Being a vehicle owner has its ups, downs, and various wonders. This piece was created to cover some of the most common auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer. It covers external and internal problems that may occur during the course of owning a vehicle.
1. What Happens If I’m Just Locked Out?
Car lockouts can be frustrating and scary, especially if they occur at odd hours of the night. Lockouts aren’t always emergencies, but they are inconvenient. In rare cases, they can be emergencies. An example is if you have a pet in the car, and the temperature is scorching hot. Your pet won’t be able to open the door, and every second it stays in the car becomes more dangerous.
You can call 911 in this situation because they will take it as an emergency for your pet’s life. Otherwise, you will have to ask a family member or pal for help, try to unlock the vehicle yourself, or contact a professional for assistance.
Most people don’t have the tools to get into a locked car in their back pocket. Therefore, they end up contacting a company that unlocks cars. The average price for a car unlocking procedure is $35 to $85. Ensure that you contact a company with a strong reputation and a proven record of success in unlocking vehicles. That way, you can increase the likelihood of having a successful unlocking experience.
This dilemma made it to the list of auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer because an unlocking service can fit nicely into the category of light automotive repairs.
2. Why Do So Many Accidents Happen in Parking Lots?
CBS News reported that 60,000 people sustain injuries and 500 deaths each year occur in the parking lot. That’s a surprisingly high number considering that parking lots and garages are supposed to have low speed limits and more cautious drivers. Unfortunately, a handful of factors cause these accidents to occur. They include:
Distracted Driving
Most parking lot incidents happen because of distracted drivers. The distractions come from side conversations with the passengers, text messaging, phone using, or even GPS gazing. It only takes a split second to get into a car accident because of distraction. It doesn’t matter whether the accident site is a parking lot.
Speeding Violations
Some people do not heed the warnings or pay attention to the speed limits in parking lots. Because of that, many people get into accidents with other people or harm their vehicles by driving over speed bumps too quickly.
Misuse of Mirrors
Mirror misuse can cause accidents to occur as well. Sometimes, drivers don’t adjust their mirrors properly, and that causes them to hit something when they back up. This type of accident commonly occurs in large, high-rise parking lots. Drivers accidentally back out into an oncoming car in the parking garage.
Occasionally, the cause of a parking lot accident is the company that does the lot striping. The striping job is sometimes so poor that drivers can’t see where to park or what divides one parking spot from another parking spot.
This question is on the list of auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer because of the adjustments and changes drivers can make to prevent the problem.
3. Are Trucks Safer Than Cars?
Are you ready for another one of the best auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer? You might wonder if trucks are safer than cars if you’re considering a truck driving job. The answer is that it depends mostly on the circumstances. Most modern cars and trucks have safety features installed in them that keep drivers and passengers safe.
However, trucks are safer than cars in accident-type situations. The reason they are considered safer than cars is because of their weight. They have much sturdier frames and are about two to 10 times the weight of a vehicle. Thus, you can feel confident that you will survive a crash if it happens in an 18-wheeler or something similar.
Knowing these auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer will help you to make more informed decisions when purchasing a vehicle or signing up for a job.
4. What Happens If I’m Out of Town and Need Repairs?
Breaking down and needing repairs while you’re out of town can be rough. However, you shouldn’t panic because there are many solutions available. One thing you can do if you break down while you’re out of town is to contact someone for roadside assistance. Hopefully, you purchased a roadside assistance plan through your insurance company or a separate policy that covers you during out-of-town journeys.
If so, you can call the number on your membership card and ask for help with a gas fill-up, battery charge, tire swap, RV repairs, or emergency towing if none of those other solutions help. These auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can come in handy when you’re on the road and need someone who can assist you.
5. How Can a Wrap Protect My Car?
You might be surprised to know that car wrapping can be a considerable asset and protective element for your car. Therefore, consider having some put on your vehicle in the near future. Car wrapping can protect your vehicle from superficial scratches, abrasions, and other imperfections that decrease its value. The best part about putting wrapping on your car is that you can keep it on for as short or long a time as you desire. It’s completely reversible and can be removed in a relatively short amount of time.
Some people earn a living by allowing businesses to put wrapping on their cars that advertise their products and services. You can go that route and earn money while you keep your vehicle in fantastic shape for a future sale.
