306 togo aka the most amusing/unamusing breakdown thread

[scooters]

I've been having a good look in the "Scooters Coffers" today and with particular attention to the next few months. After scraping through the dust at the bottom of the chest I found a couple of pennies jammed into the boards at the bottom. This pathetic situation together with the fact that with the arrival of Mark's X next week realistically means that the car won't get the use it needs to over the next few months.

 

The good bits:

 

1996 306 DT Meridian 5 door

spec includes:

non working sunroof

non working central locking

electric windows up front (which do work)

velour fabric with a couple of tears to the vinyl on the front of the seat bolster at the back

10 CD Multi Changer - works brilliantly but no code after disconnecting the battery to work on it

Front and rear spoiler

Front Foglights (no idea if they are working as there has not been any fog

Red metallic paint

lovely interior whiff of air freshener and tabs (I don't smoke but previous owner did)

recent exhause - mid and rear sections

£40 of diesel in the tank!

 

Since buying this from a squaddie I have done the following:

New front discs and pads

new timing belt

refurbed Lucas Fuel pump (no veg oil option - you might get away with diluted veg oil in the summer)

new top engine mount

new off side front hanger

2nd hand cat

new handbrake cables

all brake pipes have been replaced with copper

new brake shoes

rear drums roughly refurbed and treated

new alternator belt

heat shield has been refitted

new driver's door lock barrel

new front nearside brake nipple

rear underside brushed back and treated with VACTAN

wheels brushed back and treated with VACTAN

Spare cradle brushed back and treated with VACTAN

small rust patches in engine bay brushed back and Vactaned

Battery shelf brushed back and Vactanned

brand new 205 Gti leather gear stick gaiter fitted

 

To do list and not so good bits

 

Brakes need bleeding - got air in the MC but Gareth has lent me his pump bleeder so will get that sorted asap

Sunroof needs freeing up as is jammed - you can hear the motor but it doesn't move

heath robinson boot opening arrangement in order to secure boot - cable running into cabin to pop catch - lock barrel rear boot locks are difficult to find and I needed to secure it

Front offside caliper has a blocked bleed nipple - needs replacing but can bleed from flex hose

2 inch rust patch on leading edge of bonnet

bubbling under rear window

offside rear arch just beginning to develop some small bubbles on inside

missing rear wiper (found arm in boot but no blade)

radio code

No MOT (will probably have one within a couple of weeks but if you want it now you are welcome to it)

could do with an oil change

 

This car is very close to being ready for it's MOT if anyne wants it now, you are welcome to it - if not I'll MOT itand bung it on Gumtree- it is taxed till the end of November. Mechanically it is all pretty much there - 184k on the clock but the engine pulls strongly and only smokes white steam on start up and gool ol black when booted - turbo comes in when it should - handles very well indeed and with the engine mount and timing belt done should be good for sometime to come. Coolant system seems to be in good condition as well and the car doesn't lose any. Were I fit I would finish this off now - the brakes need sorted before it can be driven and I will do this before it goes - I have done a lot of nasty jobs on this and am sad to see it go but the cost of insurance is high where I am and with the BX coming and my business commitments I really won't have time to run the two cars - it does mean that the BX will get some miles put on it in the next few months but so be it.

 

Price wise these things don't go for a lot but if you fancy a nearly sorted 306 with shite credentials and no boy racer buggery then a shitter can take it off my hands for £170 which is what I have been offered in scrap.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Why on earth chuck this away when its supposedly a brake-bleed away from an MOT?

 

Surely if you're skint then 50-odd mpg is woorth pursuing.

[warren t claim]

Why on earth chuck this away when its supposedly a brake-bleed away from an MOT?

 

Surely if you're skint then 50-odd mpg is woorth pursuing.

 

I'm inclined to Bolloxian theory that you should get it tested before selling it. My P reg 306 NA dizzler was an easy sale (£450) with a long test.

[The Moog]

If it had test I would take it off your hands Scooters but becasue I am going to be at MIL's and she hasnt got tools etc I dont really have the ability to work on it to get it through.

 

Only thought is if there is a friendly garage to get it through MOT and then i will take it off you at the weekend.

