jump start

Your Guide on How to Jump Start a Car

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Do you drive a car every day? If so, you’re definitely not alone. In fact, cars are the primary source of transportation for getting around in the world.

That’s why a dead battery can be a major issue. When your battery is dead, you might find yourself unable to get to work or stranded away from home. This is especially bad when it happens at night or during severe weather.

This article takes a look at how to jump a car when you have a dead battery. Keep reading to discover the insight scoop for how to get the help you need to get your vehicle up and running again.

Always Keep Jumper Cables In Your Trunk

The first step in jump starting a car is you’ll need jumper cables. This might sound obvious, but you’re going to be dead in the water without them. You can buy inexpensive jumper cable at most major retail stores and hardware stores but spend go ahead and spend a few extra bucks on good ones.

Buy a Jump Starter

A jump starter is basically a car battery with jumper cables attached. Keep one of these bad boys in the trunk in case of trouble, and then when your battery needs a jump, you won’t have to worry about sweet-talking someone into helping you out.

You can purchase a decent jump starter for less than a hundred dollars, and this can really save the day if you find yourself in a tight spot.

Make Sure Both Cars Are In Park or Neutral

Before getting out your jumper cables, you’ll need to park the vehicles so that the batteries are as close together as possible. Now put both cars are in park or neutral and turn off the engines. It’s also a good idea to set the parking brakes.

Attaching the Jumper Cables

Getting this part right is extremely important. Now you’re ready to attach the cables to the batteries.

Attach the red clamp to the positive post on your battery first, then clamp the other red clamp to the positive post in the other car. Once that’s done, go ahead and attach the black clamp on your end to your negative battery post. But don’t attach the other black clamp to the remaining negative battery post.

Instead, attach it to a piece of unpainted metal that’s not near your battery. This will serve as a ground.

Start the Other Car

Once the cables are attached to both cars, go ahead and start the car with the good battery. Let it run for a few minutes. This will hopefully give your dead battery a chance to charge enough to start.

Try to Start Your Car

After your battery has charged for five minutes or so, try to start it. It should start right up. If not, go ahead and let it charge for another five to ten minutes. But if there’s still a problem, you’ll probably need to call for help.

Calling for Help

You might need to call a professional roadside service company for help. They usually have a jump starter with them, or they can provide a tow back to the house.

A Guide to How to Jump a Car

Being stranded in your car in a parking lot can be stressful. Fortunately, this guide to how to jump a car will help reduce anxiety during an emergency situation.

Click here to learn more about our emergency battery service.

 

Broken down

What to Do If Your Car Breaks Down on the Highway

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Breaking down on a busy highway can be one of the most stressful situations. Not only is your day incredibly inconvenienced, but it can also be dangerous.

Although owning a new car may make you feel more confident, statistics show that drivers are breaking down more than ever. The advanced warning systems and alerts are nice, but increased electronics and technology can lead to more problems.

Regardless of if you’re driving an older car or a newer car, you need to know what to do if your car breaks down on the highway. How do you stay safe? Who do you call?

What to Do If Your Car Breaks Down on the Highway

Breaking down anywhere, whether it’s a grocery store parking lot or in the middle of the highway can easily disrupt and ruin your day. However, the way you go about handling the situation is incredibly important for fixing your car, getting you back on the road, and keeping you safe.

Keep reading for a step by step guide on what to do if your car breaks down on the highway.

1. Pull the Car Onto the Shoulder of the Highway

As soon as you notice something is wrong with the car, turn on your turn signal so you can safely proceed to the side of the highway or the shoulder. This can occur for many reasons, such as:

Your goal should be to get the car as far out of harm’s way as possible without worsening your situations (driving into a ditch, grinding into a guard rail, etc.).

2. Turn on Your Hazard Lights

If you haven’t already, you now need to turn on your hazard lights. We don’t advise this immediately after you notice a problem, as it could distract you from pulling the car over safely. However, once pulled over, you need to make yourself more visible to other drivers and indicate that your car is broken down.

