this on your own. Once off the rim, check that there isn’t any debris stuck within before removing it completely with a pair of pliers (or another tool). Make sure there aren’t any nails sticking out either—you don’t want them puncturing through the surface of another tyre when reinstalling this one!
- Check your car’s pressure regularly; keeping an eye on these levels will give warning about potential problems such as flat tyres or blowouts in wet weather conditions due to reduced traction levels caused by increased water absorption into porous rubber surfaces over time which may lead down into cracking and splitting up against hard surfaces causing damage within tread patterns causing slippage off-road surfaces during lower temperatures outside temperature ranges leading onto uneven wear patterns being created across multiple sets of tyres all at once causing unevenly spaced rotating speeds around rims meaning they could break prematurely due to wear more quickly than others do depending on how much weight they carry at any given time so always check pressure before driving anywhere.
If you’re unsure about what size tyre needs replacing, then measure it with a tape measure or ruler – first mark out where each corner of a square would go and then stand back.
What to Do If You Run Into an Animal
If you hit a deer or cow, don’t swerve to avoid it. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and hit something else. You should also not panic when you hit an animal—this could lead to a loss of control of your car as well.
Remember that if an animal is already dead, there’s no need for you to stop unless it’s blocking traffic. If the animal isn’t blocking traffic, continue driving at a safe speed until you can find somewhere safe (away from other cars) where you can pull over and check on yourself and your car.
Do not attempt to move the car/animal carcass! It will get damaged even more in transit—and even if it doesn’t seem like there’s any damage now, chances are good that there will be once everything has settled down again.
If you hit a wild animal, be careful of your surroundings if possible. Animals that have been hit by cars can be unpredictable and dangerous to drivers who stop and get out to check on them. Don’t try to help injured animals—leave that to the professionals. If you need assistance or have questions about what happened, contact the police for advice.
What to Do if You See Warning Lights Come On in Your Car
If you find yourself in a situation where warning lights come on, it’s important to stop the car as soon as possible. If you can’t find out what they mean from the manual, or if the service centre is closed, call them and ask for advice. The lights could be indicating something serious—or not. If they’re flashing, pull over immediately and call for help; if they’re steady, keep driving unless it’s unsafe to do so (e.g., on slippery roads).
Who to Call When Your Car Breaks Down
- Call roadside assistance
- Call the police
- Call a friend or family member
- Call a tow truck company (if you have one)
- Call your mechanic. If not, call the car dealership to see if they can recommend one near you.
Book Your Car in for a Service or Repair with RS Service Centre
If your car has broken down, you can book it in for a service or repair with the RS Service Centre. This is a trusted name in car repair and has been operating for over 40 years. They’re also a fully South African-owned business, so you know the quality of their work will be great because they care about their reputation. Because they’re local, it’s easy to find the right mechanic when your car needs fixing fast!
If you’re ever in the unfortunate situation of being broken down on the side of the road, it’s important to stay calm not don’t panic.
At the end of the day, auto repairs are an important part of car ownership. If you’ve read this guide, your knowledge about them has probably grown significantly. It’s good to know that there are so many things you can do to keep your car running smoothly and avoid breakdowns as much as possible.
You can trust RS Service to give you the right advice and fix your car expertly and quickly. They are a professional car mechanics and service centre business that has been in business since 2010. Their staff of expert mechanics can do all types of repairs on foreign and domestic vehicles. Car repairs are what they do best at RS Service Centre, so contact them today if you have any questions about getting your car repaired!