What Are The Most Common Reasons For Vehicle Breakdown?
A vehicle breakdown is a common problem experienced by almost everyone who owns one. Be it an individual taking a solo road trip or a transport company carrying goods to be delivered. This problem is more frequent and often occurs due to negligence issues. If you are dealing with logistics and freight services, a vehicle breakdown could lead to the unnecessary burden of unloading the goods and could also lead to revenue loss.
A vehicle breakdown happens due to the vehicle’s electrical or mechanical failure due to damage or internal problems. Vehicle breakdown causes issues in the vehicle’s operations. Depending on the severity of the failure, a vehicle’s breakdown is categorized into two types – one is the total breakdown, and the other is a partial breakdown. In complete collapse, the car becomes wholly inoperable and can’t be moved even for a short distance. While in partial failure, the vehicle is still in operable condition. However, its operations are dangerous and could be life-threatening.
Reasons For Vehicle Breakdown
Vehicle breakdowns can occur at any time of the year though peak winters and extreme summers are the seasons for vehicle breakdowns, which can happen for several reasons. So let’s dig deeper to know the number of reasons that causes vehicle breakdown.
1. Battery Malfunctioning
The battery is the primary source of electric energy from which a vehicle derives its power to make its electrical component work. Regular charging of the battery is crucial when the car is not in use often, as thus, night help in extending the battery life. A Faulty or drained battery is the most common reason for a vehicle breakdown. Faulty battery problems are more common during winter, which makes it challenging to start the vehicle.
Another reason for battery malfunctioning is a flat battery problem which happens when a battery is completely drained out. Complete battery drainage generally occurs when the vehicle has not been used for too long. Finally, acid stratification is also a crucial reason for battery failure. Acid stratification happens if the battery is never fully charged above 80%, leading to the vehicle’s operability issues.
2. Alternator Faults
An alternator is an integral part of any vehicle. It converts the battery’s chemical energy into electric energy to provide power to all the vehicle’s electrical components, for instance, lights, sound system, ignition cooling, cooling system, etc. As a crucial part of the vehicle’s charging system, the alternator plays an important role. If an alternator gets worn out or malfunctions, it could cause trouble starting your car and diming the dashboard lights and headlights. A fault in the alternator causes the failure of the engine to start.
3. Overheating
Overheating is one of the main reasons why a vehicle breaks down. Overheating of an engine can happen due to leakage in the cooling system, blocked hoses due to corrosion, mineral deposit, broken water pump, radiator issues, etc. When the temperature gauge in your vehicle starts indicating overheating issues, you should pull over the car to the side and let your vehicle engine cool for a while. If you ignore the heat indicator, your vehicle will break down in any instance.
4. Empty The Fuel Tank
An empty fuel tank is another reason for vehicle breakdown. Driving with little or no vehicle is a dangerous game. Low fuel could cause damage to the fuel tank and clogging issues of various components leading to internal problems in the car. An empty fuel tank is hazardous. It could lead to the vehicle pumping air, which causes pressure on other components to damage it further. Always check a vehicle’s fuel light indicator to avoid severe consequences, and never drag the car below a specific fuel limit.
5. Low Tire Pressure
Low tire pressure is another crucial factor that leads to a vehicle breakdown. A low tire pressure leads to flat tires or blowouts when driven over sharp objects such as glass, iron nails, pins, etc. In addition, driving over deep potholes or uneven rocky roads causes the tire to go flat and keeps you stuck on the road. Low tire pressure also causes friction by being in more contact with the road. The friction makes the tire overheat, causing tread separation, excessive tire wearing, and a blowout. A vehicle breakdown due to low tire pressure needs the tire changing to make the vehicle operable again.
6. Faulty Clutch
Vehicle breakdown also happens due to faulty clutch problems. A clutch system is essential for the manual operations of the vehicle. With regular usage, it starts to wear out over a period of time, leading to issues causing the breakdown of cars if you experience difficulty in shifting gears or the clutch pedal feels loose or vibrating. It is a sign that the clutch has started to wear out. A faulty clutch causes the clutch to slip, causing a loss in acceleration. A sudden drop in the clutch fluid indicates a defective clutch due to leakage in the system. This drop in clutch fluid leads to malfunctioning and, ultimately, vehicle breakdown.
Conclusion:
A vehicle breakdown is a serious issue. It could keep you stuck in the middle of a deserted road or on roads full of heavy traffic. In any case, It is not a good scenario to look forward to. If you operate in goods carrier services, a vehicle breakdown could lead to the unnecessary burden of unloading the goods and could also lead to revenue loss. The whole loading and offloading are arduous if your vehicle’s tire goes flat. The breakdown of vehicles occurs due to various reasons like the malfunctioning of the battery, alternator faults, overheating of the engine, etc. Empty fuel tanks, flat tires, and faulty clutches are other reasons for vehicle breakdowns. Regular monitoring and inspection of these parts could save you from severe consequences.
Reference:
Oneclicktowingcompany, M.I.K.E. (2022, 18 July). Top Reasons Why A Car Breaks Down. [Weblog]. Retrieved 5 December 2022, from
https://www.oneclicktowingcompany.com/towing-service/roadside-assistance/top-reasons-why-a-car-breaks-down/
