Essential spares for road trip???
Discussion
Hi all,
I'm trying to plan ahead so i can collect and afford some useful/essential spares for next Summer.
I'm hoping to take the 450 to SW France, a round trip of approximately 1400 miles plus whatever i do whilst there.
In your opinion/ experience what should i be thinking of carrying in the car with me? Also appropriate basic tools too!
Jim
I'm trying to plan ahead so i can collect and afford some useful/essential spares for next Summer.
I'm hoping to take the 450 to SW France, a round trip of approximately 1400 miles plus whatever i do whilst there.
In your opinion/ experience what should i be thinking of carrying in the car with me? Also appropriate basic tools too!
Jim
I have a few bits of big radiator hose in my boot - probably off an SDi. TiTT 4? 2009 saw this used up to fix a Chimp at the side of the road with a blown rad hose - he made it back to the Ace for brekky so it did the job. So - take a few bits with you to fix any Chimps you might see stranded ;^)
back in the mid 90's I did a trip to Italy and everywhere in between, only one misshap the clutch s
t itself:-( had to get one sent from Blackpool to NW France, I had the travel insurance so a they gave me a hire car which was supposed to be similar to the insured car, they gave me a fiat tipo deisel,pricks!!!!
take a spare clutch and put it in the trailer with all the other bits.
t itself:-( had to get one sent from Blackpool to NW France, I had the travel insurance so a they gave me a hire car which was supposed to be similar to the insured car, they gave me a fiat tipo deisel,pricks!!!!take a spare clutch and put it in the trailer with all the other bits.
How much spare space do you think you will have and work on that? There is quite a bit of space behind the spare.
Belts, choc blocks (connectors for wire and strippers, wire strippers you mucky lot) reel of heavy duty wire. Multimeter. Some hose (your choice on size). Puncture repair in a can, check volume each can will do. Adjustable spanners. Hylomar blue (general purpose sealant). Selection of jubilee clips. Good breakdown cover.
Belts, choc blocks (connectors for wire and strippers, wire strippers you mucky lot) reel of heavy duty wire. Multimeter. Some hose (your choice on size). Puncture repair in a can, check volume each can will do. Adjustable spanners. Hylomar blue (general purpose sealant). Selection of jubilee clips. Good breakdown cover.
You really never know what might break. I once had a charging issue with my car when I was staying at the g/f's house some distance from my place... so I had no tools, no multimeter, no wiring diagrams and no breakdown cover! Instead of driving home late I stayed the night, having borrowed a battery charger from a neighbour and leaving it connected all night.
Car started fine and got about 10 miles before the engine started stuttering. I coasted as far as I could at idle with the clutch in, then realising the engine was still running, pulled away again. Got to a certain speed and the stutter came back. So I decided to see how far I could get and eventually I hit the A1, by now doing about 40mph tops. Some miles further on the engine died altogether so for some reason as the car slowed down I turned the ignition off then back on and the car restarted. It then ran for a mile and died again. Once more I switched off and back on, the engine kicked right off. By now it was a game, although I was literally sweating as I plodded up the A1 with milk floats and bicycles overtaking me (OK, they weren't really but you get the idea).
And so it went on. Every time the car died I switched the ignition off and back on, the engine restarted and I'd get another mile before it happened again.
Almost two hours after I left, and 70 miles(!) later I arrived home. When I killed the engine it wouldn't restart: battery was flat. Charged the battery and the car started fine.
Stripped the alternator and found the brushes had worn out. 12 quid's-worth of new brush-box later and normal service was resumed - and has stayed resumed to this day. For the life of me I can't explain what phenomenon was going on; surely if the battery's flat it's flat. The only thing I can ascribe it to is that the battery voltage was falling below the threshold of the onboard regulator in the ECU and it was turning the fuel off, then the few seconds respite it got when I killed the ignition let the battery come back up enough to restart the injection... I don't know.
So if you find you've lost charge, slow down and keep going but instead of rolling to a stop when the engine dies, dip the clutch and cycle the ignition.
Or carry a spare set of alternator brushes! 
Car started fine and got about 10 miles before the engine started stuttering. I coasted as far as I could at idle with the clutch in, then realising the engine was still running, pulled away again. Got to a certain speed and the stutter came back. So I decided to see how far I could get and eventually I hit the A1, by now doing about 40mph tops. Some miles further on the engine died altogether so for some reason as the car slowed down I turned the ignition off then back on and the car restarted. It then ran for a mile and died again. Once more I switched off and back on, the engine kicked right off. By now it was a game, although I was literally sweating as I plodded up the A1 with milk floats and bicycles overtaking me (OK, they weren't really but you get the idea).
And so it went on. Every time the car died I switched the ignition off and back on, the engine restarted and I'd get another mile before it happened again.
Almost two hours after I left, and 70 miles(!) later I arrived home. When I killed the engine it wouldn't restart: battery was flat. Charged the battery and the car started fine.
Stripped the alternator and found the brushes had worn out. 12 quid's-worth of new brush-box later and normal service was resumed - and has stayed resumed to this day. For the life of me I can't explain what phenomenon was going on; surely if the battery's flat it's flat. The only thing I can ascribe it to is that the battery voltage was falling below the threshold of the onboard regulator in the ECU and it was turning the fuel off, then the few seconds respite it got when I killed the ignition let the battery come back up enough to restart the injection... I don't know.
So if you find you've lost charge, slow down and keep going but instead of rolling to a stop when the engine dies, dip the clutch and cycle the ignition.
Or carry a spare set of alternator brushes! 
daaaaa da da daaaaa da da daaaaaa
Real good Rob,
Only prob was the fuel pump died after a 4 hour trip to Sydney it died on the driveway when i got home,LUCKY or wot?
I've done a few little jobs on it, all the electrics work now,
cleaned the throttle body and AFM and replaced the large pipe joining the two, runs a lot better and a considerable boost in power...........
on the go at the moment, Dash has been restored and is being 2pak sprayed and is looking awsome, I have new wool carpets on the way from D&C trim back to the original colour and I have a kit to re finish the leather so pretty soon the interior should look brand new and back to original.......
Next on the list is get the wheels referbed and then a new hood, after that i'll just drive it and enjoy it while i collect all i need to do a full body off rebuild.
Awsome car, I love it.......and that sound!!!!!!!
I saw your wedge sold, make sure you keep i touch on PH and email, I'll keep you updated.
How's the hand?
Hope you are all well.
Adam
Only prob was the fuel pump died after a 4 hour trip to Sydney it died on the driveway when i got home,LUCKY or wot?
I've done a few little jobs on it, all the electrics work now,
cleaned the throttle body and AFM and replaced the large pipe joining the two, runs a lot better and a considerable boost in power...........
on the go at the moment, Dash has been restored and is being 2pak sprayed and is looking awsome, I have new wool carpets on the way from D&C trim back to the original colour and I have a kit to re finish the leather so pretty soon the interior should look brand new and back to original.......
Next on the list is get the wheels referbed and then a new hood, after that i'll just drive it and enjoy it while i collect all i need to do a full body off rebuild.
Awsome car, I love it.......and that sound!!!!!!!
I saw your wedge sold, make sure you keep i touch on PH and email, I'll keep you updated.
How's the hand?
Hope you are all well.
Adam
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