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I fear breaking down too. It is a total pain, inconvenient, and a waste of my time. Even more so when I'm with my wife and the dog as there is a whole other level of stress to it.
That having been said, I keep the cars serviced, replace what needs replacing when needed (not "I'll do that in a couple of months time") and so far so good. Sure I keep an ear out for rattles and stuff, but unless it is clearly something rather untoward I'll just make a mental note and have a look next time it is convenient. 90% of the time it is some rubber part wearing out it seems.
Touch wood I've not had to be recovered for a few years, and that time was water pump failure without warning (the time before was a fuel pump failure without warning).
I carry jump leads, a modest tool kit (anything needing more probably wants to be done in a nicer environment, or by someone whose time costs less than mine), some wood blocks, small (but good enough) trolley jack, and suitable roadside recovery membership.
So I'm not as gung-ho and carefree as the others here, but I also don't live in fear. Keep on top of maintenance and anything is just something that happens sometimes.
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RAC and AA have this "unbreakable" rule. They MUST send a patrol vehicle to diagnose the problem before dispatching a recovery type to pull it in. Flipping Jobsworths! They won't trust ANYONE to tell them what's wrong with their car! No matter that I am 50 years more experienced than the spotty youth they send!
This is exactly what happened with the Metro all those years ago. I TOLD the AA on the motorway phone that the engine was seized solid and the car would need to be dragged in, it made not a scrap of difference. After a more than 90 minute wait in freezing conditions, unable to run the engine to use the heater, a patrol turned up dragged me off the motorway to a transport cafe car park at the next exit. This was little better as I didn't even have the price of a cup of tea on me! And there I sat for another 3 frozen hours till the transporter showed up to drag the the thing in.
A lot of the "new breed" of recovery services like Green Flag now equip their vans with collapsible towing rigs (love the mechanical ballet as they unfold them from a tiny space) and the AA are beginning to get the message. But they are still only good for getting the vehicle to a safer spot, they still want to transfer to a proper flatbed truck to go more than a handful of miles. I can't see a solution, especially as modern cars often stop because of a failed sensor rather than anything actually mechanically wrong!
Steve
PS Britannia rescue is brilliant, I used to be with them years ago somehow let it lapse and thought they had gone out of business. They would also offer recovery only for a fair price, rather than as a cost option on top of the normal service, which suits me. Anything that CAN be fixed at the roadside, I can do myself, I only need the recovery part for catastrophic failures that CAN't be fixed in 20 minutes!
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That's similar to what finished my RAC membership, it was linked to our bank account. En route home from the zoo with the family and my Saab TTiD decided it wanted to eat the small turbo, I called them and told them exactly what was wrong with it. Did they listen? Not even slightly, they sent the patrol out without the collapsible frame in the back of his van, got him to drive me the 6 miles home and collected my Navara which pulled the Saab home.
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Had exactly the same with the AA years ago, failed oil pump on an RRC, told them in detail what had happened, no point in the man in the van, still sent one, six hours later we got the truck it needed ,🙄
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Can't complain about the AA, van turned up after I told them it was not repairable, quick look and out with the solid tow. Home within the hour.
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Proton Jumbuck-deceased :-( 2005 Kia Sorento the parts hauling heap V8 Humber Hawk 1948 Standard12 pickup SOLD 1953 Pop build (wifey's BIVA build).
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I thought all the rac/aa vans had those brale folding dollies in the back?
only time I've ever used the rac I told them he headgasket had gone, fountain out of the radiator cap style, recovery guy towed me the 17 miles home.
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I don't worry about it until they happen. Like last Thursday night when my Jumbuck dumped all its water, closely followed by the head gasket. Then the temp gauge reacted... This is something that bothers me about my wife's Toyota Ipsum. It doesn't have a temperature gauge, only an idiot light on the dashboard that glows blue at cold start then goes out when the engine warms up. Supposedly it glows red in the event of the engine overheating. I question whether the red light will come on before the engine cooks itself to death.