[scooters]

It may well have its MOT before it goes fellas -

 

I'm not getting rid of it because it isn't fixed - it's because it is surplus to requirements and I can't justify running it and the BX over the next few months - it's not sufficiantly shite enough (ie not a Daf or Tagora) to rate as a toy and although sportyish isn't a 205 Gti is it?

 

Having had a good look at the 306 market - they are worth sweetie wrappers even with 12 month tickets so I'd rather it went to a shitter or somone who needs a DT for commute cheapness etc.

 

I have done a lot of work on it but I did start that work before I succumbed to my addiciton for Citroens and the unscrupulous pusher - Mark I am worried that when the bad weather comes in I end up using the 306 instead of the BX and that the BX through my lazieness ends up sitting for 3 months which would be a disaster for it - at least as a daily driver it will get the attention it needs to keep it running well.

 

anyway - I am in no hurry to get rid of it

 

and

 

 

perhaps this thread was started to appease the 'Finance Director'

[mnde]

Ah, the 'Finance Director'...

 

and what does the Finance Director think of old Citroens, of the BX variety Have you shown her the pics?

 

It's not looking bad, but it ain't looking concourse either - a wee bit shabby round the edges... I tried a bit of "Metallic Grey" T-cut on the bonnet and roof but it didn't do much. Some normal T-cut might improve it, but I wouldn't scrub it too hard... I was considering tarting it up with a rattle can but when I had spare time the weather wasn't right and when the weather was right, I didn't have the time ...

 

Mark.

[scooters]

the 'FD' is ok with BX's when I buy shite she is only concerned with a/ is it big enough and safe enough for the kids, b/ is it t&t and c/ is it cheap to run/insure.

306

a - yes

b -no

c- sort of

 

bx

a - yes

b - yes

c-yes

 

the 306 has only been an issue when out of MOT - if I stick a ticket on it then the unreasonable stalinist attitude towards it will opefully dissaate and I can quietly remove it from sale!

[mnde]

My lovely wife is not the biggest fan of the BX... it got a reputation for being unreliable.. Yes that incident when it conked out (autochoke), when it conked out and refused to restart on her parents' drive (autochoke) ... when I was stranded in a motorway services.. (ignition coil) when I was stranded and had to get recovered (octopus)... and a £1000+ bill didn't help - when I decided to get the cambelt, water pump, radiator and clutch replaced at the same time as the octopus Well it all needed doing! And various other things wore out and had to be replaced, just like any other car: wheel bearings, height corrector etc. We have a different view on spending money on cars. I do own mine outright though

 

Mark.

[scooters]

My lovely wife is not the biggest fan of the BX... it got a reputation for being unreliable.. Yes that incident when it conked out (autochoke), when it conked out and refused to restart on her parents' drive (autochoke) ... when I was stranded in a motorway services.. (ignition coil) when I was stranded and had to get recovered (octopus)... and a £1000+ bill didn't help - when I decided to get the cambelt, water pump, radiator and clutch replaced at the same time as the octopus Well it all needed doing! And various other things wore out and had to be replaced, just like any other car: wheel bearings, height corrector etc. We have a different view on spending money on cars. I do own mine outright though

 

Mark.

 

 

exactly! that is the point I was trying to make to my wife - ok, every now and then there may be a bill and we might only get 30mpg BUT it cost a fraction of the neighbour's euroblob...

 

mind you, my argument has been totally undermined by my compuslive shite buying capers over the last few years

[The Moog]

I CAN HAZ BX. And I am a convert. Had Xantias before but it is a lot of lushness. Might have to get one in future.

 

Will be winging its way up to you sat morning Rich.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

My lovely wife is not the biggest fan of the BX... it got a reputation for being unreliable..

I hope you explained the following before allowing this reputation to take hold:

 

Yes that incident when it conked out (autochoke)

You don't mention if this caused a traffic jam and left you stranded far away from lavatories and sandwiches. If not, it was an inconvenience and not a proper breakdown.

 

when it conked out and refused to restart on her parents' drive (autochoke) ...

This one doesn't count as a breakdown as it happened on a driveway. That's a rescheduler.

