Has anyone in west Texas had any luck with AAA auto club?
I'm getting to the age where I'm considering joining in case something happens when I'm away from home.
Twenty years ago I was a member for several years until I was stranded in a blizzard and needed to be towed out. They acted like they couldn't care less. I finally hung up and managed to get pulled out by a good Samaritan, after that I canceled my account.
Before I try again I thought I'd ask.
Don't know west texas, or AAA.
What I've been doing is carrying the business card of a towing company that works around here. Since I would normally want to be towed back here, I think they'll go even if I'm pretty far away.
If I wanted to be cautious, I'd print a list of the towing companies around here, fold it up and put it in the glove box, in case some don't answer the phone. The one I carry answers 24hours I think.
Oh, yeah, my GEICO car insurance included part of the towing cost, so one Sunday night after I'd broken down 25 miles from home, I called GEICO. They put me on hold while they talked to their towing company in that area, and I should have insisted on a 3-way call, at least when they weren't saying embarrassing things. But at least I got the name of the company. They woudn't have told me if I hadn't asked.
Before I left the car I had hid the key somewhere, and I told the woman on the phone, but Monday afternoon comes, I haven't gone to work, and the gas station where I wanted it towed never called, so I called them and they said the car never showed up, so I called the towing company and he said they went out to my car, found the car, but didn't find the key, so they dropped the matter. Why didn't you call GEICO and have them call me? Oh, I dunno. Anyhow, I told him again where the key was, and they towed the car on Tuesday and didn't ask for any money from the gas station, so I guess they settled for what GEICO gave them and didn't get the rest they would have been entitled to for 25 miles. Which is fair, IMO.
Until I was 64, I'd only been towed 3 times. Plus two or 3 times I broke down and repaired the car where it was. Four times I ran out of gas but coasted into the gas station. Four other times I ran out of gas and went and got some.
Lately it's been worse. Three tows in the last 4 years , in two cases to my house. In one of those cases, I had to tow it again, to a reliable guy who had to have a consultant find the elecrical short. An actual short, in the engine compartment, hard to see. The other case, towed to my house after an accident. Replaced lower right front control arm, ball joint, right half axle. Biggest repair I ever did on a car. Good thing too, because soon I'll be too old.
My family is AMA member. Also our cars are covered by road side assistance being fairly new cars. I only needed help while I was towing my camping trailer with 1 ton van. In the middle of no where, steady bearing went out. Whole family spent over night at a road side turn out.
Guys like you are the reason auto clubs but limits on the number of service calls they will do for free.
I don't know anything about this rating service but there's a list here:
No personal experience but I know three people that belong to AAA and have had good results when called. Blizzards tend to stress towing companies so consider that in your decision.
I've not joined as my past four cars came with coverage. Used it once when I cut a tire sidewall. Had to wait 30 minutes, but I did not have to change a tire in the rain on a cold December night.
Around five years ago when I had to change a tire, it took me 90 minutes. By the time I was done, I thought I would have to call 911. My back was hurting so bad I had to lay down for 5 days to get over it. It's gotten worse since then. It was on a dirt road, and I had to use two jacks and a big rock to get it high enough to change the tire. The car has new tires all around, but it's getting old and I don't want to buy a new car. I hope this one will last till I'm done. The battery went out yesterday, while I was home, fortunately. Also, a special clamp on the battery broke. I was able to find and modify a clamp from another battery. If I hadn't been home at the time, it could've been more of a problem. I'm kind of wary of the new cars with all the fancy computer gadgets and what not.
Yup, cars are more electronics than mechanics, LOL! I took a delivery of new car this week. Had to drive it home on an icy road. Manual for infotainment system was thicker than basic owner's manual. I could have run flat tires as an option too but I did not. I just passed my 75th Bday last month. A young senior, LOL!
Me? Why me? I've never belonged to an auto club and the only time I called the insurance company, they did a bad job.
(BTW, I assumed that their not billing me for the extra miles was a "bribe" or a payment so I wouldn't complain to GEICO about what a bad job they did. And I didn't complain.)
Other times I forgot about: Lent the car to someone. He ran a stop sign in a school zone, hit broadside. Calls me and starts off "Where should I have it towed?" I ran a mile to get there, tow truck already there, they towed it to their gas station where I got them to pull the fender away from the tire, and then the car pulled leff but it ran.
Times that I could have called a tow truck: Flat tire in the rain when I had to be at a political meeting for a candidate I was working for, and I didn't think I should look like a water-logged dog, so I drove 2 blocks on the flat to a gas station, that changed the tire for me. My tire was ruined.
Flat tire. Couldn't get the lug nuts off, tightened too hard by air wrench, so drove three blocks to gas station. (no phone nearby anyhow) My tire was ruined.
Got Pa. Basic. Only covers about 3 mile tow. I usually pay for couple extra miles, but hardly worth it.
Greg
I have had AAA+ since the early 1980s.
its paid for itself in free tows.
some near a 100 miles.
I haven't had to use the tows yet (knock wood), but have more than gotten my money back just from hotel discount and the money I save on my cell phone.
Can't comment on TX, not lived there. I'm in western NYS. The AAA plus has been well worth it for me. Used the limit of calls, when I was having vehicle problems. I hope that's over, waiting for tow trucks and repair garages is no fun.
Got a new car a couple of months ago. Yes, a stack of manuals that took me a week to get through Pleasure to drive with all the goodies though. Adaptive cruise control is really nifty.
ppens when I'm away from home.
a blizzard and needed to be towed out. They acted like they couldn't care less. I finally hung up and managed to get pulled out by a good Samaritan, after that I canceled my account.
My family has had AAA since the 80's. It's an annual Christmas gift for the kids. My membership covers 6 drivers. (The membership used to be based on the vehicle, now it's on the member so it covers whatever car they call about). We have "shared" calls in bad y ears.
4 tows per year per member. I have the Plus package, so tows are up to 100 miles.For the most part I have been extremely happy with the coverage. The latest incident, not so much. I had a vehicle that we weren't using parked in a lot where I rent a space for my trailer. The brake lines were shot so when I sold the car to my mechanic, w e had to have it towed to his shop. I called AAA and they gave me a 1 hour estimate, so w e headed over to the lot to unlock the gate. While we were waiting there, they called me back and told that the driver had a "priority call" that he had to take care of first. It might be at least another hour before he could pick up my car. Apparently, because it was Sun day, they had limited contractors willing to work. We ended up limping the car over t o a parking lot outside of the locked lot where I had it stored, left the keys in the visor and went home.
A few hours later, I drove by his shop and it was there. I assume the "prio rity call" meant someone was on the side of the road as opposed to in a parking lot, so they won. I could have complained, but I let it go.
Complain? If you were broke down on a busy highway with 3 kids in the car and they told you we have to tow some guy's junker from storage to a shop first, what would you think then?
The last time I needed AAA was for a dead battery, and yes it was no fun. AAA called me while I was at the garage to ask if the service was OK. At least the garage was open at the time, so I didn't have to wait a day (or three).
BTW, the battery was replaced free since it was less than 2 years old.
Can you decide how far behind the next car you are?
I normally follow 2 or 3 times what the "rules" say, one car length for each 10 mph. Will it do that?
The rule now is the "three second rule".
That is the time it takes for your car to reach the point where the car ahead has just passed.
Here in Delaware the law calls for 4 seconds.
Never heard anyone getting arrested for breaking it.
A while back and under cover Elsmere cop van was tailgating my wife so she sped up to increase the distance and cop turned on siren, pulled it over and ticketed her for speeding.
She was too sheepish to tell me as she had a previous speeding ticket elswhere.
Wish I had known as I'd have fought it.
I drive the speed limit on our back roads. If you want me to speed up, you'll have to push me.
I always have a breaker bar with the proper socket for my lug nuts, in the car. I also carry some wood blocks in the car. And, a 30" piece of inch and a half diameter steel pipe. If a lug nut wont come off, the steel pipe on the breaker bar will usually get it off. If a jack dont go high enough, a wooden block will help (of course you should make sure the jack goes high enough, BEFORE you need it). And wooden blocks are also helpful for blocking the car on a hill, when you jack it up.
Those so called "Lug Wrenches" are too flimsy for stuck lug nuts. They will bend and flex, which means that NOT all your applied force is going to use on the nut.
I learned all these things the HARD WAY!!!
(And dont forget to check the air in your spare tire at least twice a year).
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