It doesn’t matter how new or old a car is, breakdowns happen and you need to be prepared for when they do. When you hire a car from Car hire in Uganda you’re automatically guaranteed 24-hour roadside assistance for any mechanical faults that may occur during your rental period. So there some possible ideas that you would take from our senior mechanic so that you cannot spend a lot of time stuck on the road hence missing out your tour programs or business.
Here are the most common causes of vehicle breakdowns, what the symptoms are, and what you should do if they happen to you.
Flat or faulty battery
When a battery goes flat or doesn’t work as it should, the most common reasons are terminal and clamp connections, or a loss of voltage.
Signs your battery is the problem include the engine turning over but won’t start, your car displays no signs of life at all, or it starts one minute then it won’t. Unless you’ve got another car to help and a set of jump leads between you, you’ll need to call our company’s representative to get you going again. If the problem is mechanical, the company will cover the costs if you have incurred. If it your personal negligence you won’t be refund even a single coin so it is advisable that before you leave the vehicle in the evening during your trip it is far better to check whether you have switched off everything that uses the battery.
Loosing keys or locking Keys in the car
It is very funny that someone can lose or lock the keys in car. If this happens to you while renting one of our vehicles, you need to call our office and you will have to pay the transportation costs and allowances for our representative who will have to take a bus or any other quick means to deliver the second copy of the car key to you and there is no refund for your unused time or day during this period..
Flat tyres or damaged wheels
We always hire out vehicles with one spare tyre if you need two you have to specify it in your email conversations. So if you need to change the tyre you need to do it by yourself and when you continue with your journey when you come across any gas station let them fix the spoilt one
and it becomes the spare tyre again. The prices for repairing the tyre lways don’t exceed 15000 Uganda shillings so don’t be conned in any way.
Fuel problems
Often the cause of breakdowns is simply running out of fuel. Make sure you have plenty of fuel in the tank before embarking on your journey, and remember to refuel before the low fuel warning light comes on.
If your engine is turning over when you try and start your car, but there’s no spark to ignite the engine, there’s a good chance you’ve run out of fuel. Also, your dashboard fuel level indicator should be on. So for those visiting the national parks it is better to fill up the tank before entering the national park..
Transmission and clutch problems
These issues are becoming less of a problem with modern vehicles, so are more likely to happen in older cars. All of our rental vehicles have regular safety checks, are reliable and look great.
However, if your car is refusing to go into gear, there’s a burning smell, the gears are slipping, it’s noisy in neutral or it’s leaking fluid, chances are you have a transmission problem. If you feel the clutch slipping, vibrating, squealing or chirping, or you’re having gear change problems, chances are you’ve got problems with you clutch.
These sorts of mechanical problems are covered in your rental agreement and we will pay for all your costs.
Engine overheating
There are several reasons why your engine can overheat. The thermostat could be stuck, there’s a leak in the cooling system, a faulty water pump, a bad cooling fan or a clogged radiator. If you notice coolant fluid on your ground under the rental car, it won’t go for a few metres before overheating, or the temperature gauge is climbing whenever you drive, it’s better to call company representative. Overheating can cause serious damage to the car if not treated immediately.
If your temperature gauge is in the red zone, the ‘check engine’ or ‘temperature’ dashboard light appears, or the radiator boils over and steam pours out from underneath the bonnet, stop immediately and seek assistance from the company. These sorts of mechanical problems are always caused when you don’t check the water levels regulary in the morning before you start the engine and are all covered in your rental agreement and we will pay for all costs.