 

when I was stranded in a motorway services.. (ignition coil)

As you weren't blocking traffic and were close to sandwiches and lavatories, this one only counts as a quarter breakdown, which is too low to register.

 

when I was stranded and had to get recovered (octopus)... and a £1000+ bill didn't help

So it broke down once. Could have happened to any car.

[catsinthewelder]

^ post of the week? Properly lol'ed etc

[Guest]

So what we've learned this morning is:

 

1. 306s are GR8.

 

2. Autochokes are the spawn of Satan herself.

 

BUMP 4 A REAL FRED (NOT GHOSBUSTERS VENKMAN STANZ ECTO 1 @@@@@@).

[mnde]

My lovely wife is not the biggest fan of the BX... it got a reputation for being unreliable..

I hope you explained the following before allowing this reputation to take hold:

 

Yes that incident when it conked out (autochoke)

You don't mention if this caused a traffic jam and left you stranded far away from lavatories and sandwiches. If not, it was an inconvenience and not a proper breakdown.

 

when it conked out and refused to restart on her parents' drive (autochoke) ...

This one doesn't count as a breakdown as it happened on a driveway. That's a rescheduler.

 

when I was stranded in a motorway services.. (ignition coil)

As you weren't blocking traffic and were close to sandwiches and lavatories, this one only counts as a quarter breakdown, which is too low to register.

 

when I was stranded and had to get recovered (octopus)... and a £1000+ bill didn't help

So it broke down once. Could have happened to any car.

 

 

Well, the first incident was on an uphill stretch of the A3, we were overtaking a truck and I had to abandon that idea and coasted onto the hard shoulder... Turned out the autochoke pulldown was sticking and over-richening the mixture.

 

Second was autochoke out of adjustment and it got going eventually once I buried the accelerator while operating the starter.

 

The third when I was stranded by the ignition coil I was on my own.... and had to be recovered home on a flat bed truck - and pay the AA to upgrade to Relay before they'd do it... But yeah, close to sandwiches and lavs etc.

 

Yeah so it broke down once! (I think) And yes Autochokes are the SPAWN OF THE DEVIL...

 

@ Moog: Glad you are converted to the ways of the BX. I'm missing it already

 

@ Scooters: Yeah I know there's a BX14 for sale on BXClub, but I'd never get that past the 'FD'

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[scooters]

@wanatabe

 

ok - let's convert the thread to most amusing/unamusing breakdown...

 

The afternoon I got my Golf Clipper it died on me on the North circular in rush hour - there was a HUGE traffic jam - thing is that I wasn't really the cause of it as a mile yards up the road was traffic control for roadworks and contra flow...this of course didn't stop some total arsehole blaming me for the jam (it was blitheringly obvious where I had broken down didn't make a jot of difference to the traffic) the said mouth breather then got very lippy and started speaking to me in what I can only assume was an attempt to formulate some words something about stupif old cars etc - anyway, I couldn't understand him and suggested that if he was that upset he could give he a hand to push it to the other side of the cones...he told me to fuck off but a kind policeman who had been observing the whole thing from an unmarked car - especially the bit when he pushed me in the chest - thought pushig the car was a jolly good idea and pointed out that if he didn't help he would get arrested for assault.

 

So we pushed it into the cones until the AA came to rescue me - the patrol man and I laughed all the way to the services when the copper decided to check the other driver out - 3 illegal tyres AND no insurance AND a ncked tax disc....£1000 fine and 15 points...oh dear.....not to worry the bus service is very good these days and will be better for his blood pressure

[stuboy]

silly boy in his stupidity got him knicked

[mnde]

Good story that

 

I just realised when the octopus went, I was on my way to work (on my own) and coming off the A3 on a slip road to a roundabout controlled by lights. So I got that sinking feeling (literally) but was able to nurse it to a Sainsburys garage forecourt (near Cobham, Rich ). So I had to be recovered on a flat bed truck, but I was within range of lav and sandwiches. By that token it's never broken down properly!

