The easiest way to get rid of a car that doesn't run in Surrey is to have Jay pick it up with a tow truck and take it for recycling. You don't need to get the car running first. Dead battery, blown engine, bad transmission, flat tires, seized brakes or a car that has been sitting for years are all situations I've dealt with before. Towing is free on vehicles I agree to remove, and same-day pickup is available when I have room in my schedule.
I'm Jay, and I've been removing old and broken vehicles for more than 25 years. A car that doesn't run may look like a big problem sitting in your driveway, but most of the time the real job is simply knowing how to get it from where it sits onto my truck.
Sometimes that's easy. Sometimes I need the winch. Sometimes I can get the vehicle running just long enough to position it for loading. The important thing is that you tell me what's going on before I come so I can show up prepared.
Yes. A car does not have to run for me to remove it in Surrey. Most non-running vehicles can be winched onto my truck, so a blown engine, failed transmission or dead battery normally doesn't stop the pickup. Tell me what happened to the vehicle and where it is parked when you call.
I don't expect you to know towing terminology either.
One of the first things I usually want to know about access is simple:
Can I back the tow truck up to the car?
If the answer is yes, that tells me quite a bit. If the answer is no, I'll ask why. Maybe the car is beside the house, behind a garage, in a townhouse parking area or somewhere else with limited access.
You tell me where it is and I'll figure out the towing part.
A car that has been sitting for years can still be removed. I expect to find things like a dead battery, low or flat tires and brakes that may not want to release. The longer a vehicle sits, the less I assume it will simply start up and roll onto the truck.
I hear this one all the time:
"It ran when I parked it."
I'm sure it did.
But after sitting for a few years, there can be more going on than whatever caused the car to be parked in the first place. Batteries die. Fuel gets old. Tires lose air. Brakes can stick. Rodents can get into wiring. Electrical problems can show up.
I don't need to diagnose and repair all of that to remove the car.
My job is to figure out the safest and simplest way to get it onto the truck.
Old tires are a good example. If a tire has been sitting flat for years, I'm not trying to turn it back into a highway tire. Sometimes it only needs enough air to help position the vehicle. Other times I use equipment that lets me move a vehicle without depending on that tire at all.
After enough years doing this, you learn that every old car sitting in a driveway is a little different.
Yes. Flat tires and seized brakes don't automatically prevent a junk car from being removed. I look at which wheels will move, how the vehicle is positioned and how much access I have before deciding the best way to load it. Sometimes specialized equipment helps a locked wheel slide. Other times a different approach works better.
There are tricks to this work that are easier to understand when you're standing beside the car than when somebody tries to explain them on a website.
That's where experience matters.
Something that looks like a difficult removal to the owner can be another normal day for me. I have a winch, towing equipment and a lot of years figuring out how old vehicles behave when they don't want to move.
People sometimes watch me load one and say:
"Looks like you've done this before."
It's not my first rodeo.
Missing keys usually don't stop me from removing a junk car in Surrey. They can make the job a little different because the steering may be locked or the vehicle may be stuck in park, but those are problems I've dealt with many times. The important thing is to tell me you don't have the keys before I arrive.
The winch is my friend.
Over the years you learn how vehicles move, how to position them and what you can do when something doesn't cooperate.
You don't need to figure that out before calling me. Just tell me the keys are missing.
Yes, many non-running cars can be removed from tight driveways, beside houses and other difficult spots. Access matters, so tell me if I can't back the truck directly up to the vehicle. I can often use the winch and the position of the truck to bring the vehicle out without expecting you to move it first.
I recently had a non-running car sitting extremely close to a garage. There was about an inch between the vehicle and the building.
That's the kind of pickup where knowing how the car is going to move matters. Put the pull in the wrong place and now you've got a car touching the garage.
It looked difficult, but it really wasn't.
I had already talked with the owner about the problem. I had the key, but a computer problem was keeping the car from starting. I positioned the truck, hooked where I needed to hook and winched the car out.
By the time the owner's phone call was finished, the car was on my truck.
Sometimes a job looks hard from the driveway.
Hook here, winch there, and it's out.
A non-running car can usually be removed from a Surrey townhouse complex, but the challenge isn't always the car. Townhouse complexes are busy. People are walking past, kids are running around, residents are coming and going and other vehicles need to get through.
I don't want my tow truck becoming everybody else's problem.