3. Stay Calm

Now, you have a moment to collect yourself. Stay calm and don’t allow yourself to be overcome with emotions such as panic, anger, frustration, fear, etc. Take deep breaths in and out as you count down from 30 if you feel yourself getting worked up.

Remember, this happens all the time, you’re going to be okay.

4. Decide Whether or Not You Need to Get Out

If possible, we recommend staying in the car with your seatbelt on, windows up, and doors locked for your own safety. You’re much more visible and safer in a car than on foot on a busy highway. The exception would be if you feel like staying in the car is more dangerous.

5. Call the Professionals

Finally, you need to call the professionals to come to help you with your car. Even if you know how to swap out a flat tire with your spare, doing so on the side of the highway may be too dangerous. Let a professional flat tire service handle it.

However, they can also give your battery a jump, replace a faulty battery, tow you to safety, etc. Additionally, a professional roadside service can provide further insight into what to do if your car breaks down on the highway.

Need Roadside Assistance?

If you’re in a sticky situation and need help with roadside assistance, we can help, even if it means walking you through what to do if your car breaks down on the highway. However, our services in Arizona and New Mexico exist to help stranded drivers with everything from fuel delivery and battery replacement to flat tires and towing.

3 Common Issues Your Car Battery Can Have

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A faulty or dead car battery will ruin your day and possibly your week. Now, you have to call a friend to help you get to an auto shop to purchase a new battery.

You can see how your inconvenience is becoming a bigger nightmare for everyone.

Make sure you know the three common car battery problems so you can form solutions and prevent further issues.

1. Corrosion of the Battery

An obvious issue for battery failure is when the battery acid has started to corrode the unit.

The positive and negative terminals on the top of your battery are the points for charging the battery and for the alternator.

Mild corrosion may prevent you from jump-starting the battery or the alternator from charging up the battery when you turn the ignition.

A big sign of corrosion is discolored growths on and around the positive and negative terminals. Expect to see green or blue fungus-like acid on the battery. Another sign of corrosion is a white powder forming.

Battery corrosion is a normal process of the life cycle of a car battery. Small signs of corrosion don’t warrant any panic.

You can remove some acid by wiping it away with a dry rag. For tougher acid corrosion, use a wire brush carefully.

2. Car Battery Problems Are Age-Related

It shouldn’t be a shock that an old battery will die on you. The concept is the same as batteries in a TV remote or clock. Eventually, the battery will have no charge left.

The average lifespan of a battery is up to five years but can be as short as three years depending on climate.

Monitor the age of the car battery and test it regularly.

Parking a car in a garage and not using it can also create battery problems. The alternator in the car charges the battery. If you’re not using the car, the battery continues to drain even if it’s not in use.

It’s good to use all your vehicles occasionally to prevent the battery from dying. You can use a battery charger if you’re unable to use a vehicle for a while.

By knowing the age and watching your battery for signs of failure, you can prevent being caught off-guard on the road. Luckily, there are professionals who can assist you in that event.

3. Cold Climates

Have you ever noticed that your car battery always seems to die during the winter? There’s a reason for that.

Car batteries nearing the end of their life will freeze at relatively cold temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fully charged car batteries are 60% weaker at zero degrees outside.

Unless you have a garage to store your vehicle at night, it might be helpful to keep a portable battery starter in the house.

Look for signs that the battery is dying by watching for dimming lights or clicking sounds when you turn over the ignition.

Drive With Confidence

Knowing the common car battery problems allows you to prevent the issues and form solutions so you aren’t caught stranded on the road.

Even the basic warning your car battery is on its last leg will help you.

If you become stranded without help, contact us for our mobile battery service so we can get you back on the road.

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We Are Here to provide your Essential Services

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Delivering Essential Services, just like we do everyday. Your automobile still needs to start and if you have a dead battery, you can call Dugger’s Emergency Road Service. Battery, Flat Tire, Emergency Fuel Delivery. We offer “hands free” service for your protection and that of our employees.

