Should You Drive To The Auto Shop If Your Car Needs To Be Repaired?
When you are on the road and discover something wrong with your car, your first thought may be to drive to your local auto shop to have the problem looked at. While this is a great idea in many situations, driving a car that needs repair is not always ideal. In some situations, you could be causing additional damage to the car by continuing to drive it, even if it is a small distance to the auto shop. You could also be putting others at risk if additional problems happen on the way to the auto shop. Here are 3 reasons to have the car towed instead of driving it in.
Your Car Is Overheating
Be aware of problems that cause the car's temperature gauge to start shooting upwards. If this happens to you, pull the car over right away and stop driving it. Even a small problem can cause a car to overheat, such as radiator issues. Continuing to drive the car while it is overheating could cause damage to the engine that cannot be fixed. You are better off calling a towing company to take your car in, since the cost of the tow could be cheaper than the additional damage you cause.
Your Car's Brakes Are Not Working Properly
Are you hearing some squealing from your car's brakes as you use them? This will be a sign to get to the auto shop right away, but it might not be safe to drive your car and just deal with the audible inconvenience that it is causing you in the moment. When the brakes aren't reacting normally, don't drive the car anymore. Have it towed in instead to prevent a potential accident from occurring. Other brake problems that will require towing are grinding sounds when pressing the brakes, which is causing damage to the entire brake system.
Your Car's Windshield Is Cracked
A small chip or crack in the windshield, especially when it is not on the driver's side, should be fine to drive the car into the shop. Be aware that not only can large cracks obstruct your vision, but it is against the law to drive with a windshield that has that type of damage. You could potentially get a ticket if a police officer catches you driving with a crack that obstructs your vision, even if you are on the way to the auto shop to get it fixed. See if you can get the windshield fixed remotely, and if not, tow the car in for the repair. For more information, contact local professionals like Goodeal Lifetime Transmissions.
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