10 common breakdown causes and how to avoid them

We all know how stressful breaking down can be, especially if it leaves you stranded in the rain on a main road. After all, no one wants to be that person stuck on the hard shoulder with their hazards on.

We’ve compiled 10 of the most common breakdown causes, with advice on how to avoid them and suggestions on what to do if you’re unlucky enough to be a victim of one of these problems.

Flat or faulty battery

If your car battery is flat, when you go to start your car it will turn over slowly or not at all. Leaving your headlights or stereo on can drain your battery, but it can also become flat due to being old and in need of replacement. Often, a weak battery will fail on the first chilly day of winter as the cold affects its performance.

Here are some preventative measures you can take:

• check the battery terminals regularly, making sure they’re secure and free from corrosion.
• if you make a lot of short journeys, try taking your car on a long journey every so often as this will help charge the battery.
• make sure that all your car’s electrical equipment (lights, air conditioning, heated seats) is turned off before you start the engine.
• at the first sign of trouble (difficulty starting your car, dim headlights, warning dashboard lights), have the battery tested or replaced.

Flat or damaged tyre

Getting a puncture or damaging a tyre by hitting the kerb is often unavoidable, but here are some measures you can take to help prevent or minimise the damage:

• check the tyre pressure and the condition of your tyres regularly (don’t forget the spare!).
• if you 'kerb’ a wheel when parking or drive over a pothole, check the condition of the wheel and tyre as soon as possible.
• consider carrying a can of tyre repair foam as this can be an effective temporary solution for small leaks.
• if you are comfortable changing a tyre then make sure you have the jack, wheel brace and removal tool for locking wheel bolts.

Alternator faults

The alternator’s job is to charge your car’s battery. If the alternator fails, the battery will soon fail too. If you’re driving the car, it may cut out and struggle to restart. The tell-tale signs of a problem with your alternator include:

• frequent battery problems and dim headlights when the engine is ticking over.
• a squealing sounds from the engine, which may indicate a slipping alternator drive belt.
• a red charging warning light and/or an illuminated battery warning light on the dashboard.

Stop driving as soon as possible if the charging warning light comes on and book your car in for a safety check to identify the cause of the problem.

Starter motor failure

The starter motor spins your car’s engine over fast enough to start it, which can take its toll over time, particularly if you use your car for journeys that involve a lot of stopping and restarting. The following signs are indicators of a failing starter motor:

• metallic noises when trying to start the engine.
• the engine turns more slowly than usual when you try to start it (this might also indicate a problem with your car’s battery).
• when the ignition key is turned a click can be heard from the engine, but the engine doesn’t turn over (this could signal a problem with the battery too).

The only solution here is to get a replacement starter motor.

Misfire problems

A car that is misfiring will usually suffer a loss of power, particularly when going uphill. You might also struggle to get the car to start, especially in cold or wet conditions. It may judder or shake and be making strange noises. Here are the most common causes of misfire problems:

• a faulty spark plug.
• a faulty ignition system or fuel system components.
• a blocked fuel filter (more common with diesel engines).
• the wrong type of fuel or the car running low on fuel.
• a blown head gasket

Driving a car with a misfire could cause further damage, so it is advisable to book your car in for a service to get to the root of the issues.

Running out of fuel

What to do if you run out of fuel

Don’t keep on trying to start the engine as you may suck air and possibly dirt from the empty tank into the fuel system. This will make starting your car even harder when you’ve filled up.

If you have a can of fuel, switch off the engine and fill up your car. If the engine now starts, drive on and fill the tank at the next petrol station.

If the engine still won’t start, dirt or air drawn into the fuel system could be causing problems. In this case you’ll probably need a mechanic to take a look at your car.

If you’re out in the middle of nowhere, don’t panic as all is not lost. If you have breakdown cover, they can deliver an emergency can of fuel.

If the fuel gauge indicated plenty of fuel in the tank and you still ran out, have the gauge checked. If there’s a fuel leak, you’ll probably be able to smell the petrol vapour or diesel. Don’t drive the car until you’ve had this problem fixed.

What to do if you fill up with the wrong fuel

If you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car, don’t try to start the engine. If you do, you won’t get very far and will have to have all the fuel system components thoroughly cleaned, which could be expensive.

In some engines, the wrong fuel can cause quite serious and expensive damage. You’ll need to have the fuel tank drained, cleaned and refilled before you can drive your car.

You can avoid these problems by filling up with fuel before a long journey and keeping an eye on your fuel gauge. Don’t wait until the warning light comes on before filling up as fuel gauges can be notoriously inaccurate.

Always double check you’re filling up with the correct fuel too. Put a sticker inside the fuel flap to remind you which type of fuel your car needs.

Clutch failure

Sometimes clutches fail suddenly and without warning. If this happens, your car will need to be recovered and repaired. However, in many instances the symptoms occur gradually. If you experience any of the following signs, get your car checked as soon as possible to avoid a breakdown.

Common symptoms include:

• your car seems to ‘rev’ when accelerating, especially in higher gears.
• the clutch feels strange when you press the clutch pedal, which might seem higher or lower than normal.
• the gears crunch or clunk when shifting between them.
• the clutch pedal has no resistance.
• gears are hard or impossible to engage.

A broken suspension spring

With poor road surfaces, potholes and speed bumps on the rise, your car’s suspension can take a daily battering. This can cause suspension-component failures, the most common and potentially dangerous of these is a broken coil spring.

A corroded spring can snap at any time and without warning. If it breaks close to the end you may not notice and it could go undetected until your next MOT or service.

However, it’s possible that a breakage could cause a sudden drop in your car’s suspension whilst driving. So, if you receive an advisory about a spring during an MOT or service, don’t ignore it.

Engine overheating

Overheating is a serious problem and can be caused by a number of things. But provided your car has been properly maintained, you shouldn’t really have any problems. When the engine gets hot, as it undoubtedly will on a summer’s day, the cooling fan should kick in to lower the temperature.

The most common causes of overheating are:

• a faulty cooling fan.
• low coolant level.
• coolant leakage.
• a faulty coolant pump or thermostat.
• a blown head gasket.

What to do if your engine overheats

Keep an eye on your temperature gauge when stuck in traffic, as this is when cars most often overheat.

If you notice the temperature gauge creeping towards the red zone or if a temperature warning light starts flashing on your dashboard, try switching your car’s heater to hot and turning it up to full blast. This will get rid of some of the heat from the engine. If it still doesn’t seem to be cooling down, pull over and switch the engine off.

If there is steam coming from your engine, pull over as soon as possible. Don’t open the bonnet until the steam stops. If no steam is coming from under the bonnet, open it up to help the heat escape. You may have to wait at least half an hour for the engine to cool down.

Check under your car for coolant leakage (coolant is usually brightly coloured, often green, yellow or pink). If you believe there’s a leak, then call for assistance. You’ll most likely need to book your car in for an engine coolant flush and replacement.

When the engine has cooled and if there’s no obvious sign of a leak, check the coolant level. If the coolant level is okay and there’s no leak, you can carry on driving but get your car checked out as soon as possible.

Leaking cylinder head gasket

A leaking cylinder head gasket can be a big problem and require a lot of work to fix. Unfortunately, there’s little that can be done to avoid it, but common signs include:

• misfiring, especially when the engine is cold or starting.
• a lack of engine power.
• fluid leaks on the outside of the engine.
• coolant in the oil, which usually looks like frothy mayonnaise.
• white smoke from the exhaust.
• a mysterious drop in coolant level.