That's why I try to do as much as possible before putting the truck into position. Paperwork can be handled first. The car can be prepared first. Then when I'm ready to load, I position the truck, hook the vehicle and get it out of everybody's way.
In towing we sometimes call that hook and book.
It doesn't mean rushing the job. It means being prepared so I don't block a shared driveway any longer than necessary.
I've been towing around Surrey for years. Whether I'm working around a townhouse complex in Newton, a driveway in Fleetwood or a tighter residential area around Clayton, part of doing the job properly is remembering that I'm working around people's homes.
A moldy car can often be removed without spending unnecessary time inside it. If a vehicle has sat for years under trees or in a damp, shaded area, I want to know about the interior condition before pickup. In some situations the safer and simpler approach is to winch the vehicle rather than climb inside trying to make it move.
Mold is not something I want to sit in and breathe just because I'm trying to put an old car into neutral.
If I can safely load the vehicle without sitting inside it, that's often the better way to do the job.
Again, tell me before I come.
The more I know about the car, the easier it is for me to bring what I need and plan the removal.
Yes. Blown engines and failed transmissions are normal reasons people call me for junk car removal in Surrey. I normally plan on winching a vehicle like that onto the truck. Occasionally a car with a failing transmission will still move briefly, which can help with positioning, but I never count on a broken vehicle driving normally.
A simple way I look at many of these jobs is:
If a tow truck put it there, a tow truck can pick it up.
A car with a blown engine may have already been towed home from the repair shop. Same with a transmission failure or accident-damaged vehicle.
To the owner, a blown transmission can feel like the end of the world because the car can't be driven anymore.
To me, it means I'm probably using the winch.
A non-running or badly running vehicle doesn't always have to be completely dead. If I can safely get it running long enough to position it beside the tow truck, that can make the pickup easier. I'm not repairing it or putting an unsafe car back on Surrey roads. I'm only moving it far enough to load it.
I had a Ford Escape to pick up on a busy Surrey street.
Before putting the tow truck in the way of traffic, I tried the Escape first. I boosted the battery and worked with it for a couple of minutes.
It finally started.
It was only running on three cylinders and it sounded terrible, but it was running enough to get to the truck. It coughed and kicked the whole way over like a kid that didn't want to go.
It didn't have to run well.
It only had to make it to the tow truck.
A little work and it was gone.
That's the difference between trying to repair a broken car and knowing how to remove one. I'm not trying to make your junk car roadworthy again.
I'm trying to get it safely onto my truck.
Yes. Accident-damaged and non-drivable cars can usually be picked up just like other broken vehicles. If another tow truck brought the damaged vehicle to your property, that's normally a good sign that I can get a tow truck back in to remove it.
The same applies if you managed to drive the damaged vehicle home yourself.
Tell me about any obvious damage when you call. I don't need you to inspect the suspension or diagnose the car. I just need a reasonable idea of what I'm coming for and whether there is anything unusual about where it is parked.
Yes, same-day junk car pickup is available in Surrey when I have room in my schedule. I don't promise same-day removal when I'm already booked because I would rather give you a realistic pickup time than have you waiting around all day wondering where I am.
A towing day doesn't always go exactly according to a clock.
If I have five vehicles booked, I allow time for each one and for Surrey traffic. Sometimes the car before yours turns into a harder winch than expected. Traffic can also turn a short drive into a long one.
That's why I don't keep accepting jobs just because somebody wants their car gone today.
If I tell you I'll be there between 1 and 2, I'm planning my day around being there between 1 and 2. If something makes me a little late, I'll deal with that rather than leave you wondering all afternoon.
If I can fit your car in today, I'll tell you.
If I can't, we'll arrange another time, often the next day.
It's always better to call before the last possible minute, although I know that's not always how life works. Sometimes you're moving. Sometimes you're cleaning up the property. Sometimes people are coming over this weekend and suddenly that old car you've ignored for two years has to disappear.
Call me and I'll tell you what I can realistically do.
A straightforward junk car pickup can take around 15 to 20 minutes once I arrive. That's for an easier job where I can get the truck to the vehicle, the paperwork is ready and there aren't major loading problems. Seized brakes, difficult access or a hard winch can take longer.
Sometimes I talk too much, so maybe I should say an hour.
And if Ruby is with me and you meet her, that can slow things down too.
But the actual removal of an easy vehicle usually doesn't need to take up your whole day.
That's one of the big differences between having me remove the car and trying to sell a non-running vehicle privately.
