Where would you least like to break down?

[Naith]

I discovered the answer to this last night, when I pulled away from the lights in Trafalgar Square, before suddenly watching the battery light come on, listening to the engine go from gravelling rumble to geriatric wheeze, and just about manage to stagger to the kerbside not 25metres from Nelson's unsympathetic glare.

I thought at first that the battery must have suddenly died - but it's odd that it was while I was running that it happened as opposed to at startup. But when I was able to get the RAC to try and jump it, the battery wasn't charging at all. The alternator was, but I can't figure it out. Connections seemed to be sound, and the fusebox was ok. Have any of you guys experienced something like this? Where the battery looked like it just died, and couldn't be sparked at all?

It looks like I'm going to have to get it up on the ramp and really check out the connections tonight.

Funny thing about breaking down in Trafalgar Square; I was steeling myself up for all the "What do you expect from a TVR" remarks, but even with the bonnet up and hazards blinking away, all I got was cries of "Bella!" and "Belissimo!"

Which was nice.

[trefor]

Won't that be the 100A Alternator to battery fuse? Lots of threads about that one recently.

67p from a dealer and 5 mins to fit (it's tied to the chassis under the engine).

T/.

[Naith]

Thanks Tref. I'll give that a look into.

[bouffy]

My Griff overheated on the day I bought it (!) because a fuse had blown, and the fans weren't coming on. It got hot very very quickly, and whilst looking for a place to pull over, I suddenly had a great big plume of steam coming up through the bonnet (should have stopped earlier? You betcha.)

I yanked the wheel left and stopped in someone's driveway. Who's driveway? Terence Conran's driveway - the entrance to the Bluebird restaurant on the King's Road. Sadly no "Bella!" or "Belissimo!", mostly pointing and smirking. Unserstandable I guess. Although one very VERY fit young lady did offer me water for the car.

I stood near it for 30 mins while it cooled down (was only driving about another 300 yards up the road), and after the steam had stopped coming out, people walking past stopped and had a good old poke around and gawp at the inside. A few guys asked me about the car, and it turned into a bit of a sideshow.

I did feel like a bit of a tw*t though - standing next to a parked purple TVR on a yellow line, on THAT road, on a saturday, smoking a fag. Probably looked like one too

>> Edited by bouffy on Friday 8th August 13:50

[jtong]

Check the 100A fuse in the little black box strapped to the centre chassis rails. It's more or less in line with the back of the front wheels.

[plewis66]

Where would I least like to breakdown?

The Langworthy Estate?
Moss Side?

[Naith]

The 100A fuse looks as good as new.

Seeing some weird shenanigans though - called out RAC when I initially broke down, who checked the charge at the battery and alternator end, and declared that the alternator was getting a charge, but the battery wasn't.

So, he stuck his power pack on my battery, and I was able to get home off've the reserve power.

I called them out again once I got home, and a different bloke declared that the alternator wasn't getting a charge and the battery was... (?)

Sure enough, when I looked, the alternator wasn't registering anything at all, and there was only about 11V decreasing to 9V in the battery.

Looks like it's an hour of diagnostics and a new alternator. It's sods law that the car has been absolutely sound for 2 years, and then does this 24hours before she's due to be part exchanged...

...it's like she knows.

[craigw]

fusebox in my griff once caught fire on scotch house corner 9am monday morning, arrrgghh!

[beano500]

Naith said:

...it's like she knows.

Yup - they pick up on every mood, y'know

[M@H]

Mine only breaks down when I really need it not to.. for example, having packed it full of everything for a weekend away cruising top down in the sunshine, and am running late to leave..

We love'em really don't we..
Matt.

[zzr1200]

I embarrassingly ran out of fuel on my bike at Galleys roundabout in Braintree Essex as I approached it in the fast lane . It is a tiny roundabout with 5 exits 3 of them dual carriageways and it was rush hour, the petrol station was on the road I was on but on the other side so I had to push it right round the roundabout, dicing with traffic!!

It took me nearly 20 mins to push it round and the staff at the garage watched me do it!

Moral of story: When the garage is a mile from home fill up on the way home and don't leave it until the morning!!

[apeebles]

I wouldn't want to break down half way between Broome and Port Hedland in Oz. Nearest garage 200K at one point and it get's very hot!!!

Also saw a sign near Ayers rock. Next fuel over 1000Km's... Need a bloody big fuel tank.....

[ATG]

My immobiliser decided to get paranoid just as I got to the front of a half mile queue of traffic trying to getr over Tower Bridge. Thought I was going to get lynched. Big thumbs up to the geezer who helped me push it down a service lane.

[k3njw]

I wouldn't want to break down anywhere with my girlfriend with me ... the wife would kill me !!

[bobski]

. . and where was your petrol can?
Don't leave home without it!

zzr1200 said:

I embarrassingly ran out of fuel on my bike at Galleys roundabout in Braintree Essex as I approached it in the fast lane . It is a tiny roundabout with 5 exits 3 of them dual carriageways and it was rush hour, the petrol station was on the road I was on but on the other side so I had to push it right round the roundabout, dicing with traffic!! It took me nearly 20 mins to push it round and the staff at the garage watched me do it! Moral of story: When the garage is a mile from home fill up on the way home and don't leave it until the morning!!

[zzr1200]

It's a bit difficult to carry a fuel can on a motorbike.....

bobski said:

. . and where was your petrol can? Don't leave home without it! zzr1200 said: I embarrassingly ran out of fuel on my bike at Galleys roundabout in Braintree Essex as I approached it in the fast lane . It is a tiny roundabout with 5 exits 3 of them dual carriageways and it was rush hour, the petrol station was on the road I was on but on the other side so I had to push it right round the roundabout, dicing with traffic!! It took me nearly 20 mins to push it round and the staff at the garage watched me do it! Moral of story: When the garage is a mile from home fill up on the way home and don't leave it until the morning!!