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Drive Guide: Auto Emergencies
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| What to do when something goes wrong |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 100 ( -6 -6% ) | | Author | Automotive 101 |
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Description:
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This summer is a perfect time to put the top down and get out of town.
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Safe driving starts with planning your route and making a travel plan.
Sun burnt, happy and fun-fatigued, we were cruising along on California Interstate 15 when our vacation was cut short --- by silence, as in no engine growl, just the muted whirr whirr whirr of tires rolling along with no power.
We had gone Gilligan. Stranded, with no power or cell phone, stuck between Barstow and Needles, sitting inside a tube of metal.
So much for fun-fatigued. We were now suffering from roadside remorse, and would soon be hit with a sobering case of Local’s Repair Shop Revenge. We had made sure the car was road-worthy before we left, had prepared meticulously for the trip. What more could we have done to avoid being stuck in Needles, paying Joe Buck’s shop rent for the month?
We could have prepared for a breakdown, even though we were sure it would not happen. Fact is, accidents and breakdowns do happen despite the best intentions. Read the tips below to so you’re prepared, just in case…
1. The driver is locked out of the car.
Button locks: Use a wire or a coat hanger. Straighten the wire and make a small loop or fishhook shape at one end. Slip the wire through the crack of the window or down through the top crack of the door. You may slip the wire past the weather-stripping of the door. Jiggle the wire around so that the hook will loop around the button lock and then try to lift up the lock. Have a lot of patience.
If you are unable to pull up the lock for some reason, call a police station and tell them the circumstances. A service station may also help to unlock the door. The police call is free - a service station will probably charge about $25.00
NOTE: The weather-stripping around the window often costs more than the locksmith or tow truck driver's fee.
2. Car is stuck
(a) On ice: When moving the car, keep a steady rate of speed to prevent getting stuck again. Drive slowly. The car may skid some, but as long as it is moving, chances of getting to solid ground are at the maximum.
To get off an ice patch, try kitty litter, sand, dirt, or floor mats for friction. Sprinkle the abrasives (front or back) for about fifteen feet.
Put the sack of sand or kitty litter back into the trunk and don't stop for anything until the car is on solid ground. Try not to spin the wheels, but if no abrasive material is available, try letting some air out of the tires to gain some friction. (b) In snow: There are many ways to free a car from the snow. Try rocking the car back and forth by shifting quickly from drive (or first gear) to reverse. Work out a rhythm to the rocking. After rocking for a few minutes, shift into neutral and increase engine speed to let the transmission cool. Once the car is free, keep it moving. Keep the wheels as straight as possible while rocking. If the wheels heat up, let them cool before continuing. Heated tires will sink deeper into the snow. Don't spin the wheels; this will heat up the wheels and also cause ice to form under the wheels. Put a manual transmission into second gear to rock it. You may be able to shovel enough snow away from the wheels to get some traction. If there is no shovel, use the base of the jack or fold over the floor mat in the place of the shovel. Car chains probably can't be mounted at this time, but they may be used to provide traction. Tie the chains to the bumper so that the car will pull them along until you are on solid ground. Strap chains are handy for traction on ice, snow, and sometimes on mud. They can be mounted without jacking up the car. Put several bags of sand in the trunk of the car for added traction. Even if the weight of the sand doesn't help, you will have sand to spread under the tires when the car is stuck. (c) In mud: Being stuck in mud is worse than being stuck in either ice or snow, because mud clings to the undercarriage of the car until there is no way to get any traction. Spinning the wheels only drives them deeper. When stuck in the mud, use the same methods as getting out of snow or ice. If these methods don't work, call a tow truck. (d) In sand: Spinning the wheels in sand drives only drives them down deeper. The undercarriage is hung up once the car is sunk to axle level. At this point, a tow truck will be needed. If the car is not up to the hubs in the sand, try letting a little bit of air out of the tires to increase the friction. 3. Blizzard Conditions. When the car can't be moved during blizzard conditions, don't panic. Below are several survival tips that may help to weather the storm. (a) If the trouble is just starting, look for shelter: a house, barn, store, or service station nearby. (b) If you can't see a place of shelter, stay in the car. DO NOT wander around, looking for shelter and get lost in the storm. (c) Run the engine and the heater for ten minutes every half hour. Open the windows a little bit while the engine is running. Engine idle consumes about one gallon of gasoline per hour. Five gallons of fuel is enough for one day with this method. Don't race the motor and waste fuel. (d) Open the door once in a while so that it does not become snow packed. When opening the door, check to make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow. (e) Blow the horn and flash the lights while the engine is running. Don't run down the battery in the meantime. (f) Stretch arms and legs frequently inside the car. (g) Use anything available to keep warm: rip out car carpeting for blankets, use floor mats, linings from the trunk, or car seat covers. If the situation becomes really bad, rip the upholstery from the rear seats and roof of the car. (h) If you absolutely must drive in hazardous conditions, carry food, water and extra clothing in the car in case of emergencies. 4. When the car breaks down on a Federal Interstate, the driver should lift the hood of the car, turn on the emergency signals, and wait for help. This is also true when the car runs out of gas. The person stopping may consent to send a tow truck or may even offer you a ride to the next service station. If a passenger car does not stop, the Highway Patrol will come along eventually and offer help. There are situations, however, that are not as ideal as those on Federal Interstate roads. Drivers sometimes have accidents on isolated roadways - either running out of gas or breakdown of parts. The best advice comes from a patrolman, who says to use your common sense. Be sure to check your gas gauge, tires, and other accessories and parts before taking trips on lonely roads. If your car does have a failure or runs out of gas, it is not always wise to lift the hood, especially if you plan to leave the area. It is probably best to walk to the nearest farm or rural home and ask to use the phone (or ask the homeowner to call for help, if he doesn't want to let you into the house). It would probably be best to lock the car if you plan to walk for any distance or to be away from it for any length of time. If the car breaks down during a storm, such as a blizzard, stay in the car and follow the advice given for blizzard conditions (#3 above). Hitchhiking is illegal, but a policeman will not arrest you if your car has broken down and you are walking in search of help. |
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