It’s important in any season to keep and maintain appropriate tire pressure. When you check tire pressure it’s best to do it in the morning when it’s cooler. Check the tires with a simple pressure gauge, checking at each valve several times for accuracy. To determine the appropriate tire pressure, you’ll find the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines on the sticker located on the inside of the driver’s side door panel.

It’s also important to drive less aggressively. It’s the season when driver’s get bold on dry roads, but it’s important to drive with diligence and care. The harder you push your vehicle the more gas it will need to consume.

Your vehicle’s AC is a primary culprit for inefficiency in the summer months. Some days, especially when it’s really hot and dry, the AC is the only thing to keep cool. But when it’s not overly hot, especially in the morning or late evening when temperatures are manageable, it’s best to instead roll down the windows when you drive at lower speeds. When you drive at high speeds, it’s best to keep the windows shut and turn on the AC, because the wind drag from open windows will reduce fuel efficiency.

Hopefully you stay safe this summer and enjoy the warmer weather. And if you ever find yourself in need of professional tow services, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, your local tow experts at City Towing will be ready to help.

The post Summer Driving: Fuel Efficiency When It’s Hot Outside appeared first on City Towing.

All batteries will have to be replaced. Premature battery wear happens when excessive heat evaporates the fluid within the battery. The loss in fluid damages the internal structure of the battery. Premature wear is also caused by overcharging.

To keep your battery in top shape for as long as possible, it’s best to keep it as healthy as possible. For instance, make sure that your vehicle’s electrical system is charging your battery at the correct rate; a damaged or malfunctioning voltage regulator could allow too great a charge, which would likely deteriorate the battery prematurely. If you have a battery that requires a “top-off”, remember to check it regularly and to add distilled water whenever is necessary. When you do replace a battery, replace it with a battery of the same rating, or as the one originally specified (If you are unsure of the appropriate battery, check the owner’s manual). And remember to clean a dirty battery. Batteries do get dirty, and dirt can become a conductor, draining the battery power. And as corrosion accumulates on the battery’s terminals, and it will eventually, that corrosion can become an insulator, and the increased insulation will inhibit the current flow within the battery.

The problem with vehicle batteries is they can leave us stranded. Batteries are a simple component, and easily charged or replaced, but if you do ever find you need the professionals at City Towing to help you when your battery has died and left you stranded, then call today. City Towing’s experienced technicians are available and ready to help twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred and sixty-five days of the year.

The post Summer Heat and Your Vehicle’s Battery appeared first on City Towing.

The best way to avoid an oil leak is to keep your engine’s oil changed regularly. The method of checking the oil’s color isn’t reliable, because oftentimes as soon as the engine oil is changed, the fresh, new black oil will take on the brown color associated with old, dirty oil.

The best way to maintain a healthy engine, and to keep the vehicle from leaking oil, is to keep the engine’s oil changed at the intervals recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer.

But that doesn’t mean that a simple oil change will fix an oil leak: an oil leak is a sign of damage, and the one way to prevent the leak further is to have the damage fixed.

The severity of an oil leak will vary, but more serious leaks such as ones that sprout unexpectedly, a large puddle in a short time frame, mean severe damage, and should not be ignored.

If you do have a serious oil leak, then it’s best to get the vehicle to your mechanic as soon as you can, although driving the vehicle in the event of a serious oil leak is chancy, to put it mildly. You could end up stranded, or you could end up doing serious damage to your vehicle’s engine.

If you need assistance getting your vehicle safely from one place to another, then remember the experts at City Towing, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, servicing the Billings area and beyond. 

The post My Car Leaks Oil When It’s Parked: What Do I Do? What Causes the Leak? appeared first on City Towing.

There are a few symptoms that indicate whether your vehicle’s battery has died completely or if it’s operating on less than efficient power. First, when you turn the key nothing electrical works; or, in the case of the headlights, they either don’t work or their brightness is noticeably dim. The other symptoms of battery failure can mirror the symptoms inherent in other components. For instance, if you need to apply pressure to the gas pedal to start the vehicle; the engine turns over but does so slowly; or backfires (A rare symptom).  If you suspect the battery is the culprit then it’s a good idea to try to charge it.

If your vehicle starts then stalls out, or it you hear whirring noises beneath the hood, or if it emits a burning smell, then these symptoms are likely the cause of a faulty alternator. Issues with the alternator should be addressed by your mechanic immediately. The alternator will not self-correct. The alternator could also be the reason why the vehicle’s battery warning light is lit, but unless you have experience working with alternators and batteries then the diagnosis of the problem should always be done by your trusted mechanic.

If you do ever turn over the key and find that your vehicle doesn’t start, or if your vehicle is disabled and needs to be towed, remember to call the first responders at City Towing for help.

The post When You Turn the Key and Nothing Happens… appeared first on City Towing.

When you discover your buried vehicle, begin by clearing a path around the tires with a snow shovel. Clear away several feet of snow both in front of and behind the vehicle. If there is excessive snow on the ground, it’s likely you’re going to need to rock the vehicle back and forth to get the momentum to reach the driving lane. If you can, also clear out as much accumulated snow as possible beneath the vehicle. Then rock the vehicle back forth to get it clear of the snow. Light pressure on the gas pedal and switching back and forth between drive and reverse, always in control, until the vehicle has enough momentum to get unstuck. It’s tempting to want to floor the gas pedal, give it as much power as possible to unstick the car from the snow, but that extra power won’t help things, and, in some cases, could create a slick of ice on the pavement, making it more difficult to unstick. Momentum is the key.

Hopefully you don’t find yourself stuck or stranded this winter, but if you do remember that City Towing is always ready to help, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The post What to Do if Your Car is Stuck in Snow appeared first on City Towing.

