Not such perfect timing
Discussion
My daily driver tin-top is off the road after it broke down near Bristol (bearing mind I live near Peterborough). It remains at a dealer there who are struggling to find the problem, so I've come home without it.
I need some wheels over the next week until I'm down there again, so I'm going to have to use the Tuscan as my daily driver. Would be perfect in the summer, but I'm not sure it will be quite as enjoyable in the weather predicted for the next week
I could of course take my wife's car and let her use the Tuscan but that would be cruel (to the Tuscan).
Wish me luck.
I need some wheels over the next week until I'm down there again, so I'm going to have to use the Tuscan as my daily driver. Would be perfect in the summer, but I'm not sure it will be quite as enjoyable in the weather predicted for the next week
I could of course take my wife's car and let her use the Tuscan but that would be cruel (to the Tuscan).
Wish me luck.
Used mine in -4 last weekend. Hope your heater works I just had to close this one, so bear with me. As you read this, remember that my job involves lots of driving (or not in this case)
The tin top (Ford Mondeo) is still not on the road. The week after my first post Brunel Ford (who I'd limped it to) called to say that it was ready so I got a train from Peterborough to Bristol. When I arrived I was told that it had broken down on its test run and they really wren't sure what the problem was. So i stayed in a hotel hoping it would be fixed, but Thursday night loomed and they still didn't know what it was. I did my "blowing a fuse" bit and they offered me a relief car - a Ka. I drove it the 200 miles home (in dark glasses and a hat in case I was recognised).
On Christmas eve they rang to say it was ready and when was I picking it up that afternoon? Er, no. I did drive the 200 miles back on 28th December, collected the car, spent the day in the office and drove home. The problem? Two duff injectors (which were on back-order hence the delays) . Hurrah!
Er, no. the next day it was spitting and f4rting again with less power than an asthmatic reliant robin so down to the local dealer, followed by my wife in her car. They ran a quick test and announced that the fuel pump was toast, which made a lot of sense. But no, they didn't have one and couldn't look at it until the new year. So I left it there, got driven home and used the Tuscan, desperately praying for no snow or ice. I called Ford Customer Services - chocolate fireguard is all I'll say about that.
First working day after new year, in it goes and the call comes at around 2:30 "we've found the problem, your tank is full of something horrible that isn't quite diesel which has damaged the pump. It isn't petrol though, so you haven't put the wrong fuel in, but the repair isn't under warranty. The pump is £1050 plus system flush, tank drain etc, will come to around £1600. You might be able to claim on your insurance. Happy New Year" I realise that I'd filled up (and I mean from fumes to full) at Strensham services on the way to Bristol, and what i got was probably £90 worth of crud. Of course, that can't be proved, which means that it's my fault.
So a call to the insurers, and I might be covered but they would need to send an engineer. If I sent it to their repairer there would be a relief car (Ka!) but not if I left it the dealer. As it still has 12 months warranty to run, and the dealer seems to be switched on, I'll leave it at the dealer.
At least I have the Tuscan to enjoy. Er, no. I realise that the Tuscan MOT expires on 9th so book it in at my local Indie. It is well maintained (its the one on the lift in Sprint this month - and no, my chassis was perfect) and I have no concerns. At about 2:30 comes the call "did you know your radiator is cracked and leaking when hot?" Oh ******* (roughly translated as oh dear). So the radiator goes off for a re-core. I trundle round in the relief car for 6 days which my family take an instant dislike to.
In the middle of this, the insurance engineer finally makes an appearance and signs off on the repairs to the Mundaneo. the fuel pump gets fitted but it still isn't right. "Ford say we should swap the whole fuel system including the rail and injectors" (2 of which you'll recall were replaced 3 weeks ago). "They are special order and will take 5 days or so." Surpise.........
Now, my daughter who is just 17 during this episode needs to be insured on my wife's car so she can practice driving. So I go onto confused.com, get an acceptable quote and call them up. We go through the details until we get to the last part. "You haven't declared the claim on 28th December - its in the insurance database." They take 5 days to get an engineer to my car but the claim is public in a nanosecond, before they've even paid out. That is an extra £120. And the Tuscan insurance went up by £80. Obviously filling a diesel car with diesel makes me a huge additional risk. B*******s!
But happy days the Tuscan is back and the weather is .......p1$$ing down, but what the hell. A long Saturday drive to drop my son off over good A roads awaits me. Er, no. A14 shut at weekends for repairs so I join the queues on the Ermine way. And the engine temperature doesn't look good - fans not kicking in. Aaaarrggghhhh! As long as we're moving it's fine, the new radiator doing a great job, so I'm cursing the guy in front who waits until there is a 200 yard gap before he moves.
So, back home Saturday afternoon (via the A1 this time), bonnet off and I replace the crappy, corroded fan connectors. Couldn't see any breaks, but obviously they were disturbed during the radiator swap.
