“Consider that break down lane as an exit ramp and use the same caution you would to exit the freeway for your destination.”
That is jam on the brakes and decelerate to about 30 MPH before pulling over, right?
It never ceases to amaze me how many people will slow down in the right traffic lane before pulling into the deceleration lane for an off ramp on a super slab. That’s what those slow down lanes are for. Did they miss that day in driver’s ed?
That is jam on the brakes and decelerate to about 30 MPH before pulling over, right?
It never ceases to amaze me…
It amazes me too.
Whether one is pulling over or exiting, you should get off the highway before decelerating.
The opposite is true of entering the highway. One should accelerate on the shoulder before pulling into the lane, and when using the (wait for it)… ACCELERATION LANE, one should accelerate before the lane ends.
Many of us find this type of behavior reckless and stupid. You are not alone.
Yes and the majority of them are asking, should this be covered under warranty, can I sue the lube place, or why won’t my engine turn over etc.
What also never ceases to amaze me is how inconsiderate much of the traveling public is towards a vehicle that is obviously in distress. Case in point: I was recently traveling on a 12-lane highway outside LA. The guy next to me (to my left) had his right front tire blow out. In my rear view mirror I could only see how he was desperately trying to get to the breakdown lane, even setting the emergency light, and trying to cross the 2 or 3 lanes to get there. People were passing him on his right like crazy.
Well, nothing is more important to me than my life. So, no, I would not stop on the train tracks because of an oil light. The idea is to start pulling to the side of the road ASAP and do it in the “safest” way. If the car survives great, if not & the driver is still in one piece, then he/she can work and pay for repairs.
This is one reason that I never like to be tempted into the fancy new cars. They can loose their value pretty fast.
Had an alternator failure earlier this year, in the rain. Wipers and lights were on. I figure I could make it 10 miles or so to the shop. After about 4 miles, the battery was drained. I tried to make a left into a parking lot, punch the gas, the car lurched across a 3 lane road. I guess the fuel pump started to go around that time and the tachometer wasn’t showing anything.
I wouldn’t drive with the battery light on. Any red light on the dash can be dangerous.
Until the manufacturer disclaims because of owner abuse.
Agreed, people ahead of cars. And irlandes is 100% right about always having a Plan B. One of the great racing drivers was asked for the secret of his success; he said “anticipation.”
In Mexico you develop common sense as well as defensive driving habits. I had a rad hose blow on a 4 lane freeway, with steam nearly blocking my view. Luckily, there was a turnoff very close by and it had a cluster of dealerships. I pulled into the Chrysler dealership and found I had lost nearly half of the coolant on my Chevy V8.
If there had been no turnoff, I would have cut across the right lane as soon as safe and parked on the shoulder and called the AAA. At all times you should not edanger yourself or fellow motorists on the road.
A friend’s wife had the same thing happen and she drove home, several miles and seized up the engine.
A car without oil will run 7 miles or so before seizing up.
Exactly! My parents had that exact problem.. the oil light came on, I was like 10 and already knew that was trouble. I'm like "You've got to pull over right now". They decided to go for the exit -- blown engine, the dealership had not installed the oil filter properly and it fell out. Since they kept driving with the oil light on, it was not covered by the warantee.It happened to me 18 years ago. Doing 60 on the freeway, dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree. Put flashers on, luckily other drivers noticed I was having a problem and allowed me to coast to a stop on the right shoulder.
“It also depends on shoulder situation. If none I would keep driving. If rural there is plenty of space to go into.”
This might work where you live. Here in Greater Minnesota, on the county roads, the shoulder is, perhaps, one to two feet wide. After that comes the ditch which will be crossed only if you’re traveling fast enough to fly.
Then comes the driveway over the culvert. Good luck!
I always pull over at the first safe opportunity I can. My safety comes first, my car comes second.
And I’ve always strongly emphasized the same thing to my kids. Especially my daughter. I’ve always said “if something malfunctions at night, find the first safe, well lit area you can with people around, such as a store or gas station. Worry about your safety first and the car second. I’d rather replace an engine than have something happen to you.”. One night I got the inevitable call…she’d broken down…the waterpump had hemmoraged. She drove to the first well lit gas station, shut the car down immediately, and called me and AAA. I’m SO proud of her.
I say pull over right away. What would do if your car stalled? you would stop right in the lane you’re at, so no matter where you are you can stop. Just depends on how daring you are. My sister drives with her oil light on frequently and it drives me insane, She says that she doesnt want to fill it if someone at home knows how to. Now she needs a ring job. So think about the consequences
I’ll bet her mains are in great shape too.
I wish there was a demonstrator model that one could perhaps manually crank that would show what happens when the oil drops, the pump no longer has oil to pump, and the bearings lose their nice pressurized film that they ride on. You know, sort of like the models in the doctors’ offices to show us what’s happening to our insides. Hmmmmm…I wonder of there’d be a market for such models?
" Uncle, I need to barf "
doesn’t leave you a whole lot of time.