As a car owner, one of the first questions you should be familiar with and proactive about is “what to do if your car breaks down?”
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
This article provides all you need to help you deal with your broken car and make the best decision to serve your needs.
How do you know if your car breaks down?
Before we dive into the details about that question, what to do if your car breaks down, we must understand what it means when your car breaks down in the first place.
Too many inexperienced drivers might not be obvious when the vehicle is breaking down or is about to break down. Luckily, automotive experts put together a list of potential symptoms that you should look for that could indicate that your vehicle is about to breakdown:
1. Difficulty starting
It is fine that you have trouble starting your vehicle in the morning one or two times. However, if you notice this happening continuously, it could indicate a long-term problem that should prepare you for a car breakdown.
Of course, you might be dealing with a simple problem that requires replacing the battery, but if, at some point, doing simple repairs did not resolve your issue, that's when you should be prepared for a car breakdown.
2. Oil and fluid leaks
Another important symptom that could indicate your vehicle is about to break down as we notice a puddle of fluid underneath your car. Of course, your vehicle has tons of fluid types, and many of them could be the culprit causing the problem. If this slow is something serious like the engine motor oil, then we're talking about your situation that could get your vehicle to break down in no time.
The same goes for the brake fluid and the transmission fluid here. So although you might be dealing with a minor leakage internally or externally, at some point when your vehicle is really old, it could indicate that we're dealing with sometime soon of a car breakdown.
3. High engine temperature
Your engine must operate within an optimum temperature. If the temperature exceeds the maximum threshold, that indicates a car breakdown.
Various reasons could increase endurance and pressure, ranging from problems with oil and the lubrication system to problems with the cooling system. Therefore, you must resolve engine overheating problems as soon as possible to avoid dealing with car breakdowns prematurely.
4. Troubles accelerating
Have you ever been in a situation where you press on the gas pedal and realize that your vehicle is not accelerating at all?! Unfortunately, this is a common situation of vehicles about to break down. However, it could be a temporary problem associated with a single component.
Therefore, you cannot always assume that the vehicle is just breaking down when you can't accelerate your car. Your mechanic must confirm the situation and help you identify your next steps.
5. Failing the emission test
There are many situations where your vehicle fails the emission test for various reasons. Some of these reasons can be resolvable and can go back and pass the test. However, there are instances when your vehicle is very old, which means it's breaking down, so it can't pass this test.
6. Check engine light illuminating
The check engine light is one way for your vehicle to communicate with you and bring your attention to internal problems. Sometimes, these problems could be extremely complicated and require very expensive repairs. In that case, you're dealing with a vehicle that is about to break down or is already broken down.
7. You're mechanic confirmed
Finally, the easiest way to confirm whether your vehicle is broken down or not is by consulting your mechanic if your mechanic should have extensive experience in your vehicle and other vehicles like yours. Therefore, having a quick conversation with your mechanic can help you make an informed decision about what your next steps should look like when dealing with this vehicle.
What to do if your car breaks down?
After you've been through the previous list, you should understand whether your vehicle is broken down or not. If you conclude that your car is broken down, then there are a couple of options for you that you can deal with.
Let's take a look below at what automotive experts are comment column
1. Fix your broken-down car
Of course, the first thing you should consider is trying to fix any problem in your vehicle. However, before spending a penny and moving forward with any repair costs, you must evaluate the situation closely.
For example, if you realize that your repair costs are extremely high and they're piling up, that's an indication that you might not want to fix this car, and instead, you should sell it and buy a better one.
However, if your mechanic mentioned some used parts that you can use and resolve your issue without spending too much money, it's a good situation where you might want to move forward and fix your broken-down car.
2. Sell your broken-down car
On the other hand, if you confirm that your vehicle is not repairable or if you will realize that repair costs are getting close to the percent or more of the value of your vehicle, that's when you want to sell your vehicle this cell.
You have a lot of waste to consider when selling a broken-down car. However, you have to understand that your options will be very limited because most private buyers will not be interested in purchasing your vehicle, considering its problems.
You can try one of the followings:
Classified websites
Believe it, even if your vehicle is completely damaged, you might find some people on Craigslist or eBay. They are more interested in purchasing your vehicle for a project or something relevant.
