Blog Car Breakdown Cover

Car Breakdown Safety American Style

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:51:35 +0000

You would think that safety would be the same whatever country, but here is an American news items that talks about saftery when you have had a breakdown on a busy road. Although many things are the same as here in the UK, we are not sure this is exactly what the AA, Rac or Green Flag would recomend, especially the flares. But education is the key to these things so, here is that news item with their take on what to do if you breakdown.

Mercedes Breakdowns Only Once Million Kilometres

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:42:34 +0000

Here is a Mercedes commercial that states that a Mercedes will only breakdown once in 1m Kilometres. Now watching the commercial it really doesn’t show a a lot of the car, nor does it give specific facts on this point and you have to ask, how much servicing is imvolved in this so called fact. After all, many of the breakdowns on British roads are to do with poor maintenance, such as flat bateries. But things like flat tyres after hitting the kerb or locking your keys inside the vehicle, must be the same in a Mercedes as any other car. So I doubt of the big 3 breakdown cover providers are particularly worried at this point.

Guilty Of Impersonating A RAC Patrolman

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:24:52 +0000

This is Gloucestershire has reported that a man has been found guilty pretending to be a RAC patrolman who picked up a stranded motorists, then proceeded to charge the people saying they could claim the money back, directly from the motoring organisations.

Both motorists had broken down on the same day on the M5 and it is claimed that Mr Williams pulled up behind these vehicles and stated he was in attendance from their calls, one to the AA and the second to the RAC breakdown organisation. In both cases their cars were towed to his garage where it is claimed he charged them for his work.

However when one driver stated they had the Relay service with the AA, it claimed Mr Williams had stated that as an independent garage, they needed to pay him first then reclaim the money back from the motoring organisations.Both had their suspicions confirmed when they rang the AA and the RAC organisations to confirm their membership and charges.

Mr Williams claimed that he had never stated he was from any organisation such as the RAC or AA and his vehicle looked similar, because of his involvement in off road events. However the jury at Gloucester crown court found him guilt and he may get a custodial sentence.

European Breakdown Cover Beware

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:42:29 +0000

But after the breakdown, far from getting all passengers and possessions home again, as pledged, the family say Green Flag’s breakdown policy meant they had to ditch an estimated £600 worth of possessions, including 12 bottles of wine.

Green Flag did eventually agree to pay for return flights from Germany to Manchester, but after four weeks away the family-of-four had much more than the basic luggage allowance.

But the firm refused to pay the £400 excess luggage to cover essential personal items the Lawtons did not want to leave behind.

And to add to their misery, Jo and Mark never got to enjoy the planned anniversary break as Green Flag made a huge logistical error.

One of the company’s operators had originally suggested the family drive their belongings home in a hire car, via a ferry from Hamburg to Newcastle.

Eldest son Josh was not old enough to hire a car himself, according to Green Flag policy.

So the firm agreed to arrange for Jo and Mark to travel by sleeper train from Italy to Germany to take charge of the situation.

“You would expect a breakdown company to know what to do if you breakdown and become stuck while abroad. They didn’t have a clue and it has cost us.”

Full story and copyright Yorkshire Evening Post Breakdowns Consumer Beware

New RAC App For Traffic And Breakdowns

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:41:12 +0000

But it’s not just traffic that the app helps you avoid, as RAC Traffic also lets you see detailed information on any road works that are going on, so that you can quickly anticipate any traffic problems that may be coming up and find a quicker route around it to be sure to get your destination without delay.

And if you find yourself broken down anywhere (which, based on our last MOT, is sure to happen to us quite soon) you can even use the app to join and call the RAC, so that they can come out and rescue you. This feature alone was enough to make us quickly install the app on our Nokia Lumia 800.

And if for any reason you want a full route planner on your smartphone – although with Nokia Drive installed on your handset, we can’t think why you would – then you can also upgrade to RAC Traffic+ for just £0.69p and enjoy all the great free features, plus full RAC route planning on your phone for a pleasingly low price.

Full Story and copyright noknok tv beat traffic with RAC free app

AA Patrols win European contest

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:05:13 +0000

The annual competition saw patrols from ten European motoring clubs assessed on their roadside repair skills followed by a written technical exam. They were judged by technical experts from the Swiss (Touring Club Suisse) and Croatian (Hrvatski Autoklub) motoring clubs.

