Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Kevin Wood]

Marie and I helped out one of her neighbours yesterday and it made me laugh. His Astra had started running rough and he'd called out one of the "big 2" recovery companies to sort it. After a read of the codes he announced that it was the coil pack (a big module containing 4 cpp coils on this engine) and that it needed the main dealer to diagnose, etc...  

Had a quick look. Read the codes with the elm327. Misfire cylinder 4. Pulled out the spark plugs and the gap must have been 2.5mm or more. Number 4 looked particularly mullered and covered in black cr@p.

We sent the chap off to Halfrauds for some new plugs and some fresh oil and a filter for good measure and aftyer 20 minutes of tinkering it was pronounced "as sweet as a nut".

Is it a sign of the times that a roadside recovery service can't diagnose a faulty spark plug?

Kevin

[Andyb]

dont trust them at all  >:(me i
just demand a tow home to sort it myself  

[Marie]

I have seen and recovery service outside the front of my house flood someones engine tryin to get it to start and then when i said to loud to myself with the windows open  " your going to flood the engine you idiot if you dont stop trying to crank the engine over"

i know he heard me cos i dashed out of sight. then he said to the driver" you have flooded your engine mate tryin to turn it over"

COULDNT BELEIVE MY EARS i was  
i used to use them but now i use the other large companey just to get towed home. ill fix it my self or with the kind help from you guys.

Kevin ade is truely thankful for our help yesterday. as am I thanks again. ( that includes you pat tooo )

[bob.dent]

Marie and I helped out one of her neighbours yesterday and it made me laugh. His Astra had started running rough and he'd called out one of the "big 2" recovery companies to sort it. After a read of the codes he announced that it was the coil pack (a big module containing 4 cpp coils on this engine) and that it needed the main dealer to diagnose, etc...  

Had a quick look. Read the codes with the elm327. Misfire cylinder 4. Pulled out the spark plugs and the gap must have been 2.5mm or more. Number 4 looked particularly mullered and covered in black cr@p.

We sent the chap off to Halfrauds for some new plugs and some fresh oil and a filter for good measure and aftyer 20 minutes of tinkering it was pronounced "as sweet as a nut".

Is it a sign of the times that a roadside recovery service can't diagnose a faulty spark plug?

Kevin

Just as well that OOF were in the neighbourhood!

[Jay w]

sister in law lives with us currently, she has a little corsa 1.4 16v

Caming back from portsmouth last night the EML came on and it started running a bit flat, she pulled over and call one of the big two (the first on in the phone book )

They sent out a independant garage who gave her a right earful, he told her that it was ok to drive and that she shouldn't have been worried until the light went red    WHAT!!!!

when i pointed out to the muppet that it was a yellow light and that he manual states that there could be a potential issue he refused to back down.

So a letter to their head office complaining about the level of service and advice given will be my task for tonight  

they are real muppets

[Kevin Wood]

It's the same as with mechanics. If you get an older guy who's been in the trade for years and hasn't got scared of modern cars and retired, you're fine.

If you get anyone who's trained within the last 10-15 years you may as well not have bothered.

It also depends how much car knowledge you give away, as to how much bullsh!t gets added into the mix.

Kevin

[HolyCount]

Marie and I helped out one of her neighbours yesterday and it made me laugh. His Astra had started running rough and he'd called out one of the "big 2" recovery companies to sort it. After a read of the codes he announced that it was the coil pack (a big module containing 4 cpp coils on this engine) and that it needed the main dealer to diagnose, etc...  

Had a quick look. Read the codes with the elm327. Misfire cylinder 4. Pulled out the spark plugs and the gap must have been 2.5mm or more. Number 4 looked particularly mullered and covered in black cr@p.

We sent the chap off to Halfrauds for some new plugs and some fresh oil and a filter for good measure and aftyer 20 minutes of tinkering it was pronounced "as sweet as a nut".

Is it a sign of the times that a roadside recovery service can't diagnose a faulty spark plug?

Kevin

Just as well that OOF were in the neighbourhood!

OOF --- The 5th Emergency Service !

[FRE07962128]

It's the same as with mechanics. If you get an older guy who's been in the trade for years and hasn't got scared of modern cars and retired, you're fine.

If you get anyone who's trained within the last 10-15 years you may as well not have bothered.

It also depends how much car knowledge you give away, as to how much bullsh!t gets added into the mix.

Kevin

How right you are Kevin, and just try being a woman in that mix and it is quite amazing what boxxacks you can be told!

[mantahatch]

Just so you are all aware, the big 2 breakdown services tried there utmost to get rid of the old mechanics, and did a pretty good job of it to.
They wanted a smarter, younger image, which they got. They also do not give a dam about broken down cars. Basically all they wanted was the good "name" of the orginisation so they could make more money.
If they could get out of breakdowns I am sure they would.
Oh yes and as for the young image concious patrols who thought it was a great job, they generally open there eyes very quickly when attending a breakdown on the hard shoulder in the pooring rain with trucks etc. going so close past you at great speed.
And then your (what was) inspector or area road service manager etc. wants to talk to you about improving your "figures"
Most of the patrols don't care anymore, if they can naff you off to a garage they will.

Mike

[mantahatch]

It's the same as with mechanics. If you get an older guy who's been in the trade for years and hasn't got scared of modern cars and retired, you're fine.

