Where have you broken down?
Discussion
Bradderz352 said:
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!
I had a campervan burst into flames in similar circumstances (in Chiswick, to keep it on topic 999 call to the fire brigade and a road closure later, at rush hour. I was not a popular guy that day!
).I used to have a micra which had a bit of engine work done to it, and a few JDM bits, so it was quite an aggresive looking car for a micra and went extremely fast for one too. It also had a straight through system on it, so very loudly.
On one trip to yeovil up the 303, there was a mile stretch of dual carraigeway to overtake the lorries and caravaners. After dropping it into 2nd and flying past around 8 cars the fuel pump decided to give up, so as I spluttered to the side of the road, the row of cars went past again, probably all mouthing "w
ker."
I also had a little 106 which ran out of petrol. Ironically, I'd just pulled into a petrol station but the que was massive, and I was in a rush, so I decided to head for a quieter one. On the hill up the road from the petrol station, it just spluttered to a stop. Turns out 106's are quite vunerable to changes in pitch due to the location of the fuel pump. Quick run back to the petrol station, which allowed me to push (run) infront of everyone and fill up a new petrol can.
On one trip to yeovil up the 303, there was a mile stretch of dual carraigeway to overtake the lorries and caravaners. After dropping it into 2nd and flying past around 8 cars the fuel pump decided to give up, so as I spluttered to the side of the road, the row of cars went past again, probably all mouthing "w
ker." I also had a little 106 which ran out of petrol. Ironically, I'd just pulled into a petrol station but the que was massive, and I was in a rush, so I decided to head for a quieter one. On the hill up the road from the petrol station, it just spluttered to a stop. Turns out 106's are quite vunerable to changes in pitch due to the location of the fuel pump. Quick run back to the petrol station, which allowed me to push (run) infront of everyone and fill up a new petrol can.
Lane 3 of the M62, when I stopped in traffic and so did the engine - turned out the cambelt had snapped on the Vx Cavalier I was driving. Next thing the traffic was all moving at speed and there's no way I could have got across the road - thankfully the central verge was wide enough to get the car on by moving it on the starter.
Downside of that is cars were now going past at 70 again, inches away. Police took 40 mins to get there.
Downside of that is cars were now going past at 70 again, inches away. Police took 40 mins to get there.
Not so much a break down but a blow out on the M62 during Friday evening rush hour.
As is was in the middle of roadworks and I came to a halt in the coned off section the police decided that they needed to close the motorway to allow for the AA to recover me.
As I sat at the A1/M62 services an hour or so later the traffic jam still had not cleared from the 20 minute closure.
As is was in the middle of roadworks and I came to a halt in the coned off section the police decided that they needed to close the motorway to allow for the AA to recover me.
As I sat at the A1/M62 services an hour or so later the traffic jam still had not cleared from the 20 minute closure.
Several hundred miles from home, I stopped at a shop for a drink and some munchies for the drive home.
Back into the Jeep and it wouldn't even turn over, nothing from the battery, despite having worked faultlessly before.
A quick look under the bonnet and I saw that the neutral battery terminal was a bit loose.
Spanner out and tightened it up, cranked over and fired straight away.
No other issues with that Jeep for many months till the radiator blew, that time I managed to get to a service station.
I bought some rad weld in the hope of sealing the leak and getting home, but no luck the hole was too big.
Managed to arrange for a mate to come and arrange for his AA cover to recover us home.
Bought a new radiator and fitted it next day.
Last break-down I had was a broken clutch cable actuator arm, which resulted in no clutch.
I was in the outskirts of Glasgow and had to cross the city and join the stop start rush hour motorway back towards Edinburgh without a clutch, starting in gear after whenever I had to come to a complete stop.
Good fun!
Back into the Jeep and it wouldn't even turn over, nothing from the battery, despite having worked faultlessly before.
A quick look under the bonnet and I saw that the neutral battery terminal was a bit loose.
Spanner out and tightened it up, cranked over and fired straight away.
No other issues with that Jeep for many months till the radiator blew, that time I managed to get to a service station.
I bought some rad weld in the hope of sealing the leak and getting home, but no luck the hole was too big.
