A Shiter's Day ( MG and Vx Cavalier content)

[dollywobbler]

Sounds a pretty shitty way to commence ownership of what is clearly a win-wagon. RAC not sounding good at the moment are they?

[Micrashed]

Last experience I had of the RAC was over 20 years ago.

Boxing day, finished a shift on Paeds, came out and the car wouldnt start (1978 Fiesta).

Called RAC, waited over an hour in the freezing cold to be told they would tow me home - great thats all I want, I'll use the other car tomorrow not an issue by now its nearly 10pm.

When the find out they have a tow to Preston from Wythenshawe they were not best pleased and bodged the car to start, no idea what they did but it managed to bollox the timing I had a miserable drive home flat out at 40mph.

 

Needless to say I ripped a new arse hole in the poor woman who I spoke to on the phone about the service and cancelled it there and then.

[CortinaDave]

We're off back down tonight armed with a multimeter and some batteries to get it home.

 

Question - as I mentioned earlier the battery light doesn't come on on ignition as it should which points to a charging circuit fault or just a blown bulb - when I connect jump leads to it from another car should that not make the light then work if it isn't just a blown bulb as it then has a complete charging circuit ?

[Richard]

No, it would see that as a battery not a charging circuit. I think they will have left a wire loose or off somewhere.

[sporty-shite]

They are not the cheapest, but I have never had a problem of any kind with the AA,

 

I have. Bunch of cunts wouldn't send a patrol out to pump up a flat tyre. Partly my fault, perhaps, as I told them it only needed pumping up rather than changing as the spare was flat. Their response, "we don't attend cars with no functional spare wheel. Part of our terms and conditions. We'll send a tyre specialist at your cost."

 

AA patrol was parked across the car park from where I was, so I bunged him a drink to sort it. Emailed them a complaint, and got the usual scripted T&C bullshit. Wouldn't touch them with a bargepole because of this.

[CortinaDave]

The area manager said " If I was you I wouldnt take that complaint any further because, you know... putting in a complaint has really pissed off the office, and we could regard it as fraud obtaining services on an untaxed vehicle"

 

He also said if there were ever any more callouts to that car they wouldnt attend, which is bloody shocking! It not like its a turd with a thousand faults - it was a genuine breakdown with one simple issue which actually, a bit of work may well have seen sorted at the roadside.

 

I'm not a serial RAC call-outer...  I rang them once last year when the MG broke down, thats been it for the last three years I've been a member

[CortinaDave]

So tonight's collection mission was a lot more successful - went down armed with batteries galore to nurse it home - but decided just for the hell of it to try the dash bulb theory.

Dash out... Lo and behold one blown bulb. Replacement nicked from the sidelights and fired in and charging system back to 100%

All that hassle - and it was just the bloody bulb.

It then cruised effortlessly back up the M74 to fifeshire  and I now own a working cavalier.

[Noel Tidybeard]

make sure its the right wattage, as charging system sometimes uses a 2w bulb whereas the dash lights are 1.2w*

higher wattage makes the alternator charge at lower revs iirc

this mod is how you stop the charge light flickering on an early minimetro

[dieselnutjob]

I have always had good service from the the AA, until last year I hit a dear at 10pm at night.  I was doing about 70mph so there was a fair bit of damage.

 

They wanted to come out and bill my insurance company or something, which was a problem as wanted to fix it myself and not claim.

 

Apparently they don't cover accident damage anymore.

 

Fortunately I had a roll of tape in the car and managed to remove / tape up enough of the bodywork to get home.

[cort16]

Is the jist of this that the broken bulb stopped it charging?

[CortinaDave]

Yup

[Cavcraft]

The AA can go and play the theme tune to Blue Peter out of their collective arses. Bollocks to them and bollocks to their relay service.

[cort16]

Mental. Bit of design flaw that.

[CortinaDave]

Are there any decent breakdown /recovery companies then? Ive sacked off the RAC. Green flag?

[cort16]

It's a pity there isn't any non profit ones. It's all about the cash dollar now, which is how the problems all come about.

[skattrd]

Battery light broken? Wasn't there something about if the light doesn't work then neither does the alternator on some motors?

Was this the issue then?

 

I'm with GEM for breakdown cover, they don't have any vans themselves, just send contractors. Most of the time I call them there's nowt that can be fixed by the road so I get relayed where ever.

[Rusty_Rocket]

When the alternator reg. fails it starts overcharging and the battery light comes on very brightly. This then blows the bulb (and freaks out the airbag light, then ABS light). Rubbish garage fits a new alternator without even checking the dash and then wonders why the system still isn't right.

It's not a common thing but was a Cavalier quirk back in the day.

[CortinaDave]

Now that it's been pressed into my daily 60 mile round trip commute and it's had a wash, here's the cavalier in all its glory:

 

 

It's got a leaky rocker cover so new gasket going on, the handbrake needs adjusted and it could do with a new front plate but that's about it really. Drives brilliantly- I'd forgotten how capable these were.

 

Gonna fire it in to Barry Cade's garage next week for an MOT but I don't think there's anything too sinister beyond the bits above which I'll do before it goes in - other than that I just need to find some alloys and enjoy it.