Breakdowns – what could go wrong and how to prevent it

To state the obvious the best way to avoid a breakdown is to keep your car serviced and in good condition, use the right fuel and have the best tyres you can afford – but we can all get caught out at times.

It sounds odd but most mechanical breakdowns aren’t mechanical at all - but electrical! Engines need a host of electrical things in order to run. over time plastic and rubber degrade and can perish; electrical connections can corrode too. To test a car’s electrical system in order to isolate any fault is a job for the professionals but you can keep an eye out for potential problems down the road.

When starting your car always pay attention to the dashboard warning lights. They all light up initially when you start the ignition and if all is well they go out after a few seconds once the engine is running. If any remain on, check the colour of the light first. Red warning lights need urgent attention and can potentially mean serious problems. A red light can be relatively harmless too in the case of the handbrake not being fully released. Amber warning lights tend to be advisory e.g. low washer fluid. When in doubt, if you have a warning light on turn off the car, check the handbook to identify it and if you need further clarification ring your garage.

In general day-to-day driving, we tend to have to stop due to punctures. A lot of newer cars in an effort by the manufacturers to reduce weight have no spare wheel. Instead of a spare they have an inflation kit, which in reality is useless for most situations but it will work for slow punctures, as a very temporary fix. More alarmingly, a lot of breakdowns are happening due to when we misfuel our cars. Since the big swing to diesel cars there is still much confusion at the filling station as to which pump to use – especially if you have a two-car house and each uses different fuels. Some car makers have adapted their fuel nozzles to accept only the correct fuel but not the majority.

Tony Toner is training director at the Institute of Advanced Motorists of Ireland and he recommends that before driving off we do a POWDER check.

P IS FOR PETROL OR WHATEVER FUEL YOU USE.

It reminds us to use the right fuel and to make sure you have enough of it and then some for your journey especially if you are driving on motorways. Mis-fuelling cars can kill an engine. If you put the wrong fuel in your car do not start it or switch it off as soon as you realise the error. Call the AA or a number of specialist fuel pump services. They will decant the fuel out of the car before it can do damage to the engine allowing you to refuel with the correct juice. Generally it costs less than €200 but it will save thousands on a new engine!

OIL

Metal doesn’t like rubbing against itself so oil is vital to keep and engine in tip-top condition. Quality oil reduces the risk of overheating that

can be very costly. excess heat in the engine can bend and warp costly internal bits and ultimately cause the engine to seize. It is vital for your manufacturer’s warranty to use the exact oil the car maker recommends in the handbook – otherwise they can (and often do) invalidate the warranty should you need to claim against it. When topping up your oil don’t overfill and put in roughly a mug a time.

Water

Years ago our parents if the car was overheating would put water into the radiator via its cap. Nowadays radiators are sealed units and we use a special liquid ‘coolant’ which we pour into a hard plastic reservoir in the engine bay. When you lift the bonnet you will see a few fillable beakers but the coolant one will have an embossed screw-on cap that will match up with a picture in the handbook. If your engine is overheating and you don’t have access to coolant you can use some cooled boiled water or plain water if you’re stuck! Never open the coolant bottle when the engine is hot as it is a sealed pressurised system. Leakage is really the only way you lose coolant nowadays.

Damage

Check for any damage that may have happened since you parked the car with a simply walk around ‘Lap of honour’. Check wheel rims, mirrors, the corners of the car and tyres for visible damage.

electrics

A car battery has a hefty workload, so if you find it slow to turn over get it checked as it may be losing its charge and need replacing or it may not be getting a charge from the engine when the engine is running. All your lights, outside and in plus your indicators, should work and the lenses should be free of cracks. Give your headlights a wipe with a tissue to clean road residue off them – you’ll be surprised at how much better they work when clean.

rubber

Check your wipers and wipe them clean with a soft cloth to ensure optimum functionality and check for wear and tear. A lot of damage is done to wipers when they are used on a frozen windscreen so take care of them. Tyres should be visually checked for under-inflation and even wear. Tyre pressures should be checked weekly. The driven wheels, especially in a front-wheel drive car will wear more quickly. Tyres should be rotated front to back every 10,000km or so. Tyres should be replaced before they are five years old as the high-tech compound goes off – despite looking fine to the untrained eye.

Tyres should be replaced when their tread depth reaches 3mm ideally. The legal requirement is a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm – which can be fine on a dry race track but a tyre with little tread is hopeless in the wet. Don’t forget to treat your spare as you would any of the other four.

Tony Toner adds never attempt to change a puncture on a motorway if you can avoid it. Call a breakdown service or use the emergency phone. Motorway hard shoulders are highly dangerous places.