When it comes to vehicle maintenance, annual servicing and MOTs can be a real chore. MOT is a legal requirement, but it is easy to overlook servicing your vehicle, or leave it until tomorrow; and tomorrow, and tomorrow. Taking care of your vehicle has multiple benefits: as well as being a legal requirement to keep your vehicle safe, it can help to maintain the value of your vehicle, make it run more efficiently, and save you the cost and inconvenience of breaking down. Check out the official top ten reasons people contact vehicle recovery services – and how you can avoid them.
10. The tenth most common cause of breaking down is probably something that some drivers have never heard of. The HT leads. HT (High Tension) leads carry power to the spark plugs and, over time, the can deteriorate. If your car is unreliable starting, it could be that the HT leads are damaged, so the power isn’t being passed to the spark plugs. A spray of WD40 can do the trick, but your best bet is to get it check out by your local garage before the problem gets worse.
9. Your spark plugs are literally what they say: they produce the spark that gets the engine going. They do wear out over time and are, therefore, one of the top ten reasons for breaking down, but provided you get your vehicle serviced regularly it shouldn’t be a problem.
8. Number eight is probably one of the parts of the vehicle that gets the hardest time: the clutch cable. The clutch cable is put under an extreme amount of stress and, if it breaks, could be costly and dangerous. If you notice that your clutch feels a bit different to normal, contact your local garage to get it checked out straight away.
7. Engines work incredibly hard and, as a result, produce a lot of heat. Which is why a hot engine is one of the most common causes of breakdowns in the UK. Keep your water coolant topped up, particularly if you have a long journey planned. If you notice your water levels dropping or you think that your engine is overheating more quickly than normal, you could have a problem with your fan or a damaged coolant tank; get it checked out.
6. In at number 6, we have one of the most embarrassing reasons for breaking down. Running out of fuel or, even worse, putting the wrong fuel into your vehicle might just be the most humiliating breakdown experience that you have. To avoid this from happening, make simple changes to your routine: don’t wait until your car is on the red to refuel and always double check the type of fuel that you are using. If you do use the wrong fuel, stay right where you are and call your local garage or recovery service. Don’t start the engine! This will mean that the fuel will work its way into the engine and could cause more damage.
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