When to Call for Towing Services for Your Vehicle

When your car or truck is acting up, you don't want to try to force a part to work or take the risk of being unsafe on the road. In many cases, calling a towing service is the better choice to ensure you don't cause more extensive and expensive repairs and aren't a danger to yourself and other drivers. Note when it's good to call for towing services for your vehicle and why this is often a good option in these cases.

Won't shift out of park

If your car won't shift out of park, never try to force the shifter into position. In many cases, this is due to a breakdown of the gears in the transmission system, and forcing them into position will simply mean the transmission may fail, and your car will then be stuck in neutral.

Another potential cause is that the car cannot sense that you have your foot on the brake. Many cars have a failsafe mechanism that won't let you shift out of park unless you're applying the brake; if the chain connecting the brake and shifter is broken or a sensor on the brake pedal is malfunctioning, the car won't go into gear. Forcing the shifter can mean breaking that part itself, and that chain or sensor still won't work the next time you try to put your car in gear. Have it towed and repaired properly instead.

Brakes are grinding and grabbing

Your car's brakes should never grind; they should also never "grab" a tire. Brakes in good condition should work smoothly and evenly at all times. If brakes do grind, and if they should grab a tire and "jerk" it to a stop, this usually means a pad is slipping. If that pad should slip entirely, the car could slam to a sudden stop, and this is very dangerous when in traffic. When any grinding and grabbing is this noticeable, have the car towed to a brake shop instead of risking it being on the road.

Smoke coming from tire or wheel well

Smoke coming from under the hood isn't always as dangerous as you might think; it might be a simple oil leak that can be addressed when possible. However, when a tire is smoking or there is smoke coming from a wheel well, this also typically means that a brake pad has slipped. It is now grinding against the rotor and causing enough friction to create smoke; not only might the brakes fail, but this can also cause a calliper to snap and it would then need to be replaced. To avoid being a danger and causing this further damage, have the car towed.


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