Where have you broken down?
Discussion
Last week I ran out of petrol and spluttered to a halt on a main road. I pushed it a few paces off the double yellows and set off looking for some unleaded. I was lucky - if the petrol had held out for a few more miles I could have stopped half way through a lengthy bit of single file roadworks with no escape.
My classiest breakdown was a few years ago when the car started knocking before losing power seconds away from the Stafford services slip. The oil light came on while I was puttering towards the carpark, and the engine cut out completely with just enough momentum left for me to coast into a space. It was a beautiful day and I got to wait a few hours for the recovery truck while sitting on the grass, with all the conveniences of the services at my disposal.
The worst was travelling with my parents on the M62 a few years ago when the car (my dad's) lost its turbo. The car had been making some woo-woo noises, and we'd stopped at some services to check it out but foolishly decided to press on. It gave out completely just in front of the "A672 Saddleworth" sign, a particularly desolate part of the motorway. It was freezing cold and windy. We were stuck there for ages.
So, what are the best and worst places you've broken down?
My classiest breakdown was a few years ago when the car started knocking before losing power seconds away from the Stafford services slip. The oil light came on while I was puttering towards the carpark, and the engine cut out completely with just enough momentum left for me to coast into a space. It was a beautiful day and I got to wait a few hours for the recovery truck while sitting on the grass, with all the conveniences of the services at my disposal.
The worst was travelling with my parents on the M62 a few years ago when the car (my dad's) lost its turbo. The car had been making some woo-woo noises, and we'd stopped at some services to check it out but foolishly decided to press on. It gave out completely just in front of the "A672 Saddleworth" sign, a particularly desolate part of the motorway. It was freezing cold and windy. We were stuck there for ages.
So, what are the best and worst places you've broken down?
Worst time was in the middle of a busy junction in Chatham town centre. Fortunately got it going again long enough to conk out at the historic dockyard instead.
If there is such thing as a best time for a breakdown, it was a blown radiator hose just as I was passing by an empty row of parking spaces. Getting out of harms way was pretty simple on that occasion.
If there is such thing as a best time for a breakdown, it was a blown radiator hose just as I was passing by an empty row of parking spaces. Getting out of harms way was pretty simple on that occasion.
Slip road from the M1 to the M25 at about 20.00 on a freezing cold winters night. I was in a Westfield without a heater so was cold before I even got out of the car.
Two hours for recovery thanks to the gearbox getting stuck in second due to a broken linkage that popped as I changed out of fifth for the bend.
I have never, ever been so cold and was practically begging the recovery truck to hurry up as I called their office every 20 mins.
Two hours for recovery thanks to the gearbox getting stuck in second due to a broken linkage that popped as I changed out of fifth for the bend.
I have never, ever been so cold and was practically begging the recovery truck to hurry up as I called their office every 20 mins.
Only once in the M6 Toll services. Pulled in to let the mother out for a toilet break. Left it ticking over and heard this loud ping and the engine note changed. Opened the bonnet and could see the aux belt not moving so switched off and pulled it out expecting it to have snapped but it was all in one piece. The belt tensioner bolt had snapped off in the block and had to be drilled out by a garage after 100 miles on the back of a low loader home.
A1M.
Outside lane, lurched and threw up "Engine Service Urgent" on the dash.
I MAY have been dangerously low on fuel at the time but there`s no way was I going to admit running out to the Green Flag guy.
He checked fuel flow to the injectors, which there was but it still wouldn`t run.
Got recovered to a nearby garage, went and got a gallon of diesel and after a minute of cranking it started and ran fine.
Ooops...
You forget just how damn noisy it is on a motorway embankment, especially when trying to explain to the breakdown people where you are.
My best one was coming out of Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorks in an old Pug 309. The wiring loom caught fire (due to a badly fitted immobiliser it turned out) my girlfriend at the time made a hilariously rapid exit when clouds of smoke poured out of the glovebox/dashboard.
Good times...
The A1M one was only about 3 weeks ago, apparently the low fuel light on an S60 means you have about 1/2 a mile left in the tank.
Outside lane, lurched and threw up "Engine Service Urgent" on the dash.
I MAY have been dangerously low on fuel at the time but there`s no way was I going to admit running out to the Green Flag guy.
He checked fuel flow to the injectors, which there was but it still wouldn`t run.
Got recovered to a nearby garage, went and got a gallon of diesel and after a minute of cranking it started and ran fine.
Ooops...
You forget just how damn noisy it is on a motorway embankment, especially when trying to explain to the breakdown people where you are.
My best one was coming out of Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorks in an old Pug 309. The wiring loom caught fire (due to a badly fitted immobiliser it turned out) my girlfriend at the time made a hilariously rapid exit when clouds of smoke poured out of the glovebox/dashboard.
