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Ohio freeway service patrol


RSparky

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So, for once something good came out of the odot.

I had just gotten on the ramp this morning when my oil light started flashing. Instantly turned it off and coasted to the shoulder. after about the fourth time checking my DRY dipstick, I saw a van with a bunch of flashing yellow lights pull up behind me. Walked up to him and he asked what was up. Quick synopsis, he grabbed three quarts of 5w30 and poured it in himself. Then got his flashlight and found the wet spot where apparently my distributor o ring is leaky.

Guy saved my ass. And apparently it's a free service. Anybody else had the pleasure of being broken down and helped by them?

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No, but I've seen them many times. I believe they are supported by state farm insurance, at least I've seen state farm logos on the vehicles I believe. Next time I need oil maybe ill just sit on the road until one comes along. :)

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This is common in the UK in areas where there are no breakdon lanes (construction zones, tunnels, etc). There are signs "FREE RECOVERY BEGINS" and "FREE RECOVERY ENDS". If you break down you'll be towed for free by the next patrolling tow truck. Dunno if that means the tow to to a garage, or just out of the free recovery zone or off the freeway.

In the UK is it absolutely verboten to stop in the breakdown lane unless you are broken down. You'll most likely be seen on the motoroway camera network. Otherwise the next cop that sees you will either stop or radio for someone else to come out to you. You have about an hour to arrange a tow or your car gets impounded. None of this "Put a day-glo sticker on it and give it a week" crap.

The Automobile Association (AA - UK's AAA) or Royal Automobile Club (RAC) operates on a 'fix it first' principle whereby the truck they send out will have repair tools and equipment and their first goal is to get you driving again. Towing is a last resort. here, unless it's a flat or a out-of-gas situation you're getting towed. You won't get your radiator flushed and refilled by the side of the road like you will in the UK

That happened to us -car overheated, turned out of be a bad air bubble resulting from poorly installed radiator - AA dude took all the hoses off, flushed everything out and refilled/pressure tested it for us - all by the side of the road.

Another time we had a wiring fault, coil LT lead shorted on something. ocne the issue was tracked down the AA dud made us a new wire and installed it in the parking lot of a motorway rest stop. Took him an hour to get us rolling again.

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