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| Service technicians can oftentimes resolve problems without towing the vehicle. |
On a Mission To
Get You On Your Way
AAA’s Emergency Road Service is focusing more on roadside problem solving and less on towing.
Once upon a time, when AAA members had a breakdown on the road and called AAA, they expected a tow truck to come and the driver to do one of three things: 1) change out a flat tire with the spare; 2) jump-start the battery; or 3) tow the vehicle to a nearby shop.
Times Have Changed
Today, a call to AAA may still result in one of those scenarios. However, before your vehicle is towed, every effort will be made to resolve the problem on the roadside so you can drive away and get on with your day. Honestly, wouldn’t you rather have your problem resolved immediately instead of having it moved (towed) elsewhere to be resolved?
A New Day for AAA
AAA’s Emergency Roadside Service Technicians—you used to know them as “tow truck drivers”—can resolve some electrical issues, replace a spent battery with a new AAA-branded battery in some locations, deliver fuel, install your spare tire, unlock a vehicle whose keys have been locked inside, and much more.
To get more stranded members on their way, AAA has employed several new practices:
- Counselors who receive calls from members have been trained to ask specific questions to ensure the appropriate service technician is dispatched.
- Training of service technicians has been increased and specialized, so they can more quickly diagnose a problem.
- Service technicians have been equipped with tools and new technology that oftentimes allow them to resolve the problem instead of towing the vehicle.
Motorists have relied on AAA for more than 100 years to tow their vehicles, so who better to trust than AAA to resolve your breakdown problem and get you back on your way.
Tips to Avoid Roadside Breakdowns
AAA’s Service Technicians are experts at getting stranded members back on the road in most cases, but you can assist them by preventing potential problems before they happen. A few simple steps that you can do yourself include:
- Inspect your tires monthly for proper pressure and tread depth. The proper tire inflation pressure for your vehicle can be found on a plaque that is placed on the driver-side door jam.
- Check the levels of your oil, coolant, transmission and power steering
fluids monthly. - Inspect your belts and hoses every three months for cracks.
Review your owner’s manual for additional items you should inspect on a regular basis.
8 Ways to Get Started
You don’t have to be a Roadside Service Technician to resolve some vehicle problems yourself. If you are having trouble starting your car, here are some simple resolutions you can safely attempt on your own before calling AAA.
Engine won’t start or turn over
If the engine is fast clicking when you turn the key, try starting it with the gearshift in neutral.
If you hear one click, but nothing more, try to start it with the gearshift
in neutral.
If you hear no click when you turn the key, first verify you are using the right key. (If you have more than one vehicle from the same manufacturer, the key from one vehicle may fit in the other—it just won’t start it.) If you have electric locks, try locking and unlocking the driver’s door. If you have an alarm system, make sure it is disarmed.
Engine won’t start, but it does turn over
Check the fuel gauge to make sure there is gas in the vehicle.
Remove and replace
the fuel cap.
Steering wheel is locked
Verify you are using the correct key.
Check to see if the vehicle is wedged
on a curb.
Move the steering wheel to the left and right repeatedly while turning
the key.
If none of these tips solves your problem, it’s time to contact AAA to send a service vehicle. If one of these does work—Congratulations!—but the problem repeats itself later, you’ll want to have a qualified technician check the vehicle to get to the root of the problem.