Managed to arrange for a mate to come and arrange for his AA cover to recover us home.
Bought a new radiator and fitted it next day.
Last break-down I had was a broken clutch cable actuator arm, which resulted in no clutch.
I was in the outskirts of Glasgow and had to cross the city and join the stop start rush hour motorway back towards Edinburgh without a clutch, starting in gear after whenever I had to come to a complete stop.
Good fun!
Caterham decided to stop working on the way to Oulton for a track day. Fuel pump wire shorted and blew a fuse.
Managed to temporarily wire a line of the rear light cluster to get us to the track then rewired it properly in the paddock, good job the little shop there had plenty of fuses.
Still got plenty of track time. A fun day.
Managed to temporarily wire a line of the rear light cluster to get us to the track then rewired it properly in the paddock, good job the little shop there had plenty of fuses.
Still got plenty of track time. A fun day.
Everywhere!
Blew the transfer box seals in my Cavalier on Kirkcaldy prom and was dragged home then to Derby for a replacement box. Also melted the head gasket chasing a mate's Evo 8 round the Borders but managed to limp it as far as Haddington before I had to admit it was ruined and rang the AA. Also melted a piston on the M8 and got to Harthill on 3 cylinders before being dragged home. Also snapped the cambelt on my old A6 at Dalwhinne en route to the mountain bike world cup.
To be fair, in 12 years of driving I've only ever involved the recovery services when things were terminal, everything else I've managed to sort/bodge at the roadside and get myself home. I also managed to get from Bristol to Fife with a cracked cylinder head... it'd do 30 miles then run dry, that was a long drive home. It was after that I decided £11 a month was probably worth it.
Blew the transfer box seals in my Cavalier on Kirkcaldy prom and was dragged home then to Derby for a replacement box. Also melted the head gasket chasing a mate's Evo 8 round the Borders but managed to limp it as far as Haddington before I had to admit it was ruined and rang the AA. Also melted a piston on the M8 and got to Harthill on 3 cylinders before being dragged home. Also snapped the cambelt on my old A6 at Dalwhinne en route to the mountain bike world cup.
To be fair, in 12 years of driving I've only ever involved the recovery services when things were terminal, everything else I've managed to sort/bodge at the roadside and get myself home. I also managed to get from Bristol to Fife with a cracked cylinder head... it'd do 30 miles then run dry, that was a long drive home. It was after that I decided £11 a month was probably worth it.
My Passat's turbo blew on the A1 southbound. We were heading on a family holiday with it fully packed up and 2 children in the back. Luckily there was a slip road nearby so I managed to coast on to it out the way as the hard shoulder on that particular part of the road was next to non existant.
Luckily the AA came to our assistance and as we'd only got as far as nine miles from home, he took us straight back.
I managed to hire a Focus that same day and we were on our way again so holiday was not wasted
Luckily the AA came to our assistance and as we'd only got as far as nine miles from home, he took us straight back.
I managed to hire a Focus that same day and we were on our way again so holiday was not wasted
In the Caterham x/flow on a dual carriaeway leaving Andorra la Vella, pulled out to overtake, halfway through manouevre engines lunches itself! It 'sounded like a bag of nails' doesn't come close.
Eventually car was repatriated and we were flown home, all at no cost (isn't European breakdown a wonderful thing). Dropped the sump to find, 30+ bits of the skirt of a forged piston, at least 3 broken tappets in various states of disrepair, 1 bent pushrod and 3" of camshaft.
Eventually car was repatriated and we were flown home, all at no cost (isn't European breakdown a wonderful thing). Dropped the sump to find, 30+ bits of the skirt of a forged piston, at least 3 broken tappets in various states of disrepair, 1 bent pushrod and 3" of camshaft.
On the A452 near Leamington Spa!
Several years I drove my Corrado through a flooded ford near Kenilworth Castle, and as I came out and drove up the hill on the other side I gave it a bootful. I'd been through it earlier and it wasn't so deep that I was overly concerned. The car spluttered and hesitated a bit... and then was ok. Phew I thought. Stopped at Sainsburys to get some dinner stuff and then carried on home and about a mile away the car spluttered some more and cut out. I rolled down the hill and pulled off onto a B road and ditched the car in a small layby.