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RAC and AA have this "unbreakable" rule. They MUST send a patrol vehicle to diagnose the problem before dispatching a recovery type to pull it in. Flipping Jobsworths! They won't trust ANYONE to tell them what's wrong with their car! No matter that I am 50 years more experienced than the spotty youth they send! This is exactly what happened with the Metro all those years ago. I TOLD the AA on the motorway phone that the engine was seized solid and the car would need to be dragged in, it made not a scrap of difference. After a more than 90 minute wait in freezing conditions, unable to run the engine to use the heater, a patrol turned up dragged me off the motorway to a transport cafe car park at the next exit. This was little better as I didn't even have the price of a cup of tea on me! And there I sat for another 3 frozen hours till the transporter showed up to drag the the thing in. A lot of the "new breed" of recovery services like Green Flag now equip their vans with collapsible towing rigs (love the mechanical ballet as they unfold them from a tiny space) and the AA are beginning to get the message. But they are still only good for getting the vehicle to a safer spot, they still want to transfer to a proper flatbed truck to go more than a handful of miles. I can't see a solution, especially as modern cars often stop because of a failed sensor rather than anything actually mechanically wrong! Steve PS Britannia rescue is brilliant, I used to be with them years ago somehow let it lapse and thought they had gone out of business. They would also offer recovery only for a fair price, rather than as a cost option on top of the normal service, which suits me. Anything that CAN be fixed at the roadside, I can do myself, I only need the recovery part for catastrophic failures that CAN't be fixed in 20 minutes! It is very frustrating & I’ve had it myself but can you imagine how many flatbed recovery trucks they’d send out unnecessarily if they listened to every total nut job that rings up saying ‘it definitely needs towing in’ ? You literally would be out of business
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RAC and AA have this "unbreakable" rule. They MUST send a patrol vehicle to diagnose the problem before dispatching a recovery type to pull it in. Flipping Jobsworths! They won't trust ANYONE to tell them what's wrong with their car! No matter that I am 50 years more experienced than the spotty youth they send! This is exactly what happened with the Metro all those years ago. I TOLD the AA on the motorway phone that the engine was seized solid and the car would need to be dragged in, it made not a scrap of difference. After a more than 90 minute wait in freezing conditions, unable to run the engine to use the heater, a patrol turned up dragged me off the motorway to a transport cafe car park at the next exit. This was little better as I didn't even have the price of a cup of tea on me! And there I sat for another 3 frozen hours till the transporter showed up to drag the the thing in. A lot of the "new breed" of recovery services like Green Flag now equip their vans with collapsible towing rigs (love the mechanical ballet as they unfold them from a tiny space) and the AA are beginning to get the message. But they are still only good for getting the vehicle to a safer spot, they still want to transfer to a proper flatbed truck to go more than a handful of miles. I can't see a solution, especially as modern cars often stop because of a failed sensor rather than anything actually mechanically wrong! Steve PS Britannia rescue is brilliant, I used to be with them years ago somehow let it lapse and thought they had gone out of business. They would also offer recovery only for a fair price, rather than as a cost option on top of the normal service, which suits me. Anything that CAN be fixed at the roadside, I can do myself, I only need the recovery part for catastrophic failures that CAN't be fixed in 20 minutes! It is very frustrating & I’ve had it myself but can you imagine how many flatbed recovery trucks they’d send out unnecessarily if they listened to every total nut job that rings up saying ‘it definitely needs towing in’ ? You literally would be out of business But brittania can manage it? And they've no idea of my mechanical prowess, or lack of it!
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Back in June 8pm at night nearly 80 miles from home with alternator failure. RAC got me home at 6:30am the next day via two different independent recovery companies. Thought that was pretty poor by them, changed to the AA now.
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1994 BMW 525i touring 2004 BMW Z4 sorn and broken 1977 Ford Escort 1982 Ford Capri getting restored 1999 Mazda B2500 daily driver.
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perf
Part of things
Posts: 35
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Never had a car younger than 14years(Focus 04 now). First car 1996. I don't worry. Recovered one time I think, in Denmark. Problematic but no one hurt.
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I don't worry about breaking down, it can happen in any car so why worry?
I do keep on top of maintenance and do all the work myself, so I normally spot things before they become a problem. I drive old German machinery mostly so the only breakdowns I've had were down to me being an animal, broken driveshafts ect.
One thing I am lucky with is to be part of a great group of mates, most of who would bring a car trailer anywhere, anytime, if needed.
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1988 Mercedes w124 superturbo diesel 508hp 1996 Mercedes s124 e300 diesel wagon 1990 BMW E30 V8 M60 powered! 1999 BMW E46 323ci project car
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At first I read part of that last post as "hitting a large animal". I got away with that once, in a '79 Mini Clubman. Cow came galloping out of a driveway at just the wrong (or right depending on viewpoint) moment. Side impact on left front wing, cow somersaulted over bonnet, got to her feet and wandered off. If I'd been travelling a little bit closer to the speed limit (i.e. slower) I might have hit her instead of her hitting me and got a face full of broken windscreen and cow.
On a much more recent occasion one Saturday my Falcon spat out its alternator belt on the motorway. I managed to get off the motorway and into the forecourt of a local business before serious overheating ensued. Called the AA who sent the local garage man (on contract) with his recovery truck. He very kindly transported me and the car to a nearby Repco branch wherein I was able to purchase parts and tools to effect a proper repair in their carpark.
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thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,648
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I don't worry about it. I am used to old cars and have had some big enough stoppages of play over the years.
I've been stressed a couple of times when these have happened (e.g. blown head gasket on my XJ40 while full of family. A fried alternator on my e30 325i in mid-winter snow in Poland on the side of the main (two lane only) shipping and transit route east of Berlin).
