How to Know If Your Car Needs to Be Towed

It is one of the most frustrating situations you can encounter as a traveler. You’re driving along a street, road, or highway and your car just stops running. Perhaps it begins running poorly and you don’t want to push it. You may get into an accident. Even a little fender-bender could do enough damage to make you wonder if you should drive your car. This is when you need to make the decision. Do you call for a tow?

Should You Drive?

When you have a problem with your car, the question is often whether you should try driving it or call a towing company such as Landoll Trailer Services Anderson CA. Here are some situations where you do definitely call for help:

• Your car is smoking or making strange sounds – Any kind of smoke coming from your exhaust or from under the hood is a sign that something is wrong. It could be a fire. Your engine is not running properly and continuing to drive could risk your safety and cause serious damage.
• A flat tire – Driving on a flat is a bad idea as you could easily destroy the rim. If you have a spare and are comfortable changing a tire, go ahead and do so. Otherwise, this is a good time to call for a tow.
• Warning lights come on – If your temperature or oil warning lamp come on, you should call for a tow, especially if you are far from your destination. If the check engine light comes on, that could be for a variety of reasons many of which are not serious enough to prevent you from driving. If the light is flashing, pull over and call for help immediately.

Driving is not always smooth sailing. When your car stops running, you need to make a determination as to whether or not you need it towed. Use these guidelines and don’t take risks. When in doubt, call for help.