Diagnostics
The most common reasons a car breaks down — what each symptom means and when the car must not be driven.
The engine is overheating — what to do immediately
The temperature gauge is in the red or steam is coming out. Driving on destroys the engine within minutes.
- Temperature gauge in the red zone
- Steam from under the bonnet
- Burnt or sweet smell
The car will not start — battery, starter or fuel
The sound when you turn the key tells you the cause almost immediately.
- Only a click when turning the key
- The engine cranks slowly
- Complete silence, dashboard dead
A flat tyre with no spare — what are the options
More and more new cars leave the factory without a spare — only a compressor and sealant.
- Sudden noise and the wheel pulling
- The car drags to one side
- The tyre has come off the rim
After an accident — the order to act in
Paperwork before the car is moved. Otherwise the insurer may refuse.
- Fluids leaking under the car
- Bent wheels or suspension
- Lights not working
A flat battery — why it happens and when a jump start will not help
Batteries usually die at the first cold snap — but the cause has been building for months.
- Dim headlights
- Slow cranking
- Dashboard flickering when starting
Out of fuel — and why diesel is the harder case
With petrol, topping up is usually enough. With diesel the system often has to be bled.
- The engine loses power and stops
- The car runs in surges
- The gauge has been on red for miles
Clutch and gearbox — signs the car should not be driven
Gears will not engage or the pedal drops — every extra kilometre raises the repair bill.
- The clutch pedal drops to the floor
- Gears will not engage or jump out
- A burnt smell when pulling away
Breakdown on the route to Türkiye — Trakia motorway and E80
Thousands of cars pass Plovdiv heading for the Turkish border. If you stop on the motorway, the order of actions is different.
- You stopped on the hard shoulder
- Travelling with children and luggage
- You do not speak Bulgarian
Keys locked inside the car — what not to do
Home-made methods break glass, bend doors and damage central locking.
- The key is visible inside the car
- Central locking engaged by itself
- The remote does not respond
The car will not start in the cold — what changes in winter
Below zero a battery delivers up to 40% less current and the oil thickens. Together they stop an otherwise healthy car.
- The engine cranks very slowly
- Hard starting only in the morning
- Headlights dim when starting
The brake pedal sinks — stop immediately
A soft or sinking pedal means air or a leak in the system. This is the one case where the car must not be driven even to the garage.
- The pedal goes to the floor
- Braking distance grows
- The car pulls to one side when braking
The engine light came on — when it is urgent
Yellow and steady means "check soon". Flashing means "stop now" — the difference costs a catalytic converter.
- The light is flashing
- The engine runs unevenly
- Loss of power
You drove through water and the engine stopped — do not restart
Water does not compress. One start attempt with water in a cylinder bends a con rod — the engine is then for replacement.
- The engine died in water
- The starter turns heavily or not at all
- Water on the air filter
Which cars must never be rope-towed
Automatic gearbox, 4x4 and electric car — for these three, rope towing causes more damage than the fault itself.
- A car with an automatic gearbox
- Permanent 4x4 drive
- An electric or hybrid car
Leave your number — we will call you
If you are in a hurry, calling is fastest. The form is for when you cannot speak.