 

Getting a front puncture on the way to a job interview wasn't amusing though. Being a BX I was able to drive it normally, negotiate a roundabout and a left turn and park it in a layby on a busy road, near the centre of Guildford. The unamusing bit was when I realised that my proper wheel wrench was in the GSA - back home on the drive so I had to walk home (I was living in Guildford at the time), fetch the GSA, park it behind the BX, change the wheel in my suit and tie at the side of this busy road, drive the BX back home, phoned to say I was going to be late for my interview, got a lift back to where the GSA was and drove that to the interview....

 

Sometimes I wonder what I'd do without two working, taxed and MOT'd cars!

 

Mark.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

My classiest breakdown was when my Herald ate a big end bearing during an ill advised motorway overtake.

 

It started rattling. I assumed one of the bonnet catches had popped open. Then it got louder.

At the 300 yd marker for Stafford services it became a frantic knocking

By the 200 yd marker it was deafening

At the 100 yd marker I could feel the engine losing power

On the slip road into the services the oil light illuminated

... and as I entered the car park, the engine cut and I coasted into a space.

Then I got out, called the RAC and went to the loo before purchasing a delicious sandwich.

 

had to be recovered home on a flat bed truck - and pay the AA to upgrade to Relay before they'd do it...

I had to pay £200 for recovery (not even a flatbed) and be told how dim it was to take a 40 year old car on long trips with only basic cover. A couple years later my sister's car dumped its coolant and overheated on the M62, and the patrolman gave her the same talk about the widsom of doing a 25,000 miles a year in a 17 year old Escort with only the basic cover.

 

the patrol man and I laughed all the way to the services when the copper decided to check the other driver out - 3 illegal tyres AND no insurance AND a ncked tax disc....£1000 fine and 15 points...oh dear.....not to worry the bus service is very good these days and will be better for his blood pressure

Awesome.

[The Moog]

Probably would be the Micra lunching its gearbox on the M25. On the way to Gatwick for our Holiday. With the Missus driving because i was still drunk from the night before (it was my football clubs last game at their home ground).

 

Cue one crying missus, a Moog who could barely talk, trying to organise breakdown recovery. we only had local recovery so had to pay for the car to be taken to Gatwick then dropped back in Ashford (£220).

 

Luckily I was so comatose I didnt really notice it all.. .

[mnde]

^^ Priceless!

[jonathan_dyane]

My best one was driving from Liverpool to Durham in my very elderly Dyane.

 

I'd had a heavy weekend on the drink, and been staying on my mates floor and wasn't in the best of condition. Somewhere near Warrington we hit traffic and the Dyane started running like a pig while I was in the 3rd lane, traffic at walking pace. Not having much momentum when it conked out, I had to push it (singlehandedly) to the hard shoulder.

 

The symptoms seemed like a blocked jet, and I'd just opened the bonnet and got my tools out when the 'Traffic Officer' arrived, sidled round to the front of the car and started giving me the second degree. He stated that it was illegal to fix cars on the side of the road, to which I expressed surprise, and suggested that he informed the AA et al of this 'fact'. He responded saying that that was ok because they had 'all the proper gear' and 'flashing lights'. I told him that in that case it was lucky he had turned up with his flashing lights, and if he could give me a few moments I would get on and fix the thing. Then having a brainwave, I asked him to crank it over on the starter while I put my hand over the top of the carb, so as to try and avoid taking the thing to bits with him breathing down my neck. He declined, saying it was illegal for him to enter another motorists car. At this point I told him he wasn't much use then, and proceeded to jam the throttle open, place my hand over the top of the carb and short out the starter solenoid with a screwdriver. This generated some impressive sparking, which caused him to step back, and after a moment I removed my hand from the carb at which point my recalitrant twin pots spluttered back into life. With the engine screaming away at about 4000rpm with the throttle wedged, I calmly put my tools away, thanked him for his help and motored on.