However, I had an issue just last week returning from a 1300km round trip to Düsseldorf in the Speedster in the dark. No lights 3.5 hours from home on the Autobahn 50km north of Stuttgart. I was alone so I just viewed it as a possible adventure. Worst case I would have had to find somewhere previously unvisited to stay for the night, drink some fresh German beer and then find a garage in the morning.
As it turned out a friendly French trucker came to my aid with a phase tester and after we eliminated the fuses, connections and I tracked it to a relay issue. Quick relocation and on my way.
Now, my caveat to the general sentiment is if I have a car that I've lost confidence in and this concern pops into my head before I go somewhere then that car has to go. My e39 M5 and Bi Turbo left for these reasons.
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droopsnoot
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,443
Member is Online
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I sometimes worry about breaking down, but I always (now) carry my mobile phone, RAC card and some money so if all else fails, I can still get home somehow. I've even started making sure I've got a coat in the car, just in case, where I never used to do that. And that doesn't just apply to when I go out in the classics - at 21 years old, my daily "modern" is now the oldest car I've run as a daily driver, so I have to consider it in that, too. I first joined the RAC back when the major difference between them and the AA was that the AA covered the vehicle, and the RAC covered the person in any vehicle, though I believe that has since changed.
I've only called them out once, when my Sportshatch broke down on the way back from it's first show, and on that basis I can't rate them highly enough. Chap who attended had some classics of his own, arrived (late afternoon on a warm bank holiday Monday) in about 45 minutes, towed the car off the busy main road so we could look at it. Drove me to my shed (~15 miles each way) to collect a spare which turned out not to be the problem, found the problem (which is sufficiently embarrassing that I won't say what it was) and fixed it, then insisted on following me back to the shed in case I broke down again.
Obviously I hope I never call them again.
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I've always found them rather exciting, mainly because all the problem solving during an emergency is great fun.
What I'm less of a fan of is that every single one of my cars is broken down at the moment, and with enough stacked up problems that means none are an easy fix. So I'm borrowing one of my dad's cars until I can get the Jag done, which itself is ok but when that broke down as well I wasn't a particularly happy bunny! Luckily that one was an easy fix.
I think the issue is the fleet of cars with deferred maintenance while the Jag gets everything done ahead of time. Just need some headroom to catch up with all the other bits and pieces, which the Jag should provide, but getting to that point means the others just have to hold on a little longer!
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melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 1,984
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I was able to determine the cause easily enough at the roadside, the fuel pump relay had failed. I didn't have one with me (always carried one thereafter) so I called a mate who dragged it in. Could you bypass the relay with a jumper wire?
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www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
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tofufi
South West
Posts: 1,454
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I don't worry about breaking down.
In the last 16years of driving, I've had 3 breakdowns which needed a tow truck. Also a few flat batteries at home but that's often due to lack of use.
Keeping on top of maintenance is key.
My breakdowns were:
16 years ago - loose wire on the ignition switch of my '66 Beetle.
Last year - Rover P6 3500 dumped all it's oil on the road. Got towed home by a friend rather than using recovery.
This year - Volvo 340 siezed the turbo, dumped it's coolant, dumped it's gearbox oil (newly rebuilt gearbox...) and had an electrical fault all in the same trip. Had to give up once the gearbox oil disappeared.
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Depends on the car and whether you're doing a journey that absolutely has to get completed. Something as new as my Insight, I have no worries at all, any mileage. But if I did big miles with my 105E Anglia, you're starting to risk not getting there. Simple fact is it's over 50 years old and some stuff just fails from time to time, no matter how well you look after it. Especially anything which is an aftermarket pattern part. And if it's running the engine with the big cam and twin 40s you're definitely well in the risky territory.
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60six
Posted a lot
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Posts: 1,658
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All you need is a toolbox with the following:
tobacco/rizla/lighter in watertight bag. Various pieces of silicone hose that fit your car. tray of hose clips. (saab 9000 only) spare ignition module. self amalgamating tape - useful for creating rubber seals. zip ties & metal ties - metal for exhaust rubber temporary replacement, normal for everything else. gaffer tape lengths of cable and wago clips. set of bulbs / fuses 5l of oil / 2l water (or just buy those 5l bottles for a pound) araldite mini socket set / screwdrivers and cheap spanner set multimeter jump leads big old waterproof hoodie with 'Mr Spliffy' on it saab 8522310 relay cheapo gas soldering iron & a bit of solder (fixed indicator relay recently as saab were one of the first manufacturers to use lead free solder)
Sounds like a lot but apart from the oil/water it's about 50 quids worth of stuff.
I last broke down in freezing temps due to an earthing fault of my own doing and I didn't have any of this at the time. It was 7pm I broke down and the AA took 13 hours to get me back from Cambridge. That was enough to make sure I only call them again if I really have to.
If you have your significant other with you, just call the AA. Once they talk you out of getting blind drunk, give the recovery people a shout.
feel free to add to this list!
I know I have forgotten something
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Last Edit: Dec 7, 2021 11:09:36 GMT by 60six
Some 9000's, a 900, an RX8 & a beetle
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