Broken down? Before you ring the tow truck…
There’s rarely a convenient time for your car to stop working.
It tends not to happen while it’s sitting nicely in your driveway on a sunny Saturday morning. It happens when you’re late, it’s raining, you’ve got groceries in the boot, or you’re halfway down Lineside Road between Rangiora and somewhere you’d rather be.
Before you call a tow truck, here are seven quick things worth checking.
1. Are you somewhere safe?
This one comes before everything else.
If you can safely get the vehicle off the road, do so. Put your hazard lights on and keep yourself and your passengers away from moving traffic.
If the vehicle is in a dangerous position, tell us when you call. A car stopped on Main North Road is a slightly different proposition from one sitting quietly outside Woodend Bakery.
And please don’t stand in the traffic lane inspecting the engine while trucks whistle past your elbows.
2. Is it actually broken down?
We say this with love.
Cars have been “broken down” because:
they were in the wrong gear
the steering lock was on
the battery in the key was flat
the fuel gauge was treated as more of a suggestion than a measurement
somebody left the lights on
If the car simply won’t start, try the obvious things first.
If you’re not sure, that’s fine. We deal with this stuff every day.
3. Is the battery flat?
A flat 12-volt battery is one of the most common reasons a perfectly good car suddenly behaves like an expensive garden ornament.
Signs include clicking when you turn the key, dim lights or absolutely nothing happening.
That includes EVs. They may have a very large battery underneath them, but many still rely on a small 12-volt battery to wake everything up.
Sometimes a jump-start is all you need. Sometimes it isn’t.
4. Do you know exactly where you are?
“On the road by the paddock” works surprisingly well in North Canterbury, but a street name is better.
Before calling, check your phone for:
road or street name
suburb or town
nearby business or landmark
direction you’re travelling
Not sure exactly where you are? Open Google Maps, press and hold on your location to drop a pin, then tap Share and send the link to us. If you’re on a rural road, sending us a location pin can save everyone a lot of sightseeing.
5. Where does the vehicle need to go?
Your mechanic? Dealership? Panel beater? Home? Somewhere secure?
You don’t necessarily need to have this sorted before calling us, but if you do, it makes organising the tow faster.
And if you have no idea what to do next, tell us that too.
We take care of everything isn’t just something we put on the website.
6. Can the vehicle roll and steer?
This is useful information for the tow truck driver.
Tell us if:
the wheels are locked
it’s stuck in Park
the steering is locked
a wheel is damaged
the vehicle is very low
it’s AWD/4WD
it’s an EV
it has been involved in an accident
None of those necessarily stop us towing it. They just help us bring the right gear.
7. Have you got the keys?
You’d be surprised.
Actually, we’re no longer surprised.
If the keys are missing, locked inside the vehicle or nowhere near the car, tell us before we arrive.
We can often still move the vehicle, but knowing beforehand makes life much easier.
And if you still need a tow…
That’s what we’re here for.
Ashley’s Tow Taxi provides breakdown towing and roadside assistance across Rangiora, Kaiapoi, North Canterbury and Christchurch.
Call 0800 TOW TAXI — 0800 869 829.
You’ll talk to a real person, we’ll work out what’s happened, and we’ll get you and your vehicle sorted.
One call and we’ll take care of everything.