Good times...
The A1M one was only about 3 weeks ago, apparently the low fuel light on an S60 means you have about 1/2 a mile left in the tank.
Broke down on my way home from work once, driving past the local pub my fuel lines split, emptying the entire contents of my fuel tank outside the pub. Summer time with the indoor smoking ban. pi$$heads dashing their cigarette butts out into the road.
999 call to the fire brigade and a road closure later, at rush hour. I was not a popular guy that day!
999 call to the fire brigade and a road closure later, at rush hour. I was not a popular guy that day!
Not so much broke down, more stranded with all four wheels spinning sat on the diffs in the middle of the NY Moors. Even worse I'd only popped out for some milk, and took a detour to play with my new toy (Landy lightweight). This was in the middle of winter in freezing fog and the only tools I had was 1 screwdriver and 1 bottle jack - thank god.
My wife was not happy when I sheepishly returned - without the shopping - covered from head to foot in mud some 5 hours later. Not one of my finest decisions that one.
My wife was not happy when I sheepishly returned - without the shopping - covered from head to foot in mud some 5 hours later. Not one of my finest decisions that one.
My car immobilised itself outside my son's preschool on Friday morning.
I left it with the battery disconnected till Saturday (common immobiliser fault is apparently commonly cured this way), then called the AA when it still wouldn't go.
Once the patrol had exhausted his options, he had to call for a recovery truck (bloody electronic steering lock connected to immobiliser. Awesome.)
That took the better part of two hours to arrive, which I spent happily in the nearby pub watching the Paralympics
I left it with the battery disconnected till Saturday (common immobiliser fault is apparently commonly cured this way), then called the AA when it still wouldn't go.
Once the patrol had exhausted his options, he had to call for a recovery truck (bloody electronic steering lock connected to immobiliser. Awesome.)
That took the better part of two hours to arrive, which I spent happily in the nearby pub watching the Paralympics
Ran out of fuel twice in bad places.
Once on the way back from Sheffied when it had snowed badly, 200yards before the services slip road. Had to run up the sliproad in pumps to get fuel. I had no coat/jacket/jumper, I think I got a mild case of frostbite.
Once I waited until the fuel left said zero, found I had a reserve of 1.2gallons. So I reset my miles and average fuel and figured driving at 50mpg I'd have 50miles left. Oh how I was wrong. 31miles later the car conked out, in rush hour, on a very busy motorway junction.
Lessons have been learnt.
Once on the way back from Sheffied when it had snowed badly, 200yards before the services slip road. Had to run up the sliproad in pumps to get fuel. I had no coat/jacket/jumper, I think I got a mild case of frostbite.
Once I waited until the fuel left said zero, found I had a reserve of 1.2gallons. So I reset my miles and average fuel and figured driving at 50mpg I'd have 50miles left. Oh how I was wrong. 31miles later the car conked out, in rush hour, on a very busy motorway junction.
Lessons have been learnt.
Everywhere. 
Worst places: Just outside Paris in the middle of the night with a seized engine - MGB GT
Middle of nowhere in France with a dead clutch - TVR
A406 Two lane part near Redbridge Roundabout 8.00 in the evening, Autumn no electrics - TVR
Best places: Outside a nice pub in Woodford, engine fire - TVR
Work car park, snapped throttle cable - TVR
Outside a nice cafe in France, dead fuel pump - TVR
Worst places: Just outside Paris in the middle of the night with a seized engine - MGB GT
Middle of nowhere in France with a dead clutch - TVR
A406 Two lane part near Redbridge Roundabout 8.00 in the evening, Autumn no electrics - TVR
Best places: Outside a nice pub in Woodford, engine fire - TVR
Work car park, snapped throttle cable - TVR
Outside a nice cafe in France, dead fuel pump - TVR
Edited by vixen1700 on Monday 10th September 16:12
Worst place to break down: I was half way past an artic overtaking, with some traffic coming the other way but plenty of time to safely complete the move. Then the engine of my AX GT cut out. I managed to coast in front of the artic and there was a very fortunately placed layby that I stopped in after. Even after I'd stopped I was still in a layby, in the Fens, and I had to walk to a call box (this was back when mobile phones were rare). When the AA finally tunred up the battery was flat from the hazard warning lights, and obviously there was no longer anything wrong with the engine.
Best place: I've never had a baest place to break down, but a friend has the head gasket blow, steam everywhere, pulled in to a layby. But his stalker had been following him so she took him out to dinner while the AA trailered his car to his garage.