 

Sadly all was not well, and around Leeming it became apparent I was about to make another unscheduled stop. Thankfully this time I managed to limp off the motorway and into a supermarket car park, where I decided to take the top off the carb and remove and blow through the jets. Alas, as I took the carb to bits it became apparent that my back was most unhappy, due to a combination of sleeping on the floor and having manhandled the Dyane off the road earlier. Just as I had one of the jets in my hand it suddenly went into a most impressive spasm, which resulted in my falling backwards to the ground in considerable pain, still holding the precious jet tightly in my hand. Thankfully the spasm receded, but as I lay there in the gutter it became apparent that all was not well with the back, and getting back up was going to be a difficult task. Seeing a passer by, I called for them to help, however alas the fucker gave me one look and walked in the other direction; perhaps put off by my piercings and the fact that at the time I looked rather Gothic in terms of appearance.

 

Seeing as I had picked a quiet part of the car park to do my mechanicing no one else seemed to be around, and I had to drag myself up the front wheel, wing and then a-pillar to get back to a standing position. Standing looking under the bonnet it became clear that it was not going to be possible for me to reassemble the carb, as leaning forward even sightly resulted in the most incredible agony. At that point I called the breakdown people, and stood waiting for them, and explaining my situation instructed them in how to put the carb back together. I then had to get the guy to help me back into the car, and when I got to my destination I had to alert them (my parents) to my arrival by blowing the horn, so they could come out of the house and help me out of the car.

 

I think that was my most eventful breakdown.

[Lord Sterling]

Nothing spectacular from me;

 

The first day my Rover Sterling was ready I hadnt even got home when it decided to conk out, I managed to roll into a local industrial estate entrance and ask the securty guard to look after the car whilst I make arrangements to get it towed somewhere. The guard was nice enough to point a security camera at the car and keep an eye on it as I walked the rest of the way back home to collect the Rover 820E I had at the time.

 

It was here I met a RAC patrolman who was into mk2 Cavaliers and Calibres (bodykitted mk2 Cav) he talked to me about buying them, doing them up and selling them onto enthusiasts, one of his old motors, a mk2 Cavalier convertible even featured in a mid-90s Max Power which he showed me.

 

Upon getting the car back a few weeks later, it cut out on a roundabout and I managed to roll it back into the junction I came out of, I saw a couple in a RAV 4 looking at me in disbelief as I rolled back, I managed to get it started again and off home I went.

 

Next day, I took a mate of mine to the Jewellery Quarter, on the way back the car started doing funky things like cutting out, I phoed the RAC again, tried the car a few times when it came back to life, so I cancelled the call out ad off I went, but nearing Blackheath the car started getting all funky again, it wouldnt change gear (auto) the interior lights started flickering and eventually I started losing power. I told matey boy I'd head home instead and he'd have to bus it the rest of the way, but he kept on badgering me to get him to Halesowen. It almost cut out on the roundabout again but I managed to roll into a road down towards Blackheath and park it up on a side pavement, matey called his mate to get back to Halesowen and I was on the phone to the RAC, again. Problem turned out to be a failed alternator.

[Cavcraft]

Breaking down in my recovery truck on the A41 (Wirral area) during rush hour was a right pisser. I went to get the car that was on the back of it off (so I could tow the truck with it) and grab a passerby who offered to help but I'd left the lights on the car so the battery was flat

 

Megane threw a pulley bolt 'thing' out somewhere near the Runcorn/Widnes bridge. RAC came, laughed at me when I asked him to put the bolt back in so got a lift back with car. Asked him to stop en-route so I could collect my spare vehicle from my mate's house and his (RAC man's) face was a picture when I pulled out of the drive in my recovery truck.

[Craig the Princess]

Best breakdown recovery chap we had came when our Green allegro conked out on the way to BL day after Port Vale v Orient as few years back. Had to push up onto the pavement and wait two hours for a chappy in a Berlingo to come out. He didn't have a clue so after a good thirty seconds gave up and called a flat bed. 3 hours later t turns up but the guy couldn't have been nice, he'd just been half way across the country so needed diesel, for the inconvience he bought both of us a coke and a pasty Arrived to camp at BL day at half midnight with the gates locked so tents went up in the dark. New rotor arm fixed it, drove 105 miles home to Kent before breaking down (and swapping rotor arms) 6 times in the final mile and a half! Engine lasted another 200 miles.

