At Oaks, our years of experience have taught us a few things about breakdowns. When a car is towed into the garage, it’s often one of just a few common faults that have caused the car to stop moving under its own power. Thankfully, we’re here to share this knowledge with you so you can avoid the common causes of breakdowns.
Alternator
When you think of your car’s electrics, you will probably think ‘battery’. However, for your battery to sufficiently charge while the car is running, you must have a working alternator. The alternator converts rotational energy from the engine into electricity to top up the battery’s charge. If the alternator breaks, there’s no way for the battery to charge.
Advice: there are no steps you can take to maintain your alternator. However, look out for a flickering battery warning light, dimmed headlamps and slower than usual windscreen wipers, so you can be prepared if your alternator fails.
Battery
Flat or faulty batteries are the number one cause of roadside breakdowns. Watch out for battery warning lights on the dashboard as these will indicate that you need to charge the battery or replace it. If you are unlucky enough not to get a warning, you’ll either hear a grinding starter motor or complete silence.
Advice: have your battery replaced immediately. There is the option to recharge the battery or jump start the engine but both of these options are temporary measures.
Starter Motor
You’ll only know there’s a fault with the starter motor when it fails to fire the engine up. If you turn the key and nothing happens, chances are it’s the starter motor. Likewise, if turning the key causes a grinding noise but no ignition, it is either the battery or starter motor.
Advice: have your starter motor checked as part of an annual service. Regular maintenance is always the best breakdown prevention.
Tyres
Under no circumstances should you travel in a car without a serviceable spare wheel onboard. A major cause of tyre failure is under inflation and debris in the road. While you can’t control the latter, with the former you make the decision as to whether you check your tyre pressures on a regular basis. Also, make sure to check your tread depths using the simple, yet effective, 20 pence method.
Advice: have your tyres replaced by professional mechanics when they are below the legal limit; always top up your tyre pressures when the weather has been in either extreme and act on any tyre-related MOT advisories as soon as possible.
Electricals
Traditional electrical problems often require a qualified auto-electrician to rectify. However, as cars have become more complex, electrical faults have become more common but are also, on occasion, easier to fix. Sometimes all you need to do is turn the car off, wait, then start the engine again. Like rebooting a computer, this can restore a lot of the car’s functionality.
Advice: computers are an integral part of modern vehicles and there is little you can do to anticipate problems. If your car does begin acting strangely, try turning the engine off and restarting the car. This may be enough to fix the electrical bugs.
Oaks Services offer experienced and knowledgeable automotive repairs and services at our dedicated MOT testing station in Chertsey. For any repairs to your car, van or motorhome, we are sure to diagnose the problem, provide parts from leading brands and fix the car so it’s ready for thousands of miles to come. Contact our friendly team today.