If you get anyone who's trained within the last 10-15 years you may as well not have bothered.

It also depends how much car knowledge you give away, as to how much bullsh!t gets added into the mix.

Kevin

How right you are Kevin, and just try being a woman in that mix and it is quite amazing what boxxacks you can be told!

Hi Lizzie
We where not all like that, in fact some of us actually prefered to attend broken down cars with women drivers, and before i get the usual flack it was not for 'that' reason. When it came to towing the broken down car, a woman would listen very carefully to instructions and follow them faultlessly. Men where terrible, they would not listen, just said "yeah mate done this loads of times we'll be allright".
Generally men are totally terrible at being towed.

[LJay]

My previous recovery company came out to tow me home, about 20 miles. I was informed that they would only tow for 5 miles and after that i would be charged £17 per mile! there was no mention of that in their policy book!

[Entwood]

There are some "good guys" in these organisations - as well as a load of idiots ..

SWTSMBO had a problem with her Renault 2 years back.. she was 15 mile away and HAD to get to a meeting .. description of the problem was to me quite simple .... sounded like a snapped clutch cable.....so I took the car down and swapped with her .. then called out the Yellow boys ...   I'm expecting to get the option of a tow to either home/garage for me to get it sorted.

5 hours later a guy turns up and agrees with the diagnosis .. not difficult really .. in the converstation I'm pretty scathing about the time delay.. he says "hold on what do you mean" .. it seems that I broke down 1 hour before "shift change" .. and rather than send someone who would end up on overtime, they delayed the call until the "new" lot were on shift .. my bloke then gets 3 jobs to do, I was the last he got to .. seems this happens all the time.

Well my bloke is pretty pig-sick of the flack he's had from everyone .. when it's not his fault .. so he says to me .. "sod it .. if they want to play silly buggers I can too"..  we get in his truck, drive 30 miles to a Reault dealer where I buy a cable .. £22 ... drive 30 miles back and the guy spends 45 minutes fitting it for me .. !!!

Job done .. I gave him an illegal (apparently) "little something" to get himself a drink, and we parted company on very good terms me driving a nicely mended motor for nothing but parts cost  

So .. if you get the right guy .....    

[FRE07962128]

It's the same as with mechanics. If you get an older guy who's been in the trade for years and hasn't got scared of modern cars and retired, you're fine.

If you get anyone who's trained within the last 10-15 years you may as well not have bothered.

It also depends how much car knowledge you give away, as to how much bullsh!t gets added into the mix.

Kevin

How right you are Kevin, and just try being a woman in that mix and it is quite amazing what boxxacks you can be told!

Hi Lizzie
We where not all like that, in fact some of us actually prefered to attend broken down cars with women drivers, and before i get the usual flack it was not for 'that' reason. When it came to towing the broken down car, a woman would listen very carefully to instructions and follow them faultlessly. Men where terrible, they would not listen, just said "yeah mate done this loads of times we'll be allright".
Generally men are totally terrible at being towed.

Thanks, that gives me another side to the story, and I must say I recently had to use the AA recently and he was bloody marvellous!
 

It is in garages / parts depts that I have men try to take advantage of me when they think I know nothing about cars....how wrong they have been!

[HolyCount]

It's the same as with mechanics. If you get an older guy who's been in the trade for years and hasn't got scared of modern cars and retired, you're fine.

If you get anyone who's trained within the last 10-15 years you may as well not have bothered.

It also depends how much car knowledge you give away, as to how much bullsh!t gets added into the mix.

Kevin

How right you are Kevin, and just try being a woman in that mix and it is quite amazing what boxxacks you can be told!

Hi Lizzie
We where not all like that, in fact some of us actually prefered to attend broken down cars with women drivers, and before i get the usual flack it was not for 'that' reason. When it came to towing the broken down car, a woman would listen very carefully to instructions and follow them faultlessly. Men where terrible, they would not listen, just said "yeah mate done this loads of times we'll be allright".
Generally men are totally terrible at being towed.

Thanks, that gives me another side to the story, and I must say I recently had to use the AA recently and he was bloody marvellous!
 

It is in garages / parts depts that I have men try to take advantage of me when they think I know nothing about cars....how wrong they have been!

I would love to see their faces !!!!

[FRE07962128]

It's the same as with mechanics. If you get an older guy who's been in the trade for years and hasn't got scared of modern cars and retired, you're fine.

If you get anyone who's trained within the last 10-15 years you may as well not have bothered.

It also depends how much car knowledge you give away, as to how much bullsh!t gets added into the mix.

Kevin

How right you are Kevin, and just try being a woman in that mix and it is quite amazing what boxxacks you can be told!

Hi Lizzie
We where not all like that, in fact some of us actually prefered to attend broken down cars with women drivers, and before i get the usual flack it was not for 'that' reason. When it came to towing the broken down car, a woman would listen very carefully to instructions and follow them faultlessly. Men where terrible, they would not listen, just said "yeah mate done this loads of times we'll be allright".
Generally men are totally terrible at being towed.

Thanks, that gives me another side to the story, and I must say I recently had to use the AA recently and he was bloody marvellous!
 

It is in garages / parts depts that I have men try to take advantage of me when they think I know nothing about cars....how wrong they have been!

I would love to see their faces !!!!

Oh yes Holy Count, it is a sight to behold!