Keith, the AA’s patrol of the year, says: “The standard was very high and we had to overcome translation difficulties, so it’s fantastic to be judged the best in Europe. The job of a patrol is increasingly demanding as we work on any vehicle on the road – car, motorbike or commercial vehicle – so we need to maintain a high level of technical expertise.”

Steve Dewey, AA road operations director, says: “People join the AA because of our patrols’ ability to fix cars at the roadside, so we are delighted that they’ve been recognised for being the best – for setting the technical benchmark – not only in the UK but in Europe.

“As vehicle technology evolves, we invest heavily in the latest equipment and training to ensure our patrols continue to give the best possible service at the roadside."

Full story and copyright AA newsroom FIA road patrolman contest

Increase In Petrol Related Breakdowns

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:42:13 +0000

The AA said it had seen a 15% year-on-year increase in the number of people running out of fuel, with fellow breakdown company Green Flag recording a 14% rise in out-of-fuel incidents in the first six months of 2011.

With current pump prices remaining near record levels, the AA said it is on course to attend more than 23,000 dry-tank call-outs this year.

Keith Miller, AA patroller of the year, said: “Although we’re all feeling the pain of high pump prices, don’t leave it till you’re running on fumes before filling up.

“Running out can leave you in a potentially dangerous position, as modern cars often just cut out without warning, so ideally fill up before the low fuel light comes on.

“If you’re in an unfamiliar area, your sat-nav or smartphone may be able to tell you the location of the nearest filling station. Rather than chancing it, you can save a lot of money by adopting a few simple eco-driving techniques and cutting back on unnecessary journeys.”

Breakdown Can Double In Winter According To the AA

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:34:25 +0000

Batteries rarely last longer than five years so replacing one near the end of its life can save a lot of time and inconvenience at the side of the road.

Avoid running electrical systems any longer than necessary – turn the heater fan down and switch the heated rear window off once windows are clear. Turn off nonessential electrical loads like lights, rear screen heater and wipers before trying to start the engine and use the starter in short five-second bursts if the engine doesn’t start quickly, leaving 30 seconds between attempts to allow the battery to recover. ANTIFREEZE: A continuous squealing noise as soon as the engine is started is a sign the water pump is frozen. The cylinder block could be frozen too. Stop the engine immediately and allow it to thaw out. This may take several days unless the car can be moved to a heated garage.

If the car begins to overheat a few miles from home it’s likely that the radiator has frozen, preventing coolant from circulating. Stop straight away to avoid serious damage and allow the radiator to thaw.

Most modern cars use long-life antifreeze, so it’s important to use the right type and avoid mixing different types. Check the handbook or ask a dealer for advice. Glycol-based antifreeze should be changed at least every two years.

Full story corkman.ie Prepare for hash winter

Squirrel Fills Up Engine With Acorns The AA

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:28:03 +0000

But despite carrying out all the usual checks, he was baffled why power could not be restored to the vehicle’s engine.

It was only when Mr Smith dismantled the air intake system that he discovered the root of the problem – hundreds of acorns that had been hoarded there by a squirrel.

The car had been parked under an oak tree at Micheldever, Hampshire.

Mr Smith said: ‘The motorist said he couldn’t get the car started but there was no obvious fault.

‘Eventually I wondered whether the air pipe was blocked and when I started to dismantle it, I found the pipe and airbox were rammed with acorns. The squirrel obviously thought it made the perfect secret stash.’

More About Indian Breakdown Cover

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:57:23 +0000

If you are looking at insuring against the perils of vehicle breaking down midway, then there are many who offer those services. MyTVS provides 24 by 7, assistance in most of the states of India, except J&K and north eastern states. The current membership can be availed from silver to platinum which offer breakdown assistance 3 times a year to unlimited times a year respectively. The fees range for a yearly Rs 750 (currently available at Rs555) to Rs 2500. the range of services include Jump Start and battery check, lockout keys, wheel change, car towing facility, taxi arrangement, wrecker facility and fuel arrangement. There are minor repair works that are also included. The response time within the city is around 60 minutes and in villages around 120 minutes.

Website: http://www.mytvs.in/, toll free numbers 1800 425 2002