So Your Car Has Just Died On The Road. What Should You Do Now?

Nov 17, 2015 Greg Boone Tips 0

We all like to think that we can drive on the road and not experience any problems on our journeys. Most people can enjoy trouble-free motoring in their vehicles. But, for some folks, their trip on the road can turn into an automotive nightmare!

It’s always worrying when one hears strange noises coming from the engine. It’s even worse when the view out of the windscreen gets blocked by smoke from under the bonnet! As you can imagine, such scenarios can be quite scary.

Hopefully, you won’t ever need to follow the advice in this blog post. But, should your car die on the road, it’s important to know what to do next. Keep reading to find out:

Photo Credit

Pull Over When it’s Safe to Do So

When your car’s engine dies, you’ll see your dashboard lighting up like a Christmas tree! All kinds of warning lights illuminate, usually before or at the same time as the engine failing.

The first thing you need to do is pull over somewhere safe. If your engine dies while you’re driving, coast to the side of the road and use your hazard warning lights.

Should you see a lot of smoke coming from the front of the car, get everyone include yourself out of the car! Be sure to run to a safe distance.

Phone for Emergency Help if you Need it

Has a fire broken out from your car’s engine? If so, you need to get the fire brigade out fast! It’s actually quite rare for your engine to catch fire if it seizes. That only happens if there’s an electrical fault or you’ve got fuel leaking onto hot engine parts.

Typical engine failures will emit some smoke, but it’ll go away once the engine starts to cool down.

Go and Inspect the Engine

Once you’re sure it’s safe to do so, take a look at the engine bay and try to visually identify the source of the problem. A spectacular engine failure may show an obvious sign, such as a hole in the block.

Photo Credit

Believe it or not, some engine problems might be down to something as simple as a missing oil cap on the rocker cover!

Get your Car Towed Home

Let’s face it; there’s nothing much you can do on the roadside. It’s time to get your car, yourself and your passengers home. The easiest thing to do is call a towing company to come and help you out.

If you’ve got breakdown insurance, they will arrange for a tow truck to get sent out to you soon. In the meantime, make sure everyone sits away from the vehicle at a safe distance. Doing so lessens the risk of injuries caused by oncoming vehicles not seeing your car on the side of the road.

Fix your Car or Scrap it

Once your car is home, it’s time to work out how much it will cost to make it roadworthy again. If the repair costs are too high, you may have no choice but to scrap your pride and joy.

The good news is that replacement engines are often affordable if you stick with a pre-owned one. Of course, you’ll still have to pay for someone to remove your old engine and fit the replacement engine. But, you can recoup some of the costs by scrapping your dead power plant.

Good luck!