The new news 24 thread

[egg]

at least you're at a services. 

[beko1987]

See if you can short the pins of an eV charger to give you a jump? 

[Skizzer]

15 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Aaand it's broken.  Run out of electricity on the M25.  Currently at Clacket Lane services waiting for the AA. 

Aw Wuv, it’s like I never went away.

That sucks. Why are so many sellers such lying bastards these days? (I guess I’m assuming they didn’t mention the alternator was fucked.)

Although at least it had some fuel in it I suppose. And the decency to drag its sorry French arse to a service station, if you’re generous and count  Clacket Lane as service.

[New POD]

2 hours ago, MikeR said:

Rapid sober up this morning , answered the doorbell to 2 ladies dressed in police uniform , thought a early Xmas present had arrived , but no , big kick off in the street in the night and I slept throu it , they wanted the footage from the CCTV ...  ... 

Charge them an admin fee ? 

[wuvvum]

13 minutes ago, Skizzer said:

Aw Wuv, it’s like I never went away.

That sucks. Why are so many sellers such lying bastards these days? (I guess I’m assuming they didn’t mention the alternator was fucked.)

Although at least it had some fuel in it I suppose. And the decency to drag its sorry French arse to a service station, if you’re generous and count  Clacket Lane as service.

Lol.  To be fair to the old heap it was fine until I switched the headlights on.  It managed 70 miles before it decided to play up.  AA patrol has been and gone, alternator is officially goosed.  Now waiting for the big yellow taxi home.  Normally I'd be happy to save the fuel but this thing does nearly 80mpg on a run so I won't even be saving that much. 

I can get a second hand alternator off ebay for 35 quid so not the end of the world.  It doesn't look like too much of a twat to change, although it looks like the tensioner will need to come off. 

[wuvvum]

[Tickman]

10 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

That's pretty quick service going by the times of the posts.

Hopefully easy enough to get sorted.

[wuvvum]

Yep, an hour and 10 minutes from phone call to recovery truck arriving.  Must be a quiet night. 

[SiC]

Impressively quick! 

[Angrydicky]

A lot quicker than my recovery was when my 45 expired in exactly the same place...

[wuvvum]

He can't get me all the way home though because driving hours, so he's taking me to Bishops Stortford and handing over to another truck. 

[HMC]

38 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Yep, an hour and 10 minutes from phone call to recovery truck arriving.  Must be a quiet night. 

Yes They all cleared off last night

[Jamie]

75 bastard quid for a door handle! 

[Cord Fourteener]

I have changed our family breakdown insurance from Wifey's expensive package which came with her bank account to one with AutoAid.

Thanks to two recent recommations from a retro car YouTuber of this parish I decided to go with AutoAid as they are cheap and seem to cover almost everything you would want, include cars over 15 years. Wife gets free cover too, and it's both personal cover rather than vehicle cover.

Let's hope I don't need them but let's face it, I drive old shonky cars 😅

[wuvvum]

Now at Birchanger Green.  Next recovery truck is on the way but he can't take me with him so the AA have called me a taxi.  I'm getting my money's worth I think. 

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Now at Birchanger Green.  Next recovery truck is on the way but he can't take me with him so the AA have called me a taxi.  I'm getting my money's worth I think. 

Where the hell iz that ?

[richardmorris]

Just now, richardmorris said:

Where the hell iz that ?

Sorry typing with bandaged fingers,

[ruffgeezer]

8 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Sorry typing with bandaged fingers,

It's the services on the M11 at Bishop's Stortford. 

[wuvvum]

Now in the back of a Skoda Superb heading up the M11.  C2 will be following on a Renault Master, so shouldn't be too far behind. 

[davehedgehog31]

Washed this big honey today. It's far too nice for me.

 

[wuvvum]

And home.  Only just over 2 hours later than originally planned, so not bad at all considering. 

[wuvvum]

His and, erm, his matching Citroëns. 

[High Jetter]

Matching, as in neither works?

[stuboy]

11 hours ago, wuvvum said:

His and, erm, his matching Citroëns. 

ha ha ha 

[wuvvum]

11 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Matching, as in neither works?

One won't charge its battery and one has a battery which won't hold its charge.  So kind of matching but opposites at the same time.

[High Jetter]

Kind of alternate states, then. I can see your next step....

[clayts450]

On 12/19/2020 at 8:07 PM, clayts450 said:

50,000 miles into my same day courier adventure and today my breakdown cherry was finally popped.

Nearside rear tyre flat as a pancake, went on the M1. Luckily* for me it was in the smart upgrade section (just north of J13, just before the bit where you 'rev up your engines (it's Scotty Kilmer)' for the burst from 60 to 70mph. Thankfully there was a handy gap into the works access, so I was able to pull out of the live running lanes (recovery guy said well done for thinking on my feet...or rather my three working tyres anyway).

Lucky break was because it's free recovery in that section of roadworks, so I didn't need to fuck about ringing the RAC. 10 minutes and along came a recovery truck (BDV Recoveries, based in Yorkshire - bloody brilliant guys) took me back to Newport Pagnall to enable me to change the wheel. Naturally as soon as I get the wrench out, it chucked about a year's worth of rain onto Newport Pagnall service station. Amazingly the Combo had a full size spare, a brand new Continental no less.

Delivery accomplished, albeit two hours late. I offered to forego my fee for the job with the shipper which is the accepted etiquette in the trade - rang him and kept him updated, but he wouldn't have it, said 'shit happens' and that he'd ring me Monday with more work - top bloke.

Glad I've got that one done and dusted, should be okay for another 50K hopefully. Gonna take the busted Cross Climate down to F1 tomorrow to see if it's fixable, or if not get a replacement - can't really have three all-seasons and a summer tyre.

Quick follow-up. It was a puncture and a big hole to boot. Plugged neatly by F1 for £21 - well happy with that. Wheel is now back on, spare back underneath the van, all systems go for tomorrow.

[alcyonecorporation]

22 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Never seen Westminster Bridge without crowds of tourists before. 

Colossal 28 Days Later vibes. 

[Pete-M]

Driving licence exchanged for a German one this morning. Remarkably easy and fast. Good job I managed to do it this month. 

[artdjones]

44 minutes ago, Pete-M said:

Dining licence exchanged for a German one this morning. Remarkably easy and fast. Good job I managed to do it this month. 

I knew Germany is very rule conscious but this is ridiculous. How have you been nourishing yourself?