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What you don’t know about your car could leave you stranded on your next summer road trip.
“Many motorists are just generally unprepared [for minor roadside breakdowns],” said Mark Tirbany, a Toronto-based mobile mechanic. “Nearly half of my calls involve very basic, almost trivial, breakdowns: flat tires, dead batteries, running out of fuel.”
While new cars are generally more reliable than ever, many of us start driving without considering the possibility of trouble – or knowing what to do if it happens.
“Even with newer vehicles, you might end up driving over a screw, get a flat tire and not necessarily know if you have a spare or not,” said Chad Brinston, manager of fleet performance with the Alberta Motor Association (AMA), which offers roadside assistance.
Here are a few critical items to check before leaving the driveway:
Does your car have a spare?
Don’t assume your car came with a spare tire.
The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) estimates that more than a quarter of new cars don’t carry one.
“They leave them out to save space and reduce weight,” Brinston said.
Equipment varies by manufacturer. Toyota, for instance, told us that 12 of its 25 models don’t come with a spare. That’s because automakers are increasingly omitting traditional spare tires to accommodate heavy hybrid batteries and to meet strict fuel efficiency standards.
Instead, those vehicles are equipped with emergency repair kits: a can of tire sealant and a portable air compressor.
The kits only work for minor leaks, like from a nail or screw, and are intended to let you drive to the nearest repair shop. They won’t work for a major tear or blown tire.
“[If that happens], we end up having to tow the vehicle instead of just swapping the spare on,” Brinston said.
If your car relies on a repair kit, make sure you understand how to use it, Tirbany said.
“Take out the kit, familiarize yourself with it, watch a YouTube video – then write down how to use it on a small cue card and leave it in the trunk,” he said. “I make notes all the time on how to use tools in my toolbox I never use.”
Other car companies use run-flat tires instead of offering a spare. However, these also have strict limits – and they typically must be replaced once you’ve driven on them while flat.
If you do have a traditional spare tire, check to see that it’s properly inflated – along with the other four tires on the vehicle, Brinston said.
Also, if your vehicle uses locking wheel nuts, ensure you actually have the wheel lock key in the car. If you don’t, you may be forced to tow the vehicle to a repair shop just to remove them, he said.
If your car has a temporary spare – often called a “doughnut” (it will be smaller than your other tires) – it’s only designed to get you to the nearest repair shop. Usually, you shouldn’t drive faster than 80 kilometres an hour or travel farther than 100 kilometres – but check your car’s owner’s manual to confirm your specific vehicle’s limits.
How old is your battery?
The most common call the AMA receives in the summer is for cars that won’t start.
“We can see [battery failure] just as often in the summer as in the winter,” Brinston said. “Summer heat actually has as much of an impact [on batteries] as cold weather does.”
Heat is hard on batteries, especially if they are already weak or older.
“In our climate, batteries last typically three to five years,” he said. “Most batteries come with a date stamp.”
Even if you remember replacing your battery recently, it might have been longer ago than you think.
“That happened to me – I was positive that I’d swapped my battery just a couple of months ago,” Brinston said. “And it had been three years.”
If your battery is more than three years old or you experienced trouble starting this past winter, it’s a good idea to get it tested before a trip, he said.
But even if your battery seems fine, you should always carry booster cables or a portable jump starter.
“Before you build your trip playlist, make sure you’ve got your booster cables with you,” Brinston said.
Even in newer cars, other mechanical problems could be lurking.
If your car is due for an oil change soon, consider getting it done before your trip – along with a basic inspection that might catch hidden problems, Brinston said.
Also, check whether your car is facing any safety recalls, he said.
Do you already have roadside assistance?
While new cars typically come with roadside assistance, many drivers don’t know exactly how it works – and some don’t know they have it at all, Tirbany said.
“Many times, I’ve looked for the wheel lock in the glove box and found a card for roadside assistance the client never even knew about,” he said.
If you have roadside assistance, read the fine print to understand exactly what it covers. Most plans will send someone out to boost your battery, put on your spare tire, unlock your vehicle if the keys are inside or, if your car needs repairs, tow it to a shop or dealership.
Also, find out how long your coverage lasts. Toyota, for example, offers free roadside assistance for three years on new vehicles, while Hyundai offers it for five years.
If you don’t have roadside assistance through your vehicle’s warranty or your credit card, consider buying a plan – for instance, from the CAA, Tirbany said.
“In most instances, the membership pays for itself the first time you use it,” he said, adding that it can be significantly cheaper than calling a tow truck or mobile mechanic out of pocket.
For instance, Tirbany charges $185 to fix a tire in the city during business hours – plus an extra $125 after hours and $100 if you’re outside the city. CAA roadside assistance plans vary by region, but typically start at around $100 or less per year. It’s a good idea to check how much towing distance your plan includes.
Depending on how far you are from a city or town, you might be waiting a while for roadside assistance – CAA advises drivers to plan for an average wait time of an hour and a half.
If you’re farther away from a major city on a holiday weekend, you could be stuck for hours, Brinston said. That’s why you should always carry water, a phone charger and other emergency supplies.
While being able to fix a tire or boost the battery yourself might save you a wait, he emphasized the importance of knowing how to do it properly.
“You don’t want to turn a relatively simple problem into something bigger,” Brinston said.