Essential breakdown items for every car
Wouldn’t it be great if we knew when and where your car is due to breakdown? It will always happen when you’re on the way to somewhere important. Despite our best efforts to correctly maintain our cars, parts do malfunction and it’s impossible to calculate all the possible factors that may cause this. That said, it is easier than you think to be prepared for a breakdown and to get you back up and running as quickly as possible. That is why we have gathered a list of the top 5 items you should store in your car to help when you’re stuck:
Jump Leads/Battery Charger
A flat car battery is probably one of the most frustrating things in life. Car batteries go flat for a whole load of reasons, sometimes for no reason at all! One of the most common reasons for a flat battery is that it has been drained from the lights being left on in your car. If the battery hasn’t completely drained, a battery charger or jump leads could be your saviour.
Tyre Sealer
We have all walked out of our homes to see that our tyre is slowly but surely going down. Or we might see a warning for low tyre pressure whilst driving. This normally means there is a slow puncture in your tyre and it will need attention. If you do not have a spare tyre, or you don’t quite know how to go about changing a tyre, a tyre sealer can temporarily help you. This product provides instant tyre repair that works deep inside the tyre to form a sealing film, ensuring you can safely drive to the closest garage or service station.
Tyre pump
You may have been able to temporarily seal your puncture with a sealer or have just noticed the tyre is deflated. Getting those tyres inflated is not only better for the efficiency of the car, but also for the safety and performance of your vehicle. When it comes to tyre pumps, you can choose between electric or manual. Although electric is convenient, you may want to way up the possibility of the cars electrical points working correctly in the case of a faulty battery.
Phone charger
It may seem simple, but it is very easy to leave your home for a long journey without having your phone fully charged. If you also use your phone as a GPS, it can drain the battery faster than if you were scrolling through Instagram. One of the first things you should do when you break down is call your road side assistance provider. To ensure you phone is charged up, consider keeping a power cables in your glove box.
Safety Jacket and reflective triangle
Breaking down is not only frustrating, but it can be dangerous too. More often than not you will have to try and push your car over to the side of the road and wait for road side assistance to turn up. Dusk and dawn can be the most dangerous times, as visibility isn’t great. In order to stand out from your surroundings, make sure you throw on a high visibility jacket straight away. You can also place our warning triangle before your vehicle to ensure it is seen by other drivers.
Bulbs
Headlights and taillights are perishable items and will break at some point. Fortunately, we live in a society where we have garages often within a few miles. We cannot always rely on someone else to fix our bulbs for us so it is best to be prepared. Carrying spare bulbs is the easiest way to ensure your light can be fixed quickly and you can get back on the road in no time.
Tow rope
It is always a possibility that you will break down in a rural area and you may not have break down cover or forgotten to renew it. Keeping a tow rope in your car could be your saviour. With a little help from friends, family or even a good Samaritan, you can get your car to the nearest garage rather inexpensively. The same may not be said about the repair.
With the above items from our Simply Auto and Simply Power range, the inconvenience of a break-down should now be less stressful. Knowing that you have these items to assist you, will bring you comfort when you set off on a long journey or your morning commute.
You can additionally find more in our Breakdown and Recovery range.
