What to do if your car breaks down?

Car breakdown - the right way to react!

The tyre bursts or the engine suddenly goes on strike - a car breakdown is always annoying, but unfortunately it can happen to anyone. It is not clear to everyone what you have to observe in the event of a breakdown and when you have to notify the police. That is why you should regularly check whether you are equipped with aids for all possible cases, such as high-visibility waistcoats or a breakdown kit.

What to do in the event of a flat tyre?

You are in the middle of the motorway and suddenly you hear a loud bang! A horror scenario for many drivers. You should move to the hard shoulder as quickly as possible and stop there. Do not brake too abruptly! Set up your warning triangle at least 150 metres to a maximum of 400 metres from your location. Put on your high-visibility waistcoat and inform a breakdown service if you are unable to replace or patch the tyre yourself with an emergency or spare tyre. If the tyre is patched, you should go to a garage immediately. It is also a good idea to drive to the nearest petrol station with a spare tyre, as spare tyres usually do not have the ideal tyre pressure as the rest of the tyres.

Difference between emergency and spare tyres

Basically, the effort involved in changing a tyre is the same. A spare tyre is just as suitable as a normal car tyre, which is adjusted to the car. With a spare tyre, you can continue your journey without any further considerations.

A spare tyre is lighter and narrower than a normal car tyre. With an emergency tyre, you must not drive faster than 80 km/h and must replace the tyre with a normal tyre as soon as possible.

Accident with game?

If you have collided with an animal, you must switch on the hazard warning lights, secure the scene of the accident and put on your high-visibility waistcoat. This also applies if the (injured) animal has fled. If you or one of your passengers is injured, you should call 112 immediately. Otherwise, you must notify the police in any case. In many federal states, a hunter must also be called in. The hunter must issue you with a certificate of damage caused by game.

If the dead animal has been left on the road, you must pull it to the side of the road. You should wear gloves to do this, as it may be infested with parasites or have a disease.

Do not touch injured animals! It could fight back and injure them in the process.

Animals that have been hit must not be removed from the scene of an accident, otherwise you could be charged with poaching.

Engine won't start?

Your car won't start and the starter makes strange noises? The first suspect is the battery. This is also the most common cause in the winter months. After all, the heater fan, heated seats and wiper system put a lot of strain on the battery. If you hear the starter click when you turn the key, you can start the engine by using jumper cables and connecting a working battery from another car. If you do not have a second car to jump-start or jumper cables, you can try to get cars with manual transmissions running by pushing them.

However, there can be many other causes for an engine not starting. A remote diagnosis is therefore difficult. In some cases, it may be a defective alternator or damaged cables caused by a marten, among other things. Therefore, we recommend that you call in a breakdown service if nothing works. They can diagnose the problem and, if necessary, tow you to a garage.

At McParking, you can park your car safely and cheaply at BER while you travel. Our free shuttle bus will take you from the car park directly to the airport.

Visit us on: