8 Things to Do When Your Vehicle Breaks Down: A Wigan Driver’s Recovery Guide
Breaking down is never convenient. It always seems to happen at the worst possible moment—on the way to work, in the rain, or on a dark stretch of road outside Wigan. While modern cars are more reliable than ever, breakdowns still happen for all sorts of reasons: battery failure, tyre blowouts, fuel issues, or even minor electrical faults.
Knowing what to do in those first few minutes can make a huge difference to your safety and how quickly you’re back on the road. As Wigan’s trusted 24/7 vehicle recovery team, Thompson Automotive has helped thousands of stranded drivers across the North West. Here’s our step-by-step guide for vehicle recovery Wigan and to staying safe and getting help fast.
8 Things to Do When Your Vehicle Breaks Down: Vehicle Recovery Wigan
1. Stay Calm and Get to Safety
Your first priority is always safety—yours, your passengers’, and other road users’.
If your vehicle is still moving, indicate and pull over as far left as possible. Use a lay-by, hard shoulder, or the nearest safe verge. Switch on your hazard lights immediately and keep your steering wheels turned left.
If you’re on a motorway, exit the car through the passenger-side door away from traffic, then stand behind the crash barrier. Never attempt repairs on the live carriageway.
Tip: Keep a reflective vest and warning triangle in your boot—they make you much more visible to other drivers.
2. Assess the Situation Before Calling for Help
Once you and your passengers are safe, take a moment to note where you are. Look for:
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The nearest motorway marker post or junction number
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Landmarks, street names, or road numbers
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Your car’s make, model, and registration
This information helps recovery teams like ours locate you quickly.
If you suspect a fuel or battery issue, don’t keep cranking the ignition—it can cause further damage. Instead, call a breakdown service Wigan professional who can diagnose the problem safely.
3. Call for Professional Vehicle Recovery
Many drivers try phoning friends or attempting DIY tows, but professional vehicle recovery in Wigan is faster, safer, and fully insured. At Thompson Automotive we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Our trained technicians handle everything from flat batteries and punctures to full accident recovery. Each truck carries the right equipment for modern vehicles—including low-loaders for sports cars and vans for light commercial fleets.
When you call, provide your location, vehicle details, and a short description of the issue. We’ll give you an estimated arrival time and update you throughout the process.
4. Know Your Legal Obligations
If your vehicle is obstructing the road or causing a hazard, you must alert the authorities. Use your phone to contact the police via 999 if there’s immediate danger. On motorways, there are orange emergency phones every mile that connect you directly to Highways England.
The GOV.UK breakdown guide offers detailed advice for drivers stopped on the hard shoulder or in “live lane” breakdowns.
Professional recovery teams like ours work closely with these agencies to clear vehicles efficiently while keeping everyone safe.
5. Common Breakdown Causes in the North West
Our recovery crews see the same problems repeatedly across Wigan, Preston, and Manchester:
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Battery failure – short journeys and cold weather drain charge quickly.
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Tyre damage – potholes and debris cause punctures year-round.
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Electrical faults – modern vehicles rely heavily on sensors and fuses.
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Fuel issues – running out or misfuelling still happens daily.
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Overheating – low coolant or worn belts often trigger engine cut-outs.
Regular maintenance and car servicing in Wigan reduce the risk of these issues. If you’ve broken down due to poor servicing, our technicians can take your car straight to our workshop for repairs.
6. 24/7 vehicle recovery - what happens in this process?
Once our 24/7 vehicle recovery team arrives, we’ll first ensure you’re safe and the scene is secure. Then we assess the vehicle to determine whether a roadside fix is possible.
In many cases, minor faults—like a flat battery or blown fuse—can be repaired on the spot. If not, your car will be loaded onto our recovery truck and taken to your chosen location: home, garage, or Thompson Automotive’s repair facility in Wigan.
Every vehicle is secured using proper wheel straps and equipment to prevent further damage during transport.
7. After the Breakdown
Once you’re back home or at our garage, we recommend a follow-up inspection. Breakdowns are often a symptom of wider maintenance issues. Our vehicle servicing Wigan team can check your battery, fluids, and tyres to prevent repeat problems.
You’ll also receive a report of any underlying faults spotted by our recovery crew, so you can decide whether immediate repairs are necessary.
8. Prevent Future Breakdowns
The best way to avoid breakdown stress is prevention. Regular servicing and seasonal checks—especially before long trips or winter weather—make a huge difference.
Our Service & Repairs department offers comprehensive pre-journey inspections, fluid top-ups, tyre checks, and battery testing.
Combine that with saving our 24/7 recovery number in your phone, and you’ll be ready for anything the North West roads throw at you.
Our Breakdown Service has your covered
Breaking down doesn’t have to be a disaster. Stay calm, stay visible, call the professionals, and you’ll be back on the road before you know it.
Thompson Automotive provides rapid, reliable vehicle recovery in Wigan and across the North West, handling everything from roadside assistance to full transport.
If you ever find yourself stranded, call our 24/7 line or visit our Recovery Service page for immediate support.
How Professional Vehicle Transport Saves You Time & Reduces Risk
Whether you're relocating, selling a car, or moving a vehicle for business or personal reasons, the decision to drive the car yourself or hire a transport service is often a tough one. Many owners think “I’ll just drive it there,” but that can lead to unexpected costs, wear and tear, and logistical headaches.
At Thompson Automotive, we offer a professional vehicle transport solution that lets you move your car efficiently, securely, and with peace of mind. In this post, we’ll explore why professional transport often beats self-driving your vehicle — and when it really makes sense.
1. Save Time & Effort
One of the most obvious benefits is convenience. Driving a car long-distance takes time. Between stops for fuel, meals, rest, and possible overnight stays, a multi-hundred-mile move becomes a full trip in itself.
A professional vehicle transport service handles all those logistical burdens. They will pick up your vehicle, plan the route, drive it on a suitable transporter, and deliver it to its destination — letting you focus on other tasks, travel by more convenient means, or avoid the fatigue that comes with long drives.
This benefit is often cited in industry blogs: many customers find that hiring a transport service is more efficient than putting miles on their own vehicle.
2. Reduced Wear, Tear & Fuel Costs
Every mile you drive adds wear on tyres, brakes, suspension, and other mechanical parts. On a long trip, small problems (like low tyre pressure or a weak battery) can escalate into breakdowns or costly repairs.
Professional transport keeps your car off the road for the journey, so mileage, vibration, and exposure to road debris are minimised. Fuel, tolls, and related vehicle operating costs are absorbed by the transport service, which often works out more cost-effective when you account for all those hidden expenses.
Also, road debris (stones, salt, grit) can chip paint or damage exterior trim — especially on longer motorway runs. A covered (enclosed) transporter offers extra protection against this sort of damage.
3. Safer & More Reliable Transit
A major consideration is risk. Driving yourself means dealing with weather, unfamiliar roads, fatigue, traffic, and unexpected failures. A professional vehicle transport service is built to manage those risks:
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Experienced drivers and crew skilled in securing vehicles and handling transport logistics
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Proper equipment — trailers designed for safe loading/unloading, ramp systems, strapping points, etc.
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Insurance & liability — reputable transporters carry insurance to cover damage or loss in transit
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Route planning & real-time monitoring — knowing where your vehicle is and adjusting for delays or hazards
These safeguards reduce the chances of damage, accidents, or mechanical stress.
Also, best practice guidance on load security underlines the importance of correctly securing loads, evenly distributing weight, and performing walkaround checks.
4. Flexibility & Custom Options
Professional transporters often offer different service levels to match your needs:
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Open vs enclosed transport (open is more economical; enclosed gives better protection)
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Door-to-door delivery or terminal-to-terminal service
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Scheduled pick-up windows to match your timeline
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Multi-vehicle transport or fleet moves for dealers or businesses
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Special handling for high-end, classic or custom vehicles
This flexibility ensures you don’t pay for features you don’t need, while still getting tailored care where it’s necessary.
5. Simplified Logistics & Peace of Mind
Moving a vehicle yourself involves more than just driving it. You’ll likely need to plan a route, accommodation, possibly a second driver, service stops, plus dealing with insurance, vehicle breakdown cover, and unexpected delays.
Hiring a professional vehicle transport service consolidates all that into one service. You deal with one provider; they manage all the details. That reduces stress, time spent, and potential errors.
Plus, many vehicle transport services provide tracking or updates so you always know where your vehicle is.
When to Use Professional Vehicle Transport (Situations It Makes Sense)
Here are scenarios where professional vehicle transport becomes especially attractive:
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Long-distance moves or relocations — e.g. moving house across regions or even to another country
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Selling/delivering a car remotely — to a buyer far away
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Vehicle after repairs or restoration — getting it from workshop to showrooms, events, or customers
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Fleet or multiple vehicles — shipping several cars at once
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Classic, luxury, or low-mileage vehicles — where you don’t want to put miles on them
If you’re transporting locally (say within your city or county) and enjoy driving, self-delivery may work — but for longer, tedious, or higher-risk moves, professional transport is often the smarter choice.
How Thompson Automotive Handles Vehicle Transport
At Thompson Automotive, we combine our workshop, repair, storage, and transport capabilities into a seamless service offering. Here’s how we make it work for you:
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Safe loading & securing using rated straps, tie-downs, and best-practice methods
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Professional drivers & route planning to minimize time and risk
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Vehicle condition checks before & after transport to document any issues
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Insurance backed service so you have peace of mind
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Integration with other services — e.g. if a car arrives needing prep, repair or storage, we can take care of it without extra logistics
We also support vehicle recovery — so if your car breaks down and needs transportation, we can handle that too. When you hire us for transport, it’s not just “move this car from A to B” — it’s a full service that respects your time, your vehicle, and your peace of mind.
5 Great Ways to Prepare Your Car For Winter
The colder months are coming, but how do you prepare your car for winter? If you’ve ever stood shivering on the hard shoulder of the M6 waiting for a recovery truck, you’ll know just how unforgiving a British winter can be. Between frosty mornings, rain that never seems to stop, and the odd burst of snow, your car takes a real beating this time of year.
The good news? A little bit of preparation now can save you money, prevent breakdowns, and keep you and your family safe on the road. At Thompson Automotive in Wigan, we help drivers get ready for winter every year — here are the five checks we always recommend before the cold really sets in.
How to Prepare Your Car For Winter
1. Give Your Tyres Some Attention
Think of tyres as your car’s winter boots. Without good grip, stopping distances shoot up, especially on icy or wet roads.
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Tread depth: Legally, you need at least 1.6mm, but in winter, we recommend no less than 3mm as it is much safer and maintains a good stopping distance for your car.
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Pressure: Colder weather makes tyre pressure drop — check it monthly, maybe even weekly if we have gone through a particularly cold spell.
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Condition: Look for cracks, bulges, or nails (a slow puncture is the last thing you want on a freezing morning).
If you’re unsure, drop by our Wigan garage. We’ll check your tyres, repair where possible, or fit replacements. You can read more about our Repairs & Servicing.
2. Test That Battery
Flat batteries are one of the biggest causes of winter breakdowns in the UK. Imagine dashing out for the school run only to find your car won’t even start. It's not an ideal way to start the day, and it adds extra stress when you need to think about getting the kids to school or getting to the office.
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If your battery’s more than 3–4 years old, get it tested.
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Check for corrosion around the terminals.
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If your headlights dim when you switch the heater on, your battery could be struggling.
We can test and replace batteries quickly, so you’re not left stranded.
3. Top Up Your Fluids
Cold weather makes your engine and systems work harder, so it pays to keep everything topped up.
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Antifreeze: Stops your engine from freezing and prevents serious damage.
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Screenwash: Use a winter-grade one that won’t freeze. You can purchase winter-ready screen washes or, if you are diluting your own, check the instructions on the back of the bottle.
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Oil: The right viscosity helps your car start smoothly in the cold. If you haven't had your oil changed in a while, your engine may struggle to start, we would recommend checking when your last service was.
When you book a winter service with Thompson Automotive, we’ll check and top up all fluids. See our service options here.
4. Don’t Forget Your Lights and Wipers
With darker evenings and grim weather, visibility is everything. It's hard enough driving in the dark, however, trying to see past streaks of lines is not going to help us with our night-time driving.
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Replace wipers that leave streaks.
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Check every light works — side lights, headlamps, brake lights, fog lamps, indicators and hazards. When the weather gets bad these will help you spot other road users and them to spot you.
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Keep lenses clean (salt and dirt from the roads build up quickly) - wiping these down once a week will make a big difference.
If you’re unsure, pop by and we’ll do a quick bulb or wiper change. It’s a small fix that makes a big difference.
5. Pack a Winter Emergency Kit
Even if you’ve ticked off all the checks above, it’s smart to be prepared for the unexpected. A breakdown in summer is annoying; in winter, it can be dangerous.
Keep these in your boot:
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Ice scraper and de-icer
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Blanket and spare gloves
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Torch and spare batteries
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Warning triangle and hi-viz vest
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Phone charger (and keep our number saved for recovery!)
At Thompson Automotive, our 24/7 Recovery Service covers Wigan and the North West — so if the worst happens, we’re just a call away. Learn more here.
Why Bother With a Winter Check?
Because it’s not just about convenience — it’s about safety. The RAC estimates that more than 50,000 UK drivers break down on the first icy day each winter. And most of those callouts could have been avoided with some simple checks.
That’s why we offer Winter Health Checks at Thompson Automotive. We’ll help you prepare your car for winter by handling tyres, batteries, fluids, lights, and even put together a recovery plan with you. For peace of mind before the frost really bites, give us a call or book online today.
Helpful Resources
Would you like to do some further reading on how to prepare your car for winter? We recommend looking into the two links below for more information.
What Now?
Winter driving in Wigan (or anywhere in the UK) doesn’t have to be stressful. By giving your tyres, battery, fluids, and lights a once-over — and keeping an emergency kit in the car — you’ll be well prepared for whatever the season throws at you.
At Thompson Automotive, we’re here to make that prep as easy as possible. Whether you need a full winter service, emergency repairs, or round-the-clock recovery, our team has you covered.
Ready to get winter-ready? Book your winter check today.
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