6. How Long Does it Take to Fix a Totaled Car?
If you ever get into an auto accident, you’ll need to call in a claim to your insurance company. After inspecting your vehicle, the insurance company will determine whether your vehicle is ‘totaled’ or not. A totaled vehicle is essentially a complete loss.
The insurance company feels as though it’s unrepairable, or the cost of the repairs surpasses the value of the car by far. In that case, they will give you the vehicle’s cash value, and you can use it to settle the debt with your auto lender, purchase a brand-new car, or do something else.
Totaled cars are typically not fixed or sent to an auto body collision repair shop. Only vehicles not classified as total losses would go through that process. The time it takes for a body shop to repair a damaged car after an incident depends on the total extent of the damage, the parts needed, the mechanic’s skill, and the shop’s availability.
The shop may have to order the parts you need from a location far away. Thus, it may take several days to get the parts. The shop’s schedule could be busy enough to push the work back several more days. A few more days might get added to the job if the damage is extensive.
Therefore, the time it takes for a nearly-totaled car to get repaired can be anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks. Your best option as a vehicle owner is to search for a repair site with a medium level of business and a strong reputation from its current and previous clients. That’s one of the auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer.
7. What Are the Laws Around Windshields?
Windshields laws are a problematic category of auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer. Each state in the US has a different set of laws governing windshield tinting, obstructions, and damage. For example, a Georgia driver must get windshield repairs immediately if a crack in your windshield is more than 3 x 3 inches in size.
Non-reflective tints are required on windshields in the same state for drivers who want to add a window tint for flair. You will need to do some digging and check your state laws to know exactly what rules you need to adhere to when it comes to windshield regulations.
8. What Should I Do When I Need Help?
Here’s another one of those auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer. At some point, you may come across a crucial time when you need help on the road. Maybe you will run out of gas because you underestimated how far you could go on your last tank.
Perhaps you will blow a tire through no fault of your own. Maybe a belt will snap, or an electrical component will disengage while you’re on your trip. The first thing to remember is not to panic, because panicking has never solved a problem.
Step one is to get your car out of danger right away. That means you need to move it off the main road and away from the path of fast-moving vehicles. Once you get into a safe spot, you can investigate if you break down while the sun is out. It is not recommended that you lift the hood and inspect the car if it’s too dark. Instead, you should try to find something in your trunk, like a flashlight or flare, to alert other people that you are in distress on the road.
The next step is to contact a loved one or family member and let them know what happened and where you are at. Your loved ones can track where you are and whether you are okay. They may even contact the authorities or an organization that can assist you with your breakdown.
Your action plan will be easy if you have a roadside assistance plan. Roadside assistance plans provide certain emergency services to policyholders when they break down on the road for any reason. Examples of services you can get are:
Fuel Refills: You won’t have to worry if you run out of fuel, but have a roadside assistance plan. Your plan will likely cover enough gas to get you to a nearby station.
Battery Jumps: Battery jumps are free with roadside assistance plans. A technician will come to you with a powerful jump box that will start your car and allow you to get your vehicle to a shop. Jumps work in most cases, but they may not be successful if you have problems with the alternator.
Donut Installation: A specialist can mount your donut or spare tire if you have a blowout on the road. Some may be equipped to do flat repairs, but for the most part, they are there to put a temporary replacement ‘tire’ on your car. You can leave the breakdown scene and find a show that can sell you a new tire.
A Tow: Some situations require you to have your vehicle towed. If that’s the situation, your roadside assistance plan will surely cover it. Just let them know that your problem can’t be resolved and ask them to take your vehicle to the shop immediately.
9. Does Keeping Your Car Clean Reduce the Risk of Damage?
Taking your car to a car wash or detailer and keeping it clean can reduce the risk of damage on the inside and out. Exterior damage from rocks and debris can be minimized if you put a strong coat of wax on your vehicle.
Cleaning up the inside of your car can keep debris from getting into the venting system. It can also keep the steering wheel firm and grippable so that a driver can keep his or her hands on the wheel at all times.
Keeping up with vehicle cleaning isn’t just good for safety reasons, however. It’s also good for increasing your sense of pride and maintaining the car’s value. That’s one of the auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer, even though it has more to do with maintenance. Stick to a regular cleaning plan, and you’ll always be ahead.
You just read through some of the most common auto repair questions troubleshooting tips can answer. You now know that you can answer and solve most questions by thoroughly troubleshooting and reading your owner’s manual.