Arizona Department of Health

New Mexico Department of Health

Coronavirus update

Health and Safety Notice

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Date 03/16/20

Coronavirus

We take the health and safety of our team & community seriously and want to remind our customers that we have options that you may request. If you prefer a no-contact service or need to request special considerations for health reasons, you can make that request by calling 877-823-9696

A: You will be asked to leave your keys with a person that you trust so that they can give the keys to a  technician so they can perform the service.

B: You will be asked to unlock and leave keys under the front floor mat for towing and or Road Service.

For those customers who are ill or who have been in contact with others who may be ill, this is particularly important to protect the health of  our employees, so please alert our call center

Thank you for trusting us when you are in need of emergency road service.

CEO

Vance Dugger

What Are the Signs of a Bad Car Battery?

What Are the Signs of a Bad Car Battery?

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According to Arizona State Troopers, over 75,235 individuals have their car break down on the side of a road. Broken-down cars create safety issues for the car owner as well as other cars on the road.

The heat in the area makes broken-down cars more frequent in the area. If your car has stopped unexpectedly, there may be many causes. Often, the culprit is your car’s battery.

Read on to learn about the signs of a bad car battery and what you can do if you find yourself stopped on the side of the road.

Know The Signs of a Bad Car Battery

As with most things, it is best to leave the big repairs to the experts. However, below are some common signs that you need to replace your battery.

Corrosion or Film on Your Battery

You should regularly pop the hood of your car and visually inspect your battery.

If you see a lot of fluffy blue corrosion or a clear film across the top of the battery case, your battery is giving off acidic fumes or is leaking battery acid. This is a sign it needs to be replaced.

Age

All batteries eventually fail with most needing replacement 3-5 years after installation. Extreme temperature fluctuations and repeated cycles of the car starting speed up the battery aging process.

If your car seems to need a regular jump-start, we will send a technician to your house to replace your battery at a time that works for your schedule.

Your Car is Slow to Start

When your car is slow to turn over, makes a whirring sound, or is just sluggish to start the cause is typically a failing battery.

As your battery fails, you may also experience just clicks as you start your car. This is a more severe symptom, so get your battery tested and if needed replace it.

What Does Your Battery Light Indicate?

Yes, there is a battery light in your car. It should and does come on when you start your car. If all systems are a go, this light will go out as soon as your car starts.

If the light comes on while you are driving, that is not usually your battery but your alternator. Your car’s battery starts the car; your alternator generates the power that keeps it running, while it recharges the battery.

A battery light shows that your car is running off the battery because the alternator isn’t doing its job. A trained mechanic should address this quickly, so you don’t break down on the side of a road.

It is always frustrating when your car breaks down. However, the solution is not always expensive. Now that you know the signs of an aging or dead battery, you can better troubleshoot issues and hopefully change the battery before you end up stranded.

Did Your Car Break Down?

If you are in the the Phoenix & Tucson, AZ area or Albuquerque & Rio Rancho, NM area, you should know the number for Dugger’s Emergency Roadside Services. Grab your phone and enter this number into your contacts: (877) 823-9696.

We are here to help you with towing and emergency roadside assistance. We know the signs of a bad car battery, and we can deliver a replacement battery wherever you are.

Don’t just believe us, read our satisfied customers’ reviews.

4 Common Causes Of Car Breakdowns

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Just under half of all car owners experience a battery failure in a single year. If your car suddenly stopped running, would you know what to do or what was wrong?

If you experience a broken down car, there are a few common culprits that you should consider first. Follow our guide for the most common car problems to know how to get back on the road again.

1. Dead Battery

The number one reason people get stuck somewhere is because of a dead battery. You’ll know your battery is dead when you try to start your car, and you hear nothing. You may also hear the starter motor as if it’s grinding down to a stop.

What’s happening is that there’s a lack of power flowing from the battery. To fix this, you need to replace your battery.

The easiest way is to call a jump start service. They can get your car running again so you can go to the nearest store, buy a battery, and replace yours. We recommend making things even easier by buying the battery directly from the jump start service and having them install it.

2. Tires

The second most common reason for a car breaking down is a flat tire. You’ll know you have a flat tire if one of your rims is sitting on the ground. You may also hear a loud pop if you drive over something sharp, and the tire pops.

