🚨L1's 🇫🇷 shenanigans. Roll the dice to drive a french car

[loserone]

On 09/04/2022 at 01:27, loserone said:

Its fucked.

 

This isn't looking good.  

 

Apparently there's a dead injector and it's the one which is usually stuck because of rain sitting on it.  

 

 

Its very stuck.

[loserone]

Still, at least we're not far from home

[Dyslexic Viking]

This is bad what is the plan if it is not possible to get it out? And am now glad that mine has the 1.9 engine.

[loserone]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

plan

Vin

[Lacquer Peel]

1 hour ago, loserone said:

Vin

Blanc or rouge?

[loserone]

Vin rouge est à ma maison, mais moi...

[loserone]

Le Skoda Kamic est près de ce van blanc.

Also, fuck me my French is shit.

[loserone]

Ok, so for those wondering about the AA EU cover provided by a Nationwide BS current account: It's utterly fucking useless.

 

The injector is well seized in the head.  They confirmed (this morning, after three days of chasing) that with the garage who I had look at it (as a favour, because they're relatives). Mr McGregor kindly provided a quote for repair in the UK, and they then confirmed that they will not repatriate it.  They will help to pay any fees for disposal of it here.  Thanks, AA.

 

They will also provide expenses for our travel whilst here and to get home, up the value of £1500 for the whole party (six of us).

However, they have just finally advised that there are no hire cars (at all) available between Marseille and Nice.  They initially suggested that they could hire a car to get to Calais and then another to get home from Calais, but this changed as soon as they did a valuation of the van. 

 

 Its impossible for them to book a flight home.  Also, they can't assist with repatriation of the kids bikes (a monkey's worth of Islabikes) or the car seats.  All they can say is that they are very busy because it's holiday season.

 

I'm enjoying a nice glass of wine on the beach, having just booked myself a Pug 308 for the next week, and I'll drive back here and fly from Marseille to Edinburgh on the credit card next weekend.  I've offered the van to our local relatives for free or at least to ensure any of their costs are billed to me and reimbursed.  

[Crackers]

Well that's quite comprehensively shit. Always reassuring* to see how much the big breakdown companies are willing to help* stranded customers.

[loserone]

I think they would be behaving differently if I was in a £90k JLR product

[Crackers]

The sad thing is that's probably true.

[Stanky]

Sorry to read this, but depressingly familiar to the BS I was fed by Coop breakdown when my Saab spat out a plug near Hannover 3 years ago. 

"Car is worthless, not getting it repatriated"

What does this have to do with anything though? I asked you to cover a vehicle, how much its worth is not relevant to the case at hand? I'm not asking you to reimburse me the value of my car, I want it to be taken back to where I live and my family and posessions repatriated also. This is what you cover me for.

"nope, deal with it"

Something worth looking at, since you have rather a lot more kit on board than I had in Hannover is an international shiply request. I got quoted £900 to have the Saab picked up by a transporter in Hannover and delivered back to me in Fareham which I couldn't stomach, but might be worth considering if you can load up the van with the car seats, bikes etc as the transporter people won't care what its filled with I suspect? I mean thats still £900 you didn't want to be spending, but provided you don't mind waiting a week or three for it to be brought back to you to repair here, its an option?

 

[Dave_Q]

It's totally wank but most breakdown policies say they will not repatriate if the cost of doing so is more than the vehicle is worth. 

Is there a frog equivalent of these type of guys? Like a mobile injector removal service?

https://www.injector-removal-service.co.uk/injector-removal/

This chap will exercer une pression jusqu’à 20 tonnes which sounds like it might shift the bastard. 

https://thierry-diesel.fr/extraction-injecteur/

Dunno if thats near enough to be any use but it's what 5 minutes worth of google.fr got me.

[Dave_Q]

Or buy the puller and re-sell when you're done?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154943035200

[grogee]

BiL has a dodgy injector on his Trafic, 2005 1.9 I think. So far I've got out of changing it but I've recently got a slide hammer injector removal set at juicy discount price so it won't be long before I'll be doing this to his. 

