What To Do When Your Car Breaks Down; Advice From AAA

[AutoGuide.com]

It's easy to panic when you're stranded by the side of the road after your car breaks down or you're late for an early morning meeting and it just won't start. Helping you keep your cool and stay safe, AAA has some advice for stranded motorists.

In a case where your car just won't start, the problem may lie with the battery. It could be that it's discharged or there's a poor connection. Open the hood and check out the battery to see if it's securely mounted in place and see if the cable clamps are connected to the battery. Cable clamps that are loose or corroded may be the problem. Clean the corrosion from the battery terminals and cable clamps and make sure the clamps are secured tight. If that doesn't work, check to see if your car is fully in park and that there's enough fuel in the vehicle. If all else fails, it's time to call in a road service provider.

If you ever find yourself experiencing car problems while driving, your first priority is pulling off to a safe location. This should be away from the flow of traffic, and you should stay in your car while waiting for roadside assistance. Once you're safe, you can call your road service provider. Take a look around and take note of your surroundings, landmarks and signs anything that will help roadside assistance find your location. There are even certain smartphone apps (such as AAA TripTik Mobile and AAA Roadside) that will send your GPS location right to your roadside assistance provider.

More: What To Do When Your Car Breaks Down; Advice From AAA on AutoGuide.com

[TrailDust]

If you ever find yourself experiencing car problems while driving, your first priority is pulling off to a safe location. This should be away from the flow of traffic

This should always be rule #1, and is the most common "failure" I see drivers do on the road. I make sure that all my vehicles have my own created repair kit complete with things like an air pump, tire plugging kit, jumper cables, emergency fan belt, tools, etc., to be as prepared as possible to fix the issue myself and be on my way. When needed, AAA is/has been an option.

[FR_S_Fan]

roadside assistance is a must to have with the price you pay for the service it beats shelling out a couple or few hundred bucks to get your car towed.

a good thing to have in your car is a booster pack, roadside assistance is great but if you live in a busy city, waiting an hour or more for a boost really sucks.