First Call GB Ltd – Why bother with breakdown assistance cover? Breakdown assistance cover is essentially there to provide the driver with peace of mind. If a car breaks down, particularly on the motorway, it will need to be moved as quickly as possible, not only for the sake of the driver, but also because of the dangers a motorway breakdown presents. If you don’t have breakdown assistance cover in this situation, you may find yourself stranded and waiting hours to have your car towed, and to top it all off, you’ll be left with a very large bill.
When you’re taken out a breakdown cover policy, you’ve always got that to fall back on. One quick phone call and you’ll have a mechanic out to you within an hour. Many repairs can even be done at the side of the road, provided it’s safe to do so, so in many cases you can simply continue on your journey as planned. If this isn’t an option, the assistance service will take your car to the garage for you to be repaired. Depending on the policy you take out, you may even get extra benefits such as a replacement car, although this will vary from company to company. The number one cause of breakdowns on the road is a faulty or flat battery. It can normally be spotted by a chugging noise when the car starts, however most people only notice it when it has gone completely dead and the car is making no sound at all. Jumper cables are of course, the best solution to this, however as with all things in life, prevention is better than the cure; make sure to charge the car every couple of weeks, and remember than frequent short driving trips will run the battery down. Additionally check the battery’s wires and connections on a regular basis, to ensure that they are tightly secured and free from rust. Yet another common cause of car breakdowns is the alternator. This piece of equipment is responsible for providing the vehicle with the mechanical power it needs for the battery, as well as the other electrical components including the radio, windscreen wipers and headlamps. Whilst there is no way to maintain an alternator and so prevent it from wearing down, you can keep an eye out for warning signs such as dimmed headlamps, slowing windscreen wipers and a flickering battery light.