Collection fail. Car now home. Aircon compressor seized!!!

[sporty-shite]

Right. I'm a bit pissed off, but I'm looking for solutions. No offence, but please don't rant on about breakdown service, or tell me where I've gone wrong. I know all that.

 

Anyway, grumpy introduction aside, here's the deal. I bought an Alfa GT off Ebay. Collected today from Essex. Aux belt tensioner was described as "slightly noisy", but was quite a bit worse. Anyway, long story short, it's failed and thrown the belt off, leaving it not charging and without any PAS. At night, it's pretty much undriveable. So, I phoned Green Flag, and started to arrange a recovery. However, it isn't taxed. I knew this when I collected, but couldn't do the tax online as it has come with an old style green and blue V5, and the Gov website did not recognise the reference number. Therefore, COMPUTER SAYS NO and they refused to attend. Luckily, Mrs S was following me, so I left the car at Keele and came home.

 

First problem. Like a dickhead, I've left the V5 in the car, so I can't go to the Post Office tomorrow to try and tax it, so I can get it recovered. 

 

So, I'm looking for help/ideas/suggestions.

 

As I see it, the alternatives are

1. Go back to Keele in the morning, get the V5 and try to find a PO to tax it. Then phone Green Flag and get recovery.

 

2. Get a tensioner, take tools, and get a lift down to fix it.

 

3. Try to find someone who can loan me a car with towbar, and either A Frame it or rent a trailer to drag it home.

 

4. Try to rent a flat bed to drag it home.

 

The problem I have, is I could get parts, go down and then FAIL because I haven't got tools/I'm a bit cack handed/it needs more.

Or, I could fail to tax it.

Or, I could get a tug whilst framing it.

 

On the plus side, the parking is sorted for 24 hours, so I've got all day.

 

Suggestions please.....

 

[DodgyBastard]

Add a number onto the start of the green slip number, usually a 2.

[Cavcraft]

Can you not tell them it is taxed but it hasn't shown up yet as you did it online?

[Six-cylinder]

Add a number onto the start of the green slip number, usually a 2.

 

I have just looked at some of my V5 and the extra digit in front is different on all the ones I have looked at.

[cort16]

How far home? Could you make it with a couple of fully charged batteries? How impossible is it to drive without power steering?

[SiC]

Can you not tell them it is taxed but it hasn't shown up yet as you did it online?

^^ This. Say you've just done it. Might not apply as it broke down before it was taxed though.

[Dave_Q]

Assuming it's a 1.9JTD?

 

Tensioner isn't bad, jack up, wheel off, remove some plastic, the tensioner on a 1.9 is only held on with one bolt but you will have to take the bottom pulley off (ribe bit, M8 maybe?) to get the tensioner out.

 

I've got the 156 elearn if you want any pictures of the procedure.

[Dave_Q]

I have just looked at some of my V5 and the extra digit in front is different on all the ones I have looked at.

 

Only 10 to try though.

[SiC]

How far home? Could you make it with a couple of fully charged batteries? How impossible is it to drive without power steering?

Worth checking if the belt is driving the water pump before doing that. Also I believe a lot of harmonic tensioners require a belt to not be damaged.

[bub2006]

Keele,is that m6 t'other side stoke? Where do you nee to get it to

[Isaac Hunt]

Take a spare battery, drive it in the day when the load on the battery will be low. When you get symptoms of battery getting low, swop the battery. Steering will be heavy but should be fightable if you plan ahead. How far have you got to go ?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Guest Hooli]

Keele,is that m6 t'other side stoke? Where do you nee to get it to

M6 between J15 & 16, not sure how that relates to Stoke.

[bub2006]

Yep,i live outside derby so its t'other side for me!

[Craig the Princess]

Add a number onto the start of the green slip number, usually a 2.

I didn't think that worked unless it was the new red v5

[Hertz]

What a pain. If it was me option 1.

[cort16]

Go with another car. Put the Alfa Battery in car B and the fully charged battery from car B in yours. When you start to run low stop and swap them over by this time the other battery will be charged. Continue until get home.

[sporty-shite]

Add a number onto the start of the green slip number, usually a 2.

 

It asks for 12 numbers, and there are 12 on the slip, I think it's because it's older style V5.

Can you not tell them it is taxed but it hasn't shown up yet as you did it online?

 

Unfortunately not, as I (stupidly) admitted that it wasn't taxed.

How far home? Could you make it with a couple of fully charged batteries? How impossible is it to drive without power steering?

Probably not. The steering is virtually impossible to move.

 

Assuming it's a 1.9JTD?

