Post by harry on May 14, 2018 8:38:36 GMT 1
Funny story I thought you all might appreciate.
So I had to leave my place in Brighton last October due to very bad planning (thought there was less to do on the conversion than there was, due to over optimism!). Since then been all over the country, Somerset at my mums for a month or two (didn't work out - our 2 dogs plus mums dog and cat was never gonna work for long). After that we were basically NFA for a while trying to sort something out. Driving along the M4 and its closed, follow diversion. 5th gear had been sound weird for a while but I was knackered and it was late. Pull up the roundabout for the chievely services and suddenly every gear is GRINDINGGG. Anyway long story short, get to the services and AA bloke diagnoses gearbox knackered. It's Saturday night in the services, and we don't have anywhere to even get towed to anyhow!
End up staying in the long stay with my gf for the weekend - remember its December and below freezing, no heater in the back and the cab heater didn't even work at the point!
On Monday we get put on the back of a tow truck and towed to a commercial garage in Basingstoke (closest I could find that would take the van - twin wheel base etc).
Takes them an age to even look at it obviously. We decide best thing to do is to just get a replacement (Cheers Bentleyboy in Essex). Spend 3 weeks in the cheapest airbnb in Basingstoke (room above a pub - jukebox comes on at 7pm every night and plays the same 15 songs - I never want to hear red red wine ever ever again, and I love that tune). I own a car but it was in Somerset! Rent a car and get over to Essex to get the box. Drop it off at the specialist, they give it a once over and its all good, just needs a clean up and a few new gaskets / seals.
Garage fits the box and we are good to go (apart from them putting the wrong cog on). Drive from Basingstoke to Hertfordshire, then dorset, then Dover, no problems. Eventually end up renting a place in Devon where they are chill with us finishing the van. Get it mostly finished before the tenancy ends.
Running very late to leave so not quite in my right mind. In a good mood though, cab heater working, sound system hooked up. Rattle up the A361 to the M5 no problems. M5 closed, take the exit for A38. Suddenly van keeps cutting out. OH CRAP. Its 1AM! Try to turn into a service station and it cuts out as I'm turning! Hazards don't work as I need to replace the relay! Get it started and into the garage. Pop the bonnet and there is water all over the battery. Turns out the alternator had nicked a rad hose (which had been secured to the battery earth but I'd disconnected it, and never clipped it back). In my defence its a stupid place for the hose to come out, it comes out directly opposite the alternator!!!.
All I've got is gaffa tape. I tape up the hose for now, and tape it out of the way. Dry off the battery best as I can. Refill the rad and get on my way. I assumed Maybe the water had shorted the battery or something! get 100m down the road and it happens again! Pull up on the kerb on what will be a very busy road in the morning. Won't start at alll!
Call the AA, they send out a sub at 3.30AM. He pops the bonnet (tbf I lost my prop so i had to hold it up for him so that probably didn't put him in a great mood). He immediately starts slagging off the van - ancient oil / fuel filter, ancient solenoid, cold start not connected etc. All things I am planning on fixing. He even tells me I could have blown the head gasket which puts the fear in me (although I knew that the rad had load of water in).
He tries to jump start me with one of those little 12v packs - like thats gonna work! I don't say anything anyway. He rope tows us to an industrial estate so a garage can have a look in the morning. Its 4AM at this point, I piss up a lampost and my poor gf has to go behind a bin (with security lights and cameras everywhere).
Wake up in the morning and call the AA. In the meantime I replace the push clip battery connectors with conventional ones, and pick up some new rad hose etc.
AA bloke is lovely. We clean up a few things and manage to get the van started. Happy days!
Get 10m down the road and it happens again. Morale extremely low. We even consider replacing the van. I try to tighten the connection on the solenoid and snap the crimp straight of haha. I replace the crappy underpowered Lion battery with a decent Bosch. Still won't start!
Call the AA. Same bloke comes out. First thing he says to me is - does it have any diesel in it? PENNY DROPS. I should add our fuel gauge doesn't work - I asked the garage to fix it last year but they never did. I had been filling up periodically but it basically slipped my mind. He whacks 6 litres in. Engine starts first time, sounds spot on. We drive a few miles with him tailing us to services and I fill it up with 64 litres!!!
After that, drove all the way back from Taunton to Brighton no problems at all.
I was absolutely KICKING MYSELF! Still you have to see the funny side - who knew vehicles won't run without any fuel???