Do not drive your car with a flat tire. This will bend the rim and cost you more money. Call a flat tire service to come out and replace the flat tire with your spare. Then go to your nearest tire center and buy a new tire.

3. Ran out of Fuel

If you fail to fill your gas tank, it will run out of gas. A car without fuel doesn’t run. If you suspect that you’ve run out of fuel, look at your gas gauge to confirm.

If for any reason, you run out of gas, you can call a fuel delivery service to bring you gas. This is easier than trying to push your car to the nearest gas station or lug containers of fuel back to your vehicle.

4. Alternator

The electrical components use power from the battery to run. You need to recharge the battery, so it lasts.

The alternator is what recharges the battery. It converts power from the engine to do this.

If you see flickering lights, battery warning light, or dimmed lights, then you may have a dying alternator. Once the alternator dies, you’ll need to replace it and possibly your battery to get driving again.

Get Help for Your Broken Down Car

If you find yourself stuck with a broken down car, then having an emergency service on-call can be a lifesaver. We specialize in providing emergency assistance for a variety of vehicle-related problems.

We can help you with a car battery installation, fuel delivery, flat tire, or windshield chip.

Contact our team today if you need emergency roadside service, we proudly serve Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Tucson.

How do cooler temperatures affect my car battery?

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As the weather changes, we forget that the most damage happens to our car battery in the summer heat. Summertime is harshest on an automotive battery. Often the damage done to a battery happens when it’s hot, but the failure may not happen until it is cold. Heat accelerates corrosion and leads to electrolyte loss that weakens the battery’s energy levels. Fuel injection systems may mask a weaker battery.

When the temperatures drop suddenly, colder temperatures reduce cranking power available. When this is combined with thicker motor oil and slower cranking, the battery may not have enough juice to start your vehicle. We are here for you when that happens, whether you need a jump start or an on the spot battery installation. 

Don’t Get Stranded, Call Dugger’s

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New Car Battery delivered and installed

Dugger’s Emergency Battery Services

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Don’t get stranded. A dead battery is no surprise in the heat. But, you don’t want to be stuck. Call Dugger’s Emergency Road Service.  1-877-823-9696

How do I know I need new tires?

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At Dugger’s Emergency Road Service, we can help you fix a flat tire on the side of the road. You need to know when your tires need to be replaced. The federal government doesn’t currently have any laws for tread depth, but 42 of the states, and all of Canada, do have regulations. They consider 2/32 of an inch to be the minimum legal tread depth. We used to use a penny for the depth test on your tire, but now for a better safety standard, that same test is now done with a quarter.


Consider this: Consumer Reports recommends tire replacement when tread reaches 4/32 inch/3.2 mm. And the recommendation is backed by some very compelling studies. Now before we go into the studies, you need to know that the issue is braking on wet surfaces. We tend to think of the brakes doing all the stopping, but Albuquerque vehicles also need to have effective tires to actually stop the car. When it’s wet or snowy in Albuquerque, NM, the tread of the tire is critical to the stopping power of your vehicle.

Partially worn tires – at the depth recommended by Consumer Reports – the car was still going at 45 mph/72 kph at the point where new tires brought the car to a halt. The tests were conducted with the same vehicles but with different sets of tires. The brakes were the same, so the only variable was the tires.

How can people in Albuquerque tell when their tires are at 4/32 inch/3.2 mm? Just insert an American quarter into the tread. Put it in upside down. If the tread doesn’t cover George Washington’s hairline, it’s time to replace your tires.


Now you may remember doing that with pennies. But an American penny gives you 2/32 inch/1.6 mm to Abraham Lincoln’s head. The quarter is the new standard – 4/32 inch/3.2 mm.

Tires are a big ticket item, and most people in Albuquerque, NM, want to get thousands of miles/kilometers out of them. Just remember: driving on bald tires is like playing roulette. If you lose and end up with a flat tire, call Dugger’s Emergency Road Service. Dugger’s provides tire changes and other emergency roadside assistance services.