It's important that if you plan to pull your vehicle on these classified websites, you be clear about the vehicle's condition.
Otherwise, you're going to be wasting your time and their time. Keep in mind that selling your car through classified websites and considering it's an event condition might take forever and it might be a situation where you cancel it.
Junkyards
The first and most common place you should consider is junkyards. These yards are the last resort for any vehicle that is completely broken. They are going to accept your vehicle no matter what's his type or condition.
However, you must remember that most junk yards might not provide you with the best value for your vehicle. For example, they typically pay you for the weight of your car without considering any other working components like plastic ones or nonmetal components.
Cash Cars Buyer
If you don't want to deal with any hassle related to car selling and know that it's going to be hard selling your broken car, then you should reach out to Cash Cars Buyer!
At Cash Cars Buyer, we accept any vehicle, no matter your car's type or condition, and we guarantee to pay the top dollars for your vehicle so that it can get around your region.
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What to do if your car breaks down and you can't afford it?
As we mentioned earlier, if you feel the last repair costs are extremely high and you can't afford them, then the most appropriate option is to sell your vehicle and use its value to buy a better car.
No matter how much time and effort you spend trying to fix this evil, at the end of the day, it doesn't guarantee that it will work forever, and it doesn't mean that you will not deal with major problems in a short time.
Therefore, it's typically better for you to start thinking of purchasing a used or brand-new vehicle, depending on your goals and needs.
Think about it from a positive perspective; it could be a perfect time to switch the card that fits your family or for a vehicle that provides you with the required energy and exploration to take care of your daily errands without any problem.
What to do when your car breaks down suddenly?
We discussed some recommendations to help you take care of any vehicle that breaks down. However, your vehicle might break down suddenly as you drive on the highway. In that situation, you have to follow certain recommendations to help you get out of the situation without any complications that could put your life at risk.
Let's take a closer look below:
1. Pullover
If your vehicle breaks down, it doesn't mean it will immediately shut off. You might have a chance to pull over and move your vehicle to the shoulders to be as safe as possible. However, if it breaks down and you can't move it at all, then it is what it is, and you have to deal with the situation.
2. Make yourself visible
Once you are on the highway, sometimes it can be very hard for other people to see you, and there is a chance that someone might bump into you by accident. Therefore, it is essential that use all possible things that could make you visible as much as possible.
For example, you can rely on the hazard emergency lights or use some other items you can put on the road to make yourself visible to others.
3. Engage the emergency brakes
Once you pull over, and even if the vehicle is not working the way you want, you can still engage the emergency brakes and turn your vehicle towards the sides and away from the roads. This way, whatever happens, your vehicle doesn't slip towards the traffic.
4. Do not get out of your car
One of the most common sticks that one could ever do is to get out of the car. This is not safe, especially if you're driving on the highways. You want up stale your vehicle until help comes or at least until a police officer protects your car and make sure that no one is going to bump me into your car.
5. Reach out for help
Typically, in this situation, a police officer will come to you and try to figure out what's going on to help you. However, you can always reach out to a family member, towing service, or probably your mechanic for some help.
Once help arrives, follow their recommendations, and hopefully, by this point, you can't get out of the highway or the emergency without any harm or complications.
6. Decide on what to do with your broken car
Once your mechanic looks at the vehicle, he will provide recommendations about what needs to be done in terms of whether you should fix the vehicle or sell it instead.
Final thoughts
Dealing with a broken-down car is never a fun situation. It impacts your everyday life and can be a huge hassle.
This article provided you with all you need to know to help answer the question, what to do if your car breaks down? In addition, it highlights your options about whether to repair or sell it.
As we mentioned earlier, if you think your vehicle is getting home where you have to sell, you're always welcome to reach out to Cash Cars Buyer!
Cash Cars Buyer is one of the top-rated car removal companies in the nation that guarantees to pay you the top dollars and provide you with free towing despite your living location around the United States.
Our process is very straightforward and doesn't take more than a couple of days to get your car removed safely and for the most money.
All it takes you is to:
- Describe your car's type and condition
- Receive our instant free quote
- Accept the quote
- Get your car removed and receive your cash payment on the spot!
To learn more about our process and our team, you can reach out to us by calling us at (866) 924-4608 or by visiting our home page click on the free instant online offer.