When it comes to being late for work, or a sudden travel plan, nothing beats the local car rental company Advantage Car & Truck Rental Service. However, even after you hire a car from a good car rental company, a lot can go wrong.
Consider this Scenario:
You’ve just surpassed the airport and hired a car rental at a cheaper rate. You’re satisfied and positive that’ll you’ll reach your conference on time. But, midway, your rental car stops due to a nice flat tire. You stand flabbergasted, blaming everything on Murphy’s Law. Well, the truth is such an incident can be tackled if not completely avoided.
The trick is to educate you regarding the potential causes that lead to car breakdowns. Whether it’s your own vehicle or a rented car, a few noted conditions can lead to car malfunction.
These Are as Follows:
Car Batteries
The box containing the electrical energy in your car is the heart of your vehicle. Powering the core of the car helps to start the vehicle, fuel pump, motor, spark plugs etc. until your car is up and running. Now, if the rental car’s batteries die down in the middle of the road, the car stops midway.
However, you’re selected car rental told you the car provided was checked and well-serviced. Well, many service providers utter deep promises, so it’s best to look out for warning signs yourself.
To enjoy the advantage of car rental service, you must inspect your vehicle properly before taking its keys. Lookout for loose cables or powdery debris on top of batteries, as this is a sign of a worn-out battery. Also, tweak the cables a little and check if they move a loose cable will move. Further, ensure that the water levels in your car are optimally filled up to prevent overheating of the vehicle.
However, despite checking these, if the car stops due to battery malfunction, try and tap the battery terminals with the heel of your shoe to tighten them up. This might help you start your vehicle in case it stops mid-way.
Car Tires
Often in the States, few people who are busy commuters forget to check out car tires when renting out a vehicle. Now, a tire with a tread depth that is below 1.6mm is more susceptible to punctures and roadside hazards. Weak treads firstly offer less traction and a bad wet grip and are more likely to fall into potholes and cause punctures. Hence, firstly, ensure that the vehicle you are picking should have a minimum tread depth of 3mm-6mm, depending on the kind of journey you’re making.
Additionally, another condition that caters to road accidents and breakdowns is over or under-inflation of tires. Over-inflated tires can lead to the vehicle being more vulnerable to damage while increasing fuel economy. Similarly, inflation too can cause a tire to heat up and, in worst-case scenarios, burst.
Thus, to avoid such accident-prone issues, ensure that your rental car company offers vehicles with proper tire pressure and tread depth. Also, to reap the best benefits, request vehicles that come with Run-flat-tires. These allow a person to drive up to 50-80km/hr. thus, preventing chances of breaking down in the middle of nowhere while being stranded.
Keys
When you’re running late, the stress can often make you hurry, and that can cause inconvenience. One of the most annoying yet unavoidable reasons behind car breakdowns is getting locked out. Let’s say you went to use the restroom at a convenience store and, returning, you realize that your keys are inside the car. So, unless you contact a mechanic or locksmith, chances are there’s no way to open the car. Additionally, if you’re on a highway, it can take ages for the locksmith to arrive, and that sort of inconvenience needs to be avoided.
Hence, to prevent this, make a habit of always carrying a spare car key in your pockets the next time you go out. This way, you can lock yourself out if the above scenario arises.
Mechanical Issues
Ranging from worse to too small, mechanical issues are one of the primary reasons behind car breakdowns. These are as follows:
Clutch
Connecting and disconnecting the driving force from the car’s engine to its wheel is the task of the clutch. A malfunctioned clutch will be noisy when it comes to gear changes. Additionally, the failure of pedals with a burning smell is a sign of a faulty clutch.
In such cases, to prevent a major breakdown, step away from the pedal and don’t accelerate very fast. Drive to a nearby mechanic’s place and get the car looked at. You can further contact your designated car rental and inform them of the problem while charging them.
Transmission Issues
The transmission transfers the engine’s power to the wheels via gears. Now, when the transmission fails, the warning signs are the car shifting gears and going neutral. Problems with changing gears, along with rattling or grinding noises from gearboxes, are also signs of transmission failure.
Now, in such cases, immediately inform your selected car hire and contact a mechanic. Driving through this issue will increase the chances of damage to gears, clutch, and engine.
Electrical System Malfunction
Another thing that can prevent you from enjoying the car rental experience is picking a car with electrical issues. The malfunction of lights, windshield wipers etc., are signs of electrical issues within the car. Now, such issues can easily be detected in modern vehicles as these come equipped with multi-pin connectors and a diagnostic computer to detect issues.
So, before hiring your car rental, ask your service provider to check thoroughly for any of these above scenarios. Additionally, request documents that verify the last time your hired car was serviced. A recently serviced car will not prove troublesome when it comes to maintenance issues.
Well, now that you know the potential threats and ways to tackle them, pick your vehicle properly and enjoy a good car rental experience the right way.
For the most reliable car rental service, contact us today or book online now!