HONOLULU (KHON2) — With the new school year right around the corner, traffic going in all directions is bound to go up a notch. However, one traffic obstacle can be a significant nuisance, contributing to already heavy traffic: a stalled car.
Sometimes a stalled car comes down to just rotten luck. But there are a few things to keep an eye out for to lower the chances of stalling and adding more traffic.
“When you’re at home, you can do certain things,” said Frank Young, a mechanic at K&Y Auto Service. “Like you can see your radiator fuel up in the hood, and you’re going to see telltale signs like that flaking pinkish or blueish color from the radiator leaking.”
Young also showed another firsthand visual cue of a potential stalled car.
“The belt on your car, if you see a lot of cracks in the belt that’s another potential problem that you may run into,” said Young, showing off a belt he had in his shop.
The nature of stop and go driving during heavy traffic can be a catalyst for a stalled car, so it’s something to keep in mind before fighting the before-school and after-school, and pau hana traffic.
While traffic is always annoying, keeping an eye out for signs and noticing when your car might need a fix-up beforehand can keep your everyday annoying commute from turning into an all day trip to the mechanic, something else that seems to be on the rise.
“Like yesterday, somebody got stalled, Triple A took like two hours before they could tow them,” Young said. “Which means they must be busy towing cars.”