 

Same car broke down in France on our way to catch the ferry in single land roadworks on the autoroute. I don't know what the recovery company bribed the guy with to make him so keen we catch the ferry, at one point on the auto route his Renault Traffic flat bed slowed to 160kph! Towed onto the ferry by one of their tug vehicles and the same off at the other end. UK brakdown guy puts some oil in the carbdash pot and we drive home The recovery cost for the France bit would have been €1,100 so that was £58 well spent before hand.

 

Same car again (can you see the theme here? - Green cars are a nightmare) driving down the M11 delveops a slight rattle. Drive on about 20 miles it gets slightly louder, no other symptoms so I stop at Birchanger Green Service. Nothing obvious under the bonnet, doesn't seem hot on the gague or under the bonnet. I givit 20 minutes anyway and carry on, rattle gets progressivly louder, by the Blackwall tunnel it won't do more than 40, ok my Mum lives a couple of miles from there, no bother. Turn off the A102, now can't do 30mph get half way up a big (12%) hill and nothing. Try a hill start, just about holds steady, arse. Nothing else for it but to coast back down the hill (round the blind bend - at night!) and drive the londer way round going up a series of smaller hills. Anyway that was the headgasket between two of the cylinders, massive crack in the block and head. Car is currently in our "workshop" building with it's third replacement engine out of it to replace the gearbox.

[scooters]

Having pushed some remarkable chod into extreme service when it is in no condition to do so means that I am no stranger to the hard shoulder.

 

I think the most exhaustng and knackering as well as disheartening was the 1954 Morris Minor. I swapped my legendary Daf 55 Marathon (I loved that car - Gordini engine and all) for a Moggy from top dutch Daf nutter the Dutchman Onne (who you may have come acoss on Daf and Morris forums. Anyway, to be fair to Onne he was meticulous in pointing out the potential issues with the car. The Daf was having a new sunroof fitted by Peter Hervey (the best Webasto/Britax chap in the country by some mile), Onne was collecting it directly from him so I drove up to Nottingham from St Alans in my XJ40, parked the Daimler at Onnes and started to drive the Moggy south to St Albans -leaving Nottingham at about 10.00pm. Anyway, 10 miles into the journey it dies on me. Late at night and tired so I get the AA out and am rescued by their reps in the area - Arthur Jones. I ask them to take the Morris to their Letchworth Depot and to drive me back to Nottingham where I collected the Daimler at 2.00am and drove back to Hertfordshire.

 

Jones's called the next day to tell me that the coil had gone. The MOT was coming up and the car could do with some work on the gear box so I got them to quote. Came back quite reasonable to rebuild the top end of the engine, rebuild and re engineer the gear box, replace and paint a wing with a new old stock one, service, MOT etc. So I tasked them with this - and 3 months later (delay on getting the wing and the gear box parts) I eventually collected the car one afternoon and planned to drive it to Edinburgh.

 

Collected, paid for and off I set - got as far as the M18 before the car broke down again - usual loss of power - no start - obviously the coil. Jones's were closed by now so I called the AA - they sent an enthusiastic engineer. Now this can be a curse as well as a benefit. TBH I had a long way to go and I knew that it would be the coil or condensor to blame even though both were brand new and I was carrying a spare of both (many of these parts are cheap and nasty Chinese ones and the MMOC estimate that up to 1/3 are faulty when they leave the factory - I usually buy remanufactured UK parts eg Lucas) All I wanted was a flatbed to take me home. However I spent the next 6 hours in Doncaster whilst the chap tried every trick in the book, including driving to his house in Doncaster where he tried about 30 different coils and condensors before admitting defeat at about 2 am when he called in the flatbed - I got to bed at 7.30am...unamused.

[dollywobbler]

On our Swiss 2CV trip in 2010, the 2CV developed a really bad misfire. The sort that cuts the ignition entirely, then brings it back to cause a huge backfire down the exhaust. At one point in some French mountains, it got so bad that I just turned the engine off and coasted for a good few miles as we'd crested the top. We only stopped because we reached a town and a set of traffic lights. No choice really, I had to stop. My wife jumped out to push me away from the lights - I'd decided to turn right as it was downhill. Spotted a park, so just drove into it thinking I probably didn't want to leave my wife too far behind! A confused French bloke then watched from his bench while I tinkered - found that the heat-sink on my points-assisted electronic ignition unit had come loose. Things had melted, so there was no chance of sorting it out. I did have the condenser etc with me, so could have bypassed the unit with much more tinkering. Instead, I took the side panels off to increase the through-put of air. This seemed to work and the next day, we did 660 miles from mid-France to home.

