What To Do When Your Vehicle Breaks Down

How you fare when your vehicle fails is often a matter of how you respond. The decisions you make are important and can have positive or negative consequences. Fortunately, most problems are preventable.

Prevention and preparedness are key:

  • Get in the habit of conducting periodic safety checks to make sure your vehicle is in good operating condition.
  • A safety check includes tires, lights, belts, hoses, fluids and windshield wipers.
  • Read your owner’s manual to clearly understand which dash lights or signals indicate your vehicle is not operating properly and what to do in such situations.
  • Before a road trip, contact your local Auto-Lab to arrange for a test of your vehicle’s battery, starting and charging system. This can help determine how much life is left in your battery and if any other components need repairs.
  • Program your cell phone with emergency numbers, including that of your roadside assistance provider, and keep a backup written list in your glove compartment.
  • Always carry a well-stocked emergency kit and familiarize yourself with the use of safety flares, warning triangles and other emergency equipment.

A Clean Car is Money in the Bank

  Purchasing a new car is a major financial investment. Keeping it clean is an easy and inexpensive way to protect its resale and trade-in value, says the non-profit Car Care Council. “Many motorists procrastinate when it comes to...

Always replace headlight bulbs in pairs

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A Little Auto Care Goes a Long Way

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Basic Tire Maintenance for Every Driver

The tires are the only thing between the vehicle and the road. When they are properly inflated and in good condition, the handling, stability and safety of the vehicle will be maximized. Conversely, when the tires are under inflated, worn out or...

Recognizing the Signs of Vehicle Engine Damage

  It’s not always easy to recognize when your vehicle is suffering from engine damage as symptoms can be overlooked and seen as “normal.” While not all sounds and smells may threaten the life of your engine, there are some...

Avoid Surprise, Winterize

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Seeing is Believing When it Comes to Road Safety

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Keep Your Car Breathing Well: Change the Air Filters

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Basic Auto Care Many Drivers Miss

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Six Ways You Could be Killing Your Car

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Vehicle Checklist for Back-to-School Carpool Season

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Are Your Brakes Trying to Tell You Something?

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Five Steps Towards Better Battery Behavior

Here’s hot news about your car battery that may seem surprising: It’s not so much the cold that gets it down as it is high heat. Heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, thus damaging the internal structure of the battery. That’s...

When, Where, and Why to Change Your Vehicle's Oil

The Car Care Council reminds motorists that basic vehicle maintenance is an easy, inexpensive way to prolong the life of vehicles and avoid costly repairs down the road. “When thinking about vehicle maintenance, regular oil changes likely...

Is Your Car Ready for a Road Trip?

If you are planning a road trip this summer, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t just put gas in your car and go, says the non-profit Car Care Council. A pre-trip vehicle check can determine how road-ready your vehicle is so...
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