It was a FREEZING cold evening, but the AA turned up within 15 minutes or something crazy. His opening comment was "Doesn't look like a speedboat to me!!" - ended up getting towed home as he couldn't fix it at the road side. The problem eventually sorted itself out so I can only assume water got into an electrical connector or something and eventually dried out.
Several years I drove my Corrado through a flooded ford near Kenilworth Castle, and as I came out and drove up the hill on the other side I gave it a bootful. I'd been through it earlier and it wasn't so deep that I was overly concerned. The car spluttered and hesitated a bit... and then was ok. Phew I thought. Stopped at Sainsburys to get some dinner stuff and then carried on home and about a mile away the car spluttered some more and cut out. I rolled down the hill and pulled off onto a B road and ditched the car in a small layby.
It was a FREEZING cold evening, but the AA turned up within 15 minutes or something crazy. His opening comment was "Doesn't look like a speedboat to me!!" - ended up getting towed home as he couldn't fix it at the road side. The problem eventually sorted itself out so I can only assume water got into an electrical connector or something and eventually dried out.
Broke down just before the limehouse tunnel heading into london on my 125cc bike I once owned. At the top of the blackwall flyover/bridge I lost all compression so ended up having to coast it and frantically get myself as far to the left as soon as I could. Kept losing more and more speed until I was doing a Fred Flinstone with my feet. Finally came to a halt at a gap in the guard rails next to poplar station. Was very hair raising considering all the HGVs going past. Missed my uni lecture that day.
Shocked at the number of PH'rs who class runing out of fuel as a breakdown..... OK sure it happens but it's not a breakdown it's stupidity - no offence intended to any of the previous PH'rs who have mentioned it
I ran an Opel Monza as a daily drive that had a fuel warning light that if it came on you'd better have been on a petrol station forecourt!!
Clutch cables snapping - had that a few times always got home - losing 1st, 4th and 5th gears - ooops my fault really - still got home - accelerator cable snapped - still got home
Coils, distributors and fuel pump failures however have always been my biggest cause of breakdowns and resultant ride home on a nice yellow truck but it's only been one of each in 30 years of driving hardly worth carrying a spare
I ran an Opel Monza as a daily drive that had a fuel warning light that if it came on you'd better have been on a petrol station forecourt!!
Clutch cables snapping - had that a few times always got home - losing 1st, 4th and 5th gears - ooops my fault really - still got home - accelerator cable snapped - still got home
Coils, distributors and fuel pump failures however have always been my biggest cause of breakdowns and resultant ride home on a nice yellow truck but it's only been one of each in 30 years of driving hardly worth carrying a spare
Not broken down but stuck in ice some where West of the location A in the map below. In winter, no phone signal, no villages nearby , and in Transylvannia having just visited Vlad the Impalers fort (the inspiration for Dracula)
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=poenari+castle&am...
It was like Delivarence, and how I got out is another long story.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=poenari+castle&am...
It was like Delivarence, and how I got out is another long story.
I was due to scrap my Passat the next day, as it still had a bit of fuel left, I through I’d take it down a (very) unmade road near where I live(In my mind I can pretend I’m a rally driver). Managed to air the car, came down hard on its nose. The dash lit up like a Christmas tree with various warning buzzers going, though f*ck it, carried on, engine started make awful grinding sounds then cut out all together about 2 miles from home. Two minutes later I managed to restart the thing and nailed it home as fast as I could, gradually losing power the whole way back, made it to the top of my road when it cut again, lucky I’m at the bottom of a hill a coasted back to my front door with white smoke pour from under the bonnet.
headgasket blew on my bmw on the m74, overheat, smoke out the back, steam from the front, pulled onto hardshoulder, 2 and a half hours standing behind the gaurd rail waiting on AA, that whole 30 minute thing was a load of bks,
i experienced a whole weather cycle of sun, rain, wind, snow, sleet and hailstorm,
not a fun day at all
ks,i experienced a whole weather cycle of sun, rain, wind, snow, sleet and hailstorm,
not a fun day at all
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