 

Reminds me. Must change the coil as I think it's suspect. Idle is rather erratic on a long run, and it'll be transporting us to Croydon and back next week...

[andrew e]

France 2007 no recovery cover, 175k Voyager, family and 4 weeks camping gear.... meet this nice French garigiste:

 

 

Thing is I had checked the solid state fuel pump out myself, and had a bricks an mortar auto electrician check it out. Over 4 weeks in France (I went home on eurostar to do 2 weeks of shifts) it did 1600 miles, and then on a bloody saturday afternoon in the middle of nowhere it failed outside Rouen. Still my schoolboy French got us collected, and delivered to a garage whose particulary grumpy wife dropped us at a B+B run by a man who after prentending to speak no English, confessed he had lived by Brands Hatch all his life The bugger! Still he had a lovely proper twin tank cooper S and a Willys jeep.

 

He Also suggested bunging the garigiste 50 euros for a lift to Calais as he was running a dead Scenic there at the AA's expense... Which worked, me and the E family daughters and wife in the worlds tattiest Saviem right to the walk on steps of the Ferry, we even got on a day old bus on the other side on a 57 plate. I think Sea France has stopped walk on tickets now.

 

 

Returned the following week and collected the said Chrysler with an eye watering bill for a genuine Mopar pump (and recovery). I have european recovery now The Voyager is in Poland I think, I sold it soon after and bought a Zafira... it went like shite of a shovel though

[CreepingJesus]

Had a CV joint on my old Mk2 Ashtray go on me with no warning once. It hadn't clicked, clacked or felt that lumpy way thro' the steering wheel once. It chose to do this on the M8 one night in the pissing rain, only a few moments after I'd smirked at a brand new Clio on the hard shoulder being tended to by the AA.

I did pull over to check it wasn't the tyre on the way out, and it wasn't, so I gamely carried on, hoping it would get us to Glasgow. What with it getting worse, I pulled off at Strathclyde Country Park, to take to the backroads. It didn't even make it into Bothwell, before there was no drive at all, just revs and a lot of clanking.

With no cover (I was an impoverished student at the time), I was up the proverbial creek. Thankfully, a kind gent gave me a lift up to Bothwell, where I begged a call off a Chinese takeaway, to call my folks. Even more thankfully, my dad and sister came out; and between us, we concocted a story about how it was his car, but my sister would give him a lift home, while dutiful son sorted the stricken car out. All to get a lift off the RAC. Better still, I got the RAC bloke to drop it at my sister-in-law's house, 'cos it was conveniently close to a Vauxhall garage.

All fixed the next day for £97, including a tenner for towing the car the whole two minutes to the garage, at breakneck speed, behind a Carlton.

Lesson learned; I'm usually covered these days. The day one of my Passats did its' oil pump in Homebase's car park was nothing like as traumatic, due to calling the AA on a mobile, and getting taken home. Too easy!

[kinkersaab]

Fortunately not had too many breakdowns, which is amazing considering the miles i do, and the fact I seem to always be playing a car dealers favourite game of petrol station roulette. My worst thought was in one of these

which i had just traded for a C plate maestro. SO i was bombing down the M6 one winters evening not a care in the world and SCREEEECH Bang!! something went wrong with the electrics, turned out to be alternator, anyway, everything went dark, very quickly, all i could do was slow down and try and get off the road and on to the hard shoulder which i managed ok i thought, got out and staggered up the embankment and waited, I had just got a mobile phone so it must have been about 1998, i had to join aa at the side of the road. when the truck came it was apparent that i had come to rest not just close to, but against a bridge upright. must have been my lucky night in an odd sort of way... I remember the whole episode including repair and a hotel cost me twice what the car owed me.