Pretty sure I saw a video that said run it with the clamp removed (well, loosened) to shift it which seems like Good Science

[brownnova]

4 hours ago, loserone said:

I think they would be behaving differently if I was in a £90k JLR product

This sadly is likely to be very true. You’re in a bit of a bind there… feel for you! 

[Fumbler]

5 hours ago, loserone said:

Ok, so for those wondering about the AA EU cover provided by a Nationwide BS current account: It's utterly fucking useless.

 

The injector is well seized in the head.  They confirmed (this morning, after three days of chasing) that with the garage who I had look at it (as a favour, because they're relatives). Mr McGregor kindly provided a quote for repair in the UK, and they then confirmed that they will not repatriate it.  They will help to pay any fees for disposal of it here.  Thanks, AA.

 

They will also provide expenses for our travel whilst here and to get home, up the value of £1500 for the whole party (six of us).

However, they have just finally advised that there are no hire cars (at all) available between Marseille and Nice.  They initially suggested that they could hire a car to get to Calais and then another to get home from Calais, but this changed as soon as they did a valuation of the van. 

 

 Its impossible for them to book a flight home.  Also, they can't assist with repatriation of the kids bikes (a monkey's worth of Islabikes) or the car seats.  All they can say is that they are very busy because it's holiday season.

 

I'm enjoying a nice glass of wine on the beach, having just booked myself a Pug 308 for the next week, and I'll drive back here and fly from Marseille to Edinburgh on the credit card next weekend.  I've offered the van to our local relatives for free or at least to ensure any of their costs are billed to me and reimbursed.  

Aw that's a real pisser. This makes me even more suprised at the service we got from the AA when our old 2000 Volvo ate its PAS pump in southern France. It was towed to a repair shop, repaired and ready a week later for the journey home. I don't remember them saying anything about its value counting towards it being repaired.

Your car is covered for recovery. Why should it be worth a certain amount to be considered for recovery? What a bunch of wankers.

[Noel Tidybeard]

go on their twatter account etc and really bad mouth them about it in public- big companies really* love* this

[bangernomics]

Nationwide paid for me to hire a vehicle to take to France when mine broke in the ferry queue. However t was the travel insurance that covered that not the breakdown.

Give them a call.

[loserone]

1 minute ago, bangernomics said:

Give them a call.

Will have a look at their Ts and C's   ta!

[loserone]

Some spottij

[brownnova]

All the French spots and not one Deux Chevaux! 

[loserone]

Just now, brownnova said:

All the French spots and not one Deux Chevaux! 

Complete with air horns and an elderly gentleman driver

[brownnova]

Hooray!!!! 
 

The equilibrium is restored! 

[garbaldy]

16 hours ago, loserone said:

I think they would be behaving differently if I was in a £90k JLR product

 your right this was being recovered back from the south of France  on one of our stop overs.

l

[Rocket88]

16 hours ago, loserone said:

I think they would be behaving differently if I was in a £90k JLR product

You wouldn’t have got that far…….

[garbaldy]

29 minutes ago, Rocket88 said:

You wouldn’t have got that far…….

The above one did its just not making it back again.

[Back_For_More]

ooooh........  Nissan or Jeep toppng my list there. I realised I haven't a 4x4 in the fleet at the moment looking at that lot

Bit of a bitch with the injector stuck like that - as said - turning over with no/loose clamp not shift it?

Hope the rest of the holiday goes a lot more smoothly fella

[Schaefft]

Sucks to hear that but they obviously aren't deeming it worth it. Not sure if I'm surprised though.

I was surprised that the ADAC towed my Opel Senator Back to Germany when a coolant hose burst in the Italian Alps (almost in the middle of nowhere) which easily must have cost them more than the car was worth back then.

Breaking down again at the Dunkirk ferry terminal driving back probably was the last straw though as they banned me from having a premium membership (with EU breakdown cover) since then...

[loserone]

14 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

go on their twatter account etc and really bad mouth them about it in public- big companies really* love* this

Success, it seems.  Trafic coming home, hire CT aircross, hotels and flights booked