Top 9 Most Common Car Breakdown Causes

Unfamiliar territory and car breakdown might be the worst nightmare for a driver, especially when you’re traveling with family, kids or on a long journey. At that brink of the moment, hundreds of thoughts and worries might pass through your mind. Where to find help? How much does it cost? Who’s gonna come to cover us? etc etc. CarHelpline is your perfect road partner, provides assistance 24/7 whenever and wherever you’re in need on roads.

A car is a complex machine coalescing electronic and mechanical components that can go wrong without any prior notice. Sometimes breakdown causes are indicating us that trouble is heading your car. Thus, follow the little signs to avoid any major breakdown. Some of the major car breakdown reasons are listed below.

1. Faulty Battery

One of the most common causes of car breakdowns is faulty batteries. Old or faulty batteries are quite common in our country because a large sum of buys used/old cars. Most of the car batteries come with 3 to 5 years guarantee, so if you’re buying a car that is in use for 7 years, it is better to replace your battery before it causes a breakdown of your car. You might unable to start your car with the faulty battery as it powers the starter motor which led the engine to turn the alternator, which recharges the battery.

Causes:

• A faulty component is one of the reasons for a flat battery.
• If you leave your car unused for a long period of time or use it for short distances, there is a great chance of flat battery.
• The faulty battery itself can also be the reason.
• Poor electrical connection.
• Old age and broken car charge system are other reasons.

Precautions: 

• Before leaving your car turn off everything
• If a car is not used for long journeys then sort this problem by charging it overnight once in 2 weeks.
• Make sure your battery terminals are clean and protected from corrosion.

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2. Damaged or Puncture Tyres

The second most common car breakdown cause is damaged wheels or tires. Again, we all are well-aware of broken, almost under construction roads in Pakistan, which becomes a major reason for puncture tyres. Usually, flat tyres are caused by driving on a sharp or pointed object or driving over a deep pothole. Other causes of tyre damage include;

Causes:

• Misaligned wheels
• Failure of tyre’s valve (from where the air is pumped)
• Separation of rim and tyre after crash or accident
• Old age

Precautions:

• Avoid driving over debris or potholes
• Check your tyre condition on a regular basis including tyre tread depth and pressure
• Have spare tyre in your car, along with a jack, tool for locking wheel bolts and lug wrench
• Make sure to check uneven tyre wear
• Don’t forget to adjust tyre pressure to cope when you’re driving with heavy loads

3. Broken Clutch Cables

Though, it is only applicable to cars with manual gearbox and cars with a hydraulic clutch without cables. It is mandatory to mention it here because large numbers of cars in Pakistan are manual. With broken clutch cable you won’t be able to disengage the clutch. To sort this problem out, nudge the shifter into neutral without any harm and roll to the nearest stop.

Signs: 

• A gear appears to grind while changing gears, a sign of stretched cable not disengaging properly
• It takes more effort to press the clutch pedal
• As compared to the normal rest position, the clutch pedal seems higher or lower is also a warning sign.

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4. Lost Keys

You might think about a link between car breakdown and lost keys, right? The common idea to avoid difficulty caused by lost key is to keep spare keys at home but what is the use of that spare key when you’re far away?

Car keys mostly contain microchip; their purpose is to stop your car from being stolen which means it is very difficult to replace it in case you lose your key. Here comes the link which we mention above, cause a serious problem. To sort this problem you have to seek help from an authorized dealer or to call someone qualified like CarHelpline.

CarHelpline proffers Key Lockout Service Service that helps you to unlock key for almost all vehicles. 

5. Engine and Engine Oil Troubles

Wrong type of engine oil not only shortens the engine life expectancy but also cause some serious damage. Both low oil and too much may harm your engine. Furthermore, engine troubles start often with minor problems including broken hose leaking coolant that leads to an overheated engine. It is better to watch out for cracks and peeling on the belts, inspect hoses and belts on a regular basis and check transmission levels and other fluids. By tracking your gas mileage, you can avoid engine troubles. A sudden drop in gas mileage is likely a signal that warns you something is not right with your engine.

Precautions:

• Fill the tank before leaving on a long journey
• Fix the broken fuel gauge. Keep track of it when you’re on a long voyage or an unfamiliar place. Don’t wait for warning light instead fill your tank as soon as you see the gauge near to the ¼ of the tank.
• On the place where there are few fuel stations (rural areas) – fill up your tank or consider keeping extra fuel in your car.
• Putting gas in a diesel engine is disastrous. Don’t do it, take your car to the nearest mechanic and drain the tank.

6. Overheating 

One of the most common car breakdown excuses in Pakistan. Keep moving with an overheated car can being loads of troubles and you might unable to continue your journey. Thus, when the temperature warning lights lit or steam starts coming from the engine, understand that there could be some issue with car’s cooling system or engine. In such a case, roll over the car to the nearest safe spot and ask for help.

Precautions:

• Check and top up your coolant and cooling fan on a regular basis
• If coolant levels drop, check and fix the leaks
• The cooling system in new cars doesn’t need topping-up between services thus, head to the nearest garage to check it out.

7. Alternator Faults

Alternators are important because they’re responsible for battery charging. If alternators fail, your car’s battery will go dead.

Signs:

• Dim headlights and weak battery are early signs that alternator going bad.
• While driving if you see charging warning light stop immediately because it indicates that the system is no longer charging.
• Shrieking sound at certain RPM, indicate a slipping alternator belt.

8. Starter Motor Failure

Starter motor failure is another car breakdown reason and the disappointing part is we can’t do much to prevent starter maintenance, besides making sure all bolts and nuts are tight. Sometimes cars with 250,000 miles never face starter problems while others with 50,000 have a hard time with it.

Signs: 

• Metallic crushing sound, slow engine working compared to the usual when trying to start the engine are signs of disturb starter motor failure signs.
• You can also hear a click from under the hood

9. Problems with Coil Packs and Ignition Wires

Modern cars have coil directly over the spark plug but in older cars, thick wires are used to carry high voltage electricity from the coil or distributor to the spark plugs. With heat and age, both can deteriorate, results in electricity leak out.

Signs: 

• Engine misfiring while accelerating or uphill driving
• Rough running or difficulty in starting the engine in damp weather

We are open 24/7. Call us today (03) 111-681-111