I still don't have the Mundaneo back. Tomorrow maybe. They said that yesterday. At least they are calling to keep me updated.
I'm still laughing (hysterically), but I have to ask:
- Why didn't the original dealer do the job properly?
- Why am I being fleeced by insurance companies when I haven't made any mistake?
- Why doesn't Ford have any parts nearer than 5 days away?
- Why do I still want to add another car to my garage?
Ho hum.
The tin top (Ford Mondeo) is still not on the road. The week after my first post Brunel Ford (who I'd limped it to) called to say that it was ready so I got a train from Peterborough to Bristol. When I arrived I was told that it had broken down on its test run and they really wren't sure what the problem was. So i stayed in a hotel hoping it would be fixed, but Thursday night loomed and they still didn't know what it was. I did my "blowing a fuse" bit and they offered me a relief car - a Ka. I drove it the 200 miles home (in dark glasses and a hat in case I was recognised).
On Christmas eve they rang to say it was ready and when was I picking it up that afternoon? Er, no. I did drive the 200 miles back on 28th December, collected the car, spent the day in the office and drove home. The problem? Two duff injectors (which were on back-order hence the delays) . Hurrah!
Er, no. the next day it was spitting and f4rting again with less power than an asthmatic reliant robin so down to the local dealer, followed by my wife in her car. They ran a quick test and announced that the fuel pump was toast, which made a lot of sense. But no, they didn't have one and couldn't look at it until the new year. So I left it there, got driven home and used the Tuscan, desperately praying for no snow or ice. I called Ford Customer Services - chocolate fireguard is all I'll say about that.
First working day after new year, in it goes and the call comes at around 2:30 "we've found the problem, your tank is full of something horrible that isn't quite diesel which has damaged the pump. It isn't petrol though, so you haven't put the wrong fuel in, but the repair isn't under warranty. The pump is £1050 plus system flush, tank drain etc, will come to around £1600. You might be able to claim on your insurance. Happy New Year" I realise that I'd filled up (and I mean from fumes to full) at Strensham services on the way to Bristol, and what i got was probably £90 worth of crud. Of course, that can't be proved, which means that it's my fault.
So a call to the insurers, and I might be covered but they would need to send an engineer. If I sent it to their repairer there would be a relief car (Ka!) but not if I left it the dealer. As it still has 12 months warranty to run, and the dealer seems to be switched on, I'll leave it at the dealer.
At least I have the Tuscan to enjoy. Er, no. I realise that the Tuscan MOT expires on 9th so book it in at my local Indie. It is well maintained (its the one on the lift in Sprint this month - and no, my chassis was perfect) and I have no concerns. At about 2:30 comes the call "did you know your radiator is cracked and leaking when hot?" Oh ******* (roughly translated as oh dear). So the radiator goes off for a re-core. I trundle round in the relief car for 6 days which my family take an instant dislike to.
In the middle of this, the insurance engineer finally makes an appearance and signs off on the repairs to the Mundaneo. the fuel pump gets fitted but it still isn't right. "Ford say we should swap the whole fuel system including the rail and injectors" (2 of which you'll recall were replaced 3 weeks ago). "They are special order and will take 5 days or so." Surpise.........
Now, my daughter who is just 17 during this episode needs to be insured on my wife's car so she can practice driving. So I go onto confused.com, get an acceptable quote and call them up. We go through the details until we get to the last part. "You haven't declared the claim on 28th December - its in the insurance database." They take 5 days to get an engineer to my car but the claim is public in a nanosecond, before they've even paid out. That is an extra £120. And the Tuscan insurance went up by £80. Obviously filling a diesel car with diesel makes me a huge additional risk. B*******s!
But happy days the Tuscan is back and the weather is .......p1$$ing down, but what the hell. A long Saturday drive to drop my son off over good A roads awaits me. Er, no. A14 shut at weekends for repairs so I join the queues on the Ermine way. And the engine temperature doesn't look good - fans not kicking in. Aaaarrggghhhh! As long as we're moving it's fine, the new radiator doing a great job, so I'm cursing the guy in front who waits until there is a 200 yard gap before he moves.
So, back home Saturday afternoon (via the A1 this time), bonnet off and I replace the crappy, corroded fan connectors. Couldn't see any breaks, but obviously they were disturbed during the radiator swap.
I still don't have the Mundaneo back. Tomorrow maybe. They said that yesterday. At least they are calling to keep me updated.
I'm still laughing (hysterically), but I have to ask:
- Why didn't the original dealer do the job properly?
- Why am I being fleeced by insurance companies when I haven't made any mistake?
- Why doesn't Ford have any parts nearer than 5 days away?
- Why do I still want to add another car to my garage?
Ho hum.
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