Best place: I've never had a baest place to break down, but a friend has the head gasket blow, steam everywhere, pulled in to a layby. But his stalker had been following him so she took him out to dinner while the AA trailered his car to his garage.
I had my clutch go as I pulled away at the lights in the central London rush hour. The kerbs were high, and there was no way to clear the junction so I had to endure an hour or two of abuse until the AA man arrived. He then got clipped on his arse by someone's nearside wing mirror as he tried to fix it 
The one with worst potential was losing a valve on my Landy in Libya. We stopped beside a dead goat on the verge and the smell was pretty horrific, but we'd done three desert trips in the previous couple of weeks so had to thank our lucky stars we weren't stuck in the middle of the Sahara on our own. As it was we were dragged into the nearby compound of some Greeks who were working over there and they sorted out transport to Tripoli after feeding us and putting us up for the night.
The one with worst potential was losing a valve on my Landy in Libya. We stopped beside a dead goat on the verge and the smell was pretty horrific, but we'd done three desert trips in the previous couple of weeks so had to thank our lucky stars we weren't stuck in the middle of the Sahara on our own. As it was we were dragged into the nearby compound of some Greeks who were working over there and they sorted out transport to Tripoli after feeding us and putting us up for the night.
During our charity rally (using a '96 Rover 820 bought for £350) we broke down owing to overheating:
- En route to the Ferry in Chichester
- Just after we crossed the Italian border
- Alps (various times)
- Italian motorway in standstill traffic
Car managed to make it in the end.
Otherwise the E30 has had a flat battery on a number of occasions (don't really count that as a break down), including one particular instance after dumping a girl and promising her a lift home (she had to get the tube).
- En route to the Ferry in Chichester
- Just after we crossed the Italian border
- Alps (various times)
- Italian motorway in standstill traffic
Car managed to make it in the end.
Otherwise the E30 has had a flat battery on a number of occasions (don't really count that as a break down), including one particular instance after dumping a girl and promising her a lift home (she had to get the tube).
Edited by g3org3y on Tuesday 11th September 09:22
First car I ever bought with my hard-earned was a 1980 MK1 Golf GTi convertible. A shed of a car held together with sellotape, different-coloured front wing, wobbly front-wheels, comedy bits of cogs and engine parts flying out if you revved it above 5k rpm etc. You get the idea.
It developed a 'humourous' double-whammy issue whereby the engine would conk-out with no warning on idle, coupled with a starter-motor that worked intermittently at best. I'd discovered that opening the bonnet and whacking said starter-motor with a large wrench sometimes got it working. Loose connection or sammink - wasn't teknical in dem days and still amn't, really.
So. Cue driving on the A406 nigh on 20 years ago, on a sweaty summer's day in North Landan, up to turn right on the ultra-busy and congested six-lane section toward Wood Green.
Idling in a queue to make the right turn at the green light, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, the engine cuts out.
GAH!
Turn the ignition off and on again. Nothing from intermittently-t
tty starter-motor. Try again. Nothing
GAH!
On go the harzards, out comes the large wrench, up goes the bonnet, out runs me to the
front of the car, honk goes the queue of cars waiting behind to turn right, up goes my hand in sheepish apology.
BASH WHACK THUNK!
Rush back round to try the ignition. Idiot motor still not responding.
BASH WHACK THUNK!
Rinse and repeat for an agonising 15 minutes and 4 or 5 light-change cycles, blocking traffic coming off the A406 and onto it, before I got it going again. In hindsight I think my continued hair-loss started that day ...
It developed a 'humourous' double-whammy issue whereby the engine would conk-out with no warning on idle, coupled with a starter-motor that worked intermittently at best. I'd discovered that opening the bonnet and whacking said starter-motor with a large wrench sometimes got it working. Loose connection or sammink - wasn't teknical in dem days and still amn't, really.
So. Cue driving on the A406 nigh on 20 years ago, on a sweaty summer's day in North Landan, up to turn right on the ultra-busy and congested six-lane section toward Wood Green.
Idling in a queue to make the right turn at the green light, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, the engine cuts out.
GAH!
Turn the ignition off and on again. Nothing from intermittently-t
tty starter-motor. Try again. NothingGAH!
On go the harzards, out comes the large wrench, up goes the bonnet, out runs me to the
front of the car, honk goes the queue of cars waiting behind to turn right, up goes my hand in sheepish apology.
BASH WHACK THUNK!
Rush back round to try the ignition. Idiot motor still not responding.
BASH WHACK THUNK!
Rinse and repeat for an agonising 15 minutes and 4 or 5 light-change cycles, blocking traffic coming off the A406 and onto it, before I got it going again. In hindsight I think my continued hair-loss started that day ...
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