Page 34 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – September/October 2021

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
AAA to the Rescue
Sometimes, even AAA team members need Emergency Roadside Assistance. In the several years of my employment, I have only ever needed help on the road once. Well, until this year that is. Many years ago, I got a flat tire in the winter on the side of a busy roadway, Interstate 787. Over the summer, I once again had to call for rescue.
My car had been making funny noises for a couple
of days, but it seemed to be running OK. I will admit, vehicles are not where my personal expertise lie and
I figured I would just take it in when I had time. I was
on my way to work one day and suddenly, turning into Crossgates Mall Road, my steering wheel locked up.
At this point, I knew I shouldn’t get on the highway, and thankfully was able to pull into the mall parking lot. The other good news is that it was before the mall opened, which meant the parking lot was free for me to maneuver the car however it would allow. I turned off my car, turned it back on and yet the problem persisted. Oh, did I mention like 10 lights on my dash came on?
Trying not to panic as I usually would do, I picked up my phone and I called AAA Hudson Valley. The call-taker kept me very calm, trying to figure out which type of truck to send. Within a short time, I was dispatched a tow truck.
I was able to stay with my vehicle until the driver showed up since the heat wasn’t too intense, but if I had needed to, I would have gone inside the mall to keep watch.
When the driver got there, he connected the battery tester and, literally, sparks flew. This was not good. He was able to tell me what he believed to be the issue so that I had some clue.
My car was towed into one of our Approved Auto Repair (AAR) facilities, Goodyear Service Center in Colonie. They were so helpful and were able to diagnose the issue as almost exactly what my tow driver had suggested it could be. It turns out, ignoring your car, while temporarily better for your pockets, may not actually be a good solution. The result was that the alternator fried itself and the battery, and the serpentine belt was way overdue for replacement. After the work was completed and I got back in my car, I could tell it was running better than it had in years.
OK, so I guess the moral of the story here is don’t ignore your car. If you felt sick, would you wait to go to the doctor? So, if your car is sick, get it checked out by a professional. We always hope that you don’t need to call for Emergency Roadside Assistance, but if you find yourself in a position as I did, know that things will be fine. If you don’t have a repair shop you trust to take your car, we can recommend one of our AARs. And most importantly, take care of your vehicle. Even if you don’t suspect anything specific to be an issue, it’s still
a good idea to get it looked at annually. Keep calm and drive on!
34 I SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Emily Gnacik is the Editor of AAA Every Day Magazine.