Breaking down on the motorway
Warning triangle, hi-vis vest, emergency phone: the steps in the right order.
Read →Guides
Guides: Breakdowns, Towing and Costs
Briefly explained: what to do in a breakdown, what a towing service costs, and who pays after an accident. These texts are sorted by topic and give general information, not legal or professional advice.
Broken down on the road: act now
Warning lights in your car
Red, amber, flashing: which symbols mean stop immediately.
Read →Engine overheating
Immediate steps, why the radiator cap stays shut, and when towing is needed.
Read →Engine cutting out while driving
Coast safely, what you can check, and the likely causes.
Read →Car stuck in limp mode
Power gone, engine light on: what limp mode means and what happens next.
Read →Breakdown in a tunnel
Hazard lights, emergency bay, emergency phone: the steps inside the tunnel.
Read →Power steering failure
Steering wheel suddenly heavy: stopping safely, causes, and why transport is better.
Read →Brakes failing
Pump the pedal, engine braking, handbrake carefully: the steps in an emergency.
Read →Flat tyre
Spare wheel, puncture kit or towing: what makes sense in which situation.
Read →Car stuck (mud, snow, sand)
Mud, snow, sand: what helps and when recovery is needed.
Read →Starting problems and technical issues
Car won't start
Clicking, cranking, or silence: how to find the likely cause.
Read →Jump-starting and a flat battery
Why the battery gives out, how to jump-start it, and when it's a job for the garage.
Read →AdBlue empty
Warning stages, start-lock, and what to watch for after refilling.
Read →Steering-wheel lock stuck
Key won't turn: how to release the lock without force.
Read →Handbrake won't release
Frozen or seized: what helps and when the car needs a flatbed.
Read →Clutch failure
Pedal stuck, gears won't engage: symptoms and why you shouldn't keep driving.
Read →Wrong fuel
What to do and not do immediately, so a mistake doesn't become engine damage.
Read →Locked out
Key inside the car: ways to open the vehicle without damage.
Read →Oil leak and oil trail
Secure the scene, inform the fire brigade, have the vehicle transported, and who pays for the clean-up.
Read →Accidents, damage and costs
After the accident: still roadworthy?
How to tell if the car is still safe to drive or should be towed.
Read →Towing costs after an accident
Who pays, who chooses the towing service, and where the car may go.
Read →Animal collision
Police, wildlife-collision certificate, partial cover insurance, and whether the car may still be driven.
Read →Car stalled in water
Recognising water ingress, not starting the engine, informing your insurer.
Read →Towing in Cologne: costs
What the cost in Cologne depends on, without price promises.
Read →What does a towing service cost?
Reference prices, cost factors, and questions to ask beforehand.
Read →Special vehicles and rules
Towing an electric car
Why EVs need to be loaded onto a flatbed, and what to tell the towing service.
Read →Towing an automatic car
Position N, manual release, distance limits: why loading is usually better.
Read →Motorcycle transport
Why motorcycles can't be towed, and how the transport works.
Read →Towing a van
Weight, load, height: what counts for vans up to 3.5 tonnes.
Read →Motorhome or trailer breakdown
Weight limits, uncoupling, and the details that matter for motorhomes and caravans.
Read →Tow rope or towing service?
The rules for towing your own car, and when to call a professional instead.
Read →Places and situations
Underground garage and car park
Clearance height, ramps, and the details that matter for a recovery from a garage.
Read →Winter breakdown in the Black Forest
The Schwarzwaldhochstraße, winter-tyre rules, and what to do if you're stuck in snow.
Read →Cologne's low-emission zone
The green sticker, fines, exceptions, and what we don't know for certain.
Read →Breakdown near Kehl and Strasbourg
What's different in France: motorways, hi-vis vests, the Crit'Air low-emission zone.
Read →Regional breakdown pages: Cologne and the A5
Cologne motorway ring
Breaking down on the A1, A3, A4 or A555 around Cologne: what you should know.
Read →Breakdown on the A1 near Cologne
The Leverkusen bridge, the Lövenich noise-protection tunnel, and the exits to Erfttal.
Read →Breakdown on the A3 near Cologne
Exits from Leverkusen to Rösrath, the eight-lane section, and behaviour in heavy traffic.
Read →Breakdown on the A4 near Cologne
The Rodenkirchen bridge, the Cologne-Süd interchange, and the road into the Bergisches Land.
Read →Breakdown on the A5
Every exit from Karlsruhe to Lahr, rest areas, and what to do.
Read →Reach us directly
Phone and WhatsApp: available around the clock.