For someone who mainly wants a broken car gone, scrap car pickup can be much easier than a private sale. Selling privately may bring more money in some situations, but it can also mean ads, messages, no-shows, strangers inspecting the vehicle, paperwork and waiting for somebody else's tow truck.
Think about the whole process.
You advertise the car.
Someone says they're coming and doesn't show up.
The next person does show up. Now you're showing them the car and maybe they're trying to figure out how to start it in your driveway. Some owners aren't comfortable with people they don't know working on a broken vehicle at their home.
Then you agree on a price.
You still have to deal with the ownership transfer.
Then they tell you:
"I'll get my tow truck to pick it up in a couple of days."
Great. The car is still sitting there.
Now you may have to be home again when their tow truck arrives.
Maybe making a little more money is worth all of that to you. That's your decision.
My service is for the person who looks at that whole process and says:
I just want this car gone.
With a straightforward pickup, I can often be there for about 15 to 20 minutes and the problem is finished.
If I'm coming for your car, I'm leaving with your car.
Some non-running vehicles have enough value for me to pay for them, while other situations may simply be free junk car removal. Not every old or broken vehicle is worth the same amount, and I don't advertise a giant made-up maximum price to make every car sound valuable.
Sometimes the owner isn't worried about squeezing another few dollars out of an old vehicle.
They just want it gone.
If I'm paying you for the vehicle, we take care of the paperwork and payment before I start removing the car.
I don't want your car loaded on my truck while you're wondering when you're getting paid.
We deal with that first.
Then I load the vehicle.
Towing is free when I agree to remove your junk vehicle as part of my scrap car removal service. Some vehicles are picked up with payment to the owner, while others may simply qualify for free removal. I will discuss that with you before the pickup is arranged.
The important part is that you know what we're doing before I arrive.
I don't want to load the car first and then start surprising you with towing charges afterward.
Start with the year, make, model, what is wrong with the vehicle and where it is located in Surrey. For access, one of the most useful things you can tell me is whether I can back my tow truck up to the car.
You don't have to crawl underneath it.
You don't have to figure out whether a wheel bearing is seized.
You don't have to know what kind of tow truck you need.
Just tell me what you know.
If you say, "No, you can't back up to it," I'll ask why.
Your answer usually tells me what I need to know next.
The paperwork depends on the ownership situation, so tell me before pickup if the registration is missing, the registered owner has died, or somebody else is handling the vehicle. Registration is preferred, and I need to be comfortable that the person releasing the vehicle has the authority to do so.
I use a vehicle release process and require valid identification from the person signing according to my business policy.
I don't use the line:
"No papers? No problem."
Sometimes paperwork really is a problem, and it's better to sort it out before my truck is sitting in your driveway.
If your situation is unusual, tell me what is going on and I can explain what I need from you. Some ownership situations may need to be handled through an ICBC Autoplan broker before the vehicle can be released.
Jay's Junk Car Towing picks up non-running, broken and unwanted vehicles throughout Surrey, BC. I'm Jay, and I've been doing this work for more than 25 years. When you talk to me about the vehicle, you're talking to somebody who actually knows what happens when the tow truck arrives.
I've removed vehicles around Fleetwood, Newton, Guildford, Clayton, Cloverdale, Fraser Heights, Whalley, South Surrey and other parts of Surrey for years.
But knowing Surrey isn't about stuffing every neighbourhood name onto a website.
It matters when I'm actually doing the job.
It matters when I'm working in a busy townhouse complex and need to get out of everyone's way.
It matters when the car is in a tight residential driveway.
It matters when traffic is heavy and I need to plan my pickup times realistically.
And it matters when you call me about a car that looks impossible to move and I can tell you:
I've dealt with this before.
If you're finished with the vehicle and want it gone, call Jay and tell me the year, make, model, what's wrong with it and where it is parked in Surrey. I'll ask a few questions about the vehicle and access, tell you whether I can take it and arrange a pickup time.
You don't need to repair it first.
You don't need to make four flat tires perfect.
You don't need to figure out how to release seized brakes.
You don't need to get a blown transmission working.
And you don't need to become a tow truck driver just because your old car stopped running.
That's my part of the job.
I've been doing junk car removal in Surrey for years. Some cars roll right onto the truck. Some need a winch. Some haven't moved in years. Some are wedged beside a garage. Some cough and kick their way to the truck like that old Ford Escape.
At the end of the day, they all need the same thing.
They need to get from where they're sitting onto my truck.
That's what I do.