In certain instances, the best shelter, and likely the only shelter, is inside the vehicle. If your vehicle isn’t smoking and there is any apparent danger to remaining, then stay inside. Other motorists can easily see your vehicle, but they won’t always notice you. This is also true if you are stranded in a parking lot or somewhere where you don’t feel safe. Inside the vehicle with the doors locked is safer than outside the vehicle, pacing.

In the event that you have a breakdown but still have the ability to get the vehicle to the side of the road, pull as far off on the shoulder of the road as possible. Yes, the shoulder is narrow on many Montana highways, but it’s still important to open up as much of that driving lane as possible.

If you do every find yourself stranded (Hopefully you never experience a vehicle breakdown), remember that you have the professional tow services at City Towing to help twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The post Safest Places to Wait for Roadside Assistance appeared first on City Towing.

There are a few reasons to scrap a broken-down vehicle. If the vehicle has tons of rust throughout the body work. It is possible for a terrific body shop mechanic to restore bits and pieces where rust has taken hold, but it’s unlikely that an older vehicle can be repaired to a quality condition if the rust is extensive. It’s also a good idea to part out the vehicle if the repairs would total more than the value (Both the physical and emotional value—some vehicles have a sentimental value that is beyond the metal, paint, and tires). Then of course there are the more obvious reasons such as that you don’t need or plan to use the vehicle; and, that the structure of the vehicle has deteriorated beyond the scope of any repair.

When you decide to part with the vehicle, it’s a good idea to check throughout that you haven’t left anything behind. Check beneath the seats and in the glove box and any other storage locations. If the vehicle is on your insurance policy then remove it and be prepared to sign over the title of the vehicle.

If your vehicle doesn’t run, but you plan to take it to a body shop to have the work done, then you could easily have it towed between locations.

If you have any questions about the services City Towing offers, or if you are ever in need of assistance (Remember to keep City Towing’s phone number plugged into the contacts on your phone) twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, then call the professional tow services at City Towing.

The post Call City Towing to Tow Junk Cars appeared first on City Towing.

One of the main reasons to choose roadside assistance is safety and peace of mind. When you have insurance and roadside assistance you are virtually guaranteed to have help in the event you get into a fender bender, or you find yourself stranded on the roadside with a flat or breakdown. Imagine being able to contact roadside assistance and knowing that you are covered when your professional tow operator from City Towing arrives to either help get your vehicle back on the road or to take it somewhere where it can be repaired.

It’s also extremely important if you drive a vehicle with higher mileage. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t carry roadside assistance if you have a younger vehicle, but it does mean that older vehicles are more susceptible to breakdown. It’s a gamble to drive something that’s unpredictable.

And with roadside assistance it’s important to keep your vehicle in its very best shape. Remember to keep to routine maintenance schedules. Check the tire pressure routinely and keep the tires at the PSI recommended; the optimal PSI should be located either on the sticker stuck to the inner frame of the driver’s door, or in the manual.

Roadside assistance does cost extra on an insurance premium, and a month-to-month subscription does add up over the months and years; but, it’s always there the moment you need it. One of the most important considerations is to use City Towing as your tow services provider. City Towing’s first responders are ready to help you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The post Reasons to Have a Roadside Assistance Membership… appeared first on City Towing.

When you have vehicle trouble it’s best to get your vehicle as far as possible off the road on the right shoulder of the road. Hopefully there’s a wide shoulder where you can safely park your vehicle, but in the event that there’s not much room (Montana two-lane highways commonly have limited space on the shoulder) try to get the vehicle as far as possible onto the shoulder and turn on your hazard lights; and, if possible, use road cones or other signaling devices to alert other drivers to your position.

It’s also a good idea to remain inside your vehicle. Unless you feel it would be dangerous to remain in the vehicle (The engine is smoking, etc.). It’s likely the safest place. Your vehicle is considerably more visible to the other drivers than you are. Stay out of traffic, and if you find yourself on a busy road and have to exit your vehicle for any reason use the passenger door to step out from the vehicle; remember to always be mindful and aware of oncoming traffic. If you find yourself locked out of your vehicle remain at your vehicle. Your tow truck driver and companion (Hopefully you’ve called for help) will be looking for you at the vehicle. Of course, if you feel it would be unsafe to remain at our vehicle, get somewhere where you believe you can stay safe while you wait.

Hopefully you never find yourself in an emergency, but things do happen. And in the event of an emergency, remember that you have the experienced, reputable tow services of City Towing to help twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The post Stay Safe While You Wait for Help to Arrive appeared first on City Towing.

The very first thing you should do in the event that your vehicle breaks down is call City Towing. You should have the number in your phone and remember that you can use it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to call for help/service. When you call City Towing, your first responder can help you get your vehicle somewhere safe. Once you have help on the way, let someone else know where you are. It’s also a good idea to call someone to come to your location and wait safely for the tow truck to arrive.

When someone has a vehicle breakdown, for whatever the reason, it’s imperative that they put on the hazard lights to alert the other motorists. At night, a vehicle pulled off on the shoulder of the road might be difficult to see, but the hazard lights help the other motorists see the vehicle and alert them to possible hazards on or around the roadway. You can also use flares, assuming you carry flares in your emergency kit, although a flare is a tool that requires caution to use, and, if you do pack flares in your emergency kit, know and understand the instructions of use before you place the flare in your emergency kit.

Hopefully these tips help keep you safe if you ever find yourself stranded. Remember to put City Towing’s number in your phone, and remember that you can call your professional first responders anytime if you need a tow.

The post Nighttime Breakdown appeared first on City Towing.