 

Tensioner isn't bad, jack up, wheel off, remove some plastic, the tensioner on a 1.9 is only held on with one bolt but you will have to take the bottom pulley off (ribe bit, M8 maybe?) to get the tensioner out.

 

I've got the 156 elearn if you want any pictures of the procedure.

 

That would be ace if you could, Dave, as whichever way it goes, I'm going to have to change it.

Worth checking if the belt is driving the water pump before doing that. Also I believe a lot of harmonic tensioners require a belt to not be damaged.

 

Water pump is driven of timing belt IIRC. I will also be changing the drive belt as a precaution.

Keele,is that m6 t'other side stoke? Where do you nee to get it to

Yep, that's the one. Needs to be in Bolton.

[SiC]

I imagine you'll get a whole cacophony of error lights coming up when the battery is starting to get critically low. So should be easier to plan when to pull over if doing the above.

 

Also keep the revs lower, as the injectors/etc will be driving not as hard so use less electrical power.

[DodgyBastard]

I didn't think that worked unless it was the new red v5

 

It worked for me on the Proton I just bought which had an older style v5 and only came with the green slip.

[Cavcraft]

I found using the number '8' at the start does the job.

[Guest Hooli]

It's an Alfa, wait a week, sweep it up & carry it home in the boot.

 

 

 

/not helping.

[Craig the Princess]

It worked for me on the Proton I just bought which had an older style v5 and only came with the green slip.

Good to know. Thanks.

[sporty-shite]

Thanks all for the quick replies. I've had a quick google, and I will phone DOOVLA tomorrow to see if I can tax it at PO with old style V5. 

 

Euro have got tensioner listed for £35 and belt for £22, and they've got a 30% deal on, so I'll probably buy them and take tools with me anyway. At least I've got more than one option then.

 

This place........ What it always was!

[bub2006]

It asks for 12 numbers, and there are 12 on the slip, I think it's because it's older style V5.

 

Unfortunately not, as I (stupidly) admitted that it wasn't taxed.

Probably not. The steering is virtually impossible to move.

 

 

That would be ace if you could, Dave, as whichever way it goes, I'm going to have to change it.

 

Water pump is driven of timing belt IIRC. I will also be changing the drive belt as a precaution.

Yep, that's the one. Needs to be in Bolton.

Im sure me or another asmm can assist if needed. Give me a shout if tools or a tow is required. I dont have a dolly or a frame but ive got a steel towing bar somewhere.

[Cavcraft]

I have heard of them taxing over the 'phone, could be worth a try. Failing that (sorry if it sounds silly) but is the V5 visible through the window of the car? Just thinking maybe someone local could get a picture of the numbers off it so you can try and tax at home again before you go?

[sporty-shite]

I have heard of them taxing over the 'phone, could be worth a try. Failing that (sorry if it sounds silly) but is the V5 visible through the window of the car? Just thinking maybe someone local could get a picture of the numbers off it so you can try and tax at home again before you go?

That sounds very sensible. Almost as "sensible" as putting the V5 back inside the bookpack so it couldn't be seen. Guess what I did!

 

I could try over the phone, but you can't do direct debit that way, so I'm trying to avoid it. 

[Dave_Q]

Here you go. 

 

There's really not a lot to it. 

 

I've spared you the bits for removing the wheel and the plastic access panel, it's a 17mm socket for the wheel bolt and phillips screws with optional "rip the fucker off because the screws have rounded off" for the access panel.

 

The thing says to remove the undertray but I don't think you'll need to, if so it's a Torx (T30?) for some and a smallish (10mm?) socket for the rearmost ones.

 

 

 

 

If you're a torque wrench user note that they give the torque values as DecaNewtonmetres, ie 2.3-2.8 daNm is 23-28 actual Nm.

 

Only other thing to note is that the bottom pulley on my 156 took more hammering than they recommend to get it off.

[MarvinsMom]

as it lost its "fan"belt, as these things used to be called,

 

would it not be possible to do like they did in the old days in a situation like this and use a pair of tights tide around the various bits as a bodge to get you home?

 

EDIT - having seen the post above, no, i see now that would not work. as you were.

 

bloody moderns.......

[Guest]

Do you know anyone who has AA cover, as most policies cover the person and not the car... some hapless mate could have been with you when it broke down... Meet the nice AA man at the services with a new tensioner, a large Latte and some doughnuts..

 

This used to work on me!

[UltraWomble]

I have just looked at some of my V5 and the extra digit in front is different on all the ones I have looked at.

Extra didgit usually corresponds to the issue of V5c from 1 to 0 (10) then back to 1 again for 11 - that often but not always corresponds the the number of owners.