So I had to leave my place in Brighton last October due to very bad planning (thought there was less to do on the conversion than there was, due to over optimism!). Since then been all over the country, Somerset at my mums for a month or two (didn't work out - our 2 dogs plus mums dog and cat was never gonna work for long). After that we were basically NFA for a while trying to sort something out. Driving along the M4 and its closed, follow diversion. 5th gear had been sound weird for a while but I was knackered and it was late. Pull up the roundabout for the chievely services and suddenly every gear is GRINDINGGG. Anyway long story short, get to the services and AA bloke diagnoses gearbox knackered. It's Saturday night in the services, and we don't have anywhere to even get towed to anyhow!
End up staying in the long stay with my gf for the weekend - remember its December and below freezing, no heater in the back and the cab heater didn't even work at the point!
On Monday we get put on the back of a tow truck and towed to a commercial garage in Basingstoke (closest I could find that would take the van - twin wheel base etc).
Takes them an age to even look at it obviously. We decide best thing to do is to just get a replacement (Cheers Bentleyboy in Essex). Spend 3 weeks in the cheapest airbnb in Basingstoke (room above a pub - jukebox comes on at 7pm every night and plays the same 15 songs - I never want to hear red red wine ever ever again, and I love that tune). I own a car but it was in Somerset! Rent a car and get over to Essex to get the box. Drop it off at the specialist, they give it a once over and its all good, just needs a clean up and a few new gaskets / seals.
Garage fits the box and we are good to go (apart from them putting the wrong cog on). Drive from Basingstoke to Hertfordshire, then dorset, then Dover, no problems. Eventually end up renting a place in Devon where they are chill with us finishing the van. Get it mostly finished before the tenancy ends.
Running very late to leave so not quite in my right mind. In a good mood though, cab heater working, sound system hooked up. Rattle up the A361 to the M5 no problems. M5 closed, take the exit for A38. Suddenly van keeps cutting out. OH CRAP. Its 1AM! Try to turn into a service station and it cuts out as I'm turning! Hazards don't work as I need to replace the relay! Get it started and into the garage. Pop the bonnet and there is water all over the battery. Turns out the alternator had nicked a rad hose (which had been secured to the battery earth but I'd disconnected it, and never clipped it back). In my defence its a stupid place for the hose to come out, it comes out directly opposite the alternator!!!.
All I've got is gaffa tape. I tape up the hose for now, and tape it out of the way. Dry off the battery best as I can. Refill the rad and get on my way. I assumed Maybe the water had shorted the battery or something! get 100m down the road and it happens again! Pull up on the kerb on what will be a very busy road in the morning. Won't start at alll!
Call the AA, they send out a sub at 3.30AM. He pops the bonnet (tbf I lost my prop so i had to hold it up for him so that probably didn't put him in a great mood). He immediately starts slagging off the van - ancient oil / fuel filter, ancient solenoid, cold start not connected etc. All things I am planning on fixing. He even tells me I could have blown the head gasket which puts the fear in me (although I knew that the rad had load of water in).
He tries to jump start me with one of those little 12v packs - like thats gonna work! I don't say anything anyway. He rope tows us to an industrial estate so a garage can have a look in the morning. Its 4AM at this point, I piss up a lampost and my poor gf has to go behind a bin (with security lights and cameras everywhere).
Wake up in the morning and call the AA. In the meantime I replace the push clip battery connectors with conventional ones, and pick up some new rad hose etc.
AA bloke is lovely. We clean up a few things and manage to get the van started. Happy days!
Get 10m down the road and it happens again. Morale extremely low. We even consider replacing the van. I try to tighten the connection on the solenoid and snap the crimp straight of haha. I replace the crappy underpowered Lion battery with a decent Bosch. Still won't start!
Call the AA. Same bloke comes out. First thing he says to me is - does it have any diesel in it? PENNY DROPS. I should add our fuel gauge doesn't work - I asked the garage to fix it last year but they never did. I had been filling up periodically but it basically slipped my mind. He whacks 6 litres in. Engine starts first time, sounds spot on. We drive a few miles with him tailing us to services and I fill it up with 64 litres!!!
After that, drove all the way back from Taunton to Brighton no problems at all.
I was absolutely KICKING MYSELF! Still you have to see the funny side - who knew vehicles won't run without any fuel???