NO I REALLY CAN'T BELIEVE IT
As my "readers" will be aware we broke down in Italy nearly 6 weeks ago when our Vauxhall Monterey tow car began to misfire and finally cut out and refused to start as we drove north from Rome..
CC Red Pennant advised repatriation of car as all Opel dealers in Italy close for whole of August for hols. No one to accurately diagnose/fix fault. Italian breakdown truck garage took out and waved around what I now know is the ignition module as the offending item.
The nearest hire tow car was in Stuttgart. RP had this delivered took 12 hours. 3 towcars later got the caravan home courtesy of CC Red Pennant. Struggled north and out of Italy with VW Passat hire tow car, a bit underpowed for our 'van and belongings. Stabliser on our car so hard work without stabiliser - aching wrists by the end of the day. Travelled by longer route via Brenner motorway as gentler gradient. Once we got to Austria RP provided a VW Tourareg - a wonderful tow car and then a LR Disco from Calais to home.
Our car delayed - with arrival date changed 4 times. Finally on last Thursday Red Pennant admitted car transport had been subcontracted by usual transport company "One Time" and they were having trouble locating it. WONDERFUL LOST MY CAR.
Late Friday "found" car. Nowhere near Liverpool - no in Purfleet, Essex because subcontratcor had lost keys and so would be unable to unload from truck in Liverpool. I had to make a special journey to Liverpool to take spare keys to Lookers to facilitate unloading of car the next morning.
Joy of joys - phone message from transport company. Car had been delivered to Lookers. Spare keys not needed as original keys had been "found"!!!!!!! by transport company.
I went to get bikes and other possessions from car and pleased to see still there. However, found Windscreen had been SMASHED on its journey home. Red P told me to get it fixed and they will got cost from transport company.
BUT THE BEST BIT IS TODAY - Lookers could find NOTHING WRONG with the car whatsoever. No fault code in EMC. Charged me £88, one hour's labour, to tell me this. Did offer to fit another ignition module costing £212 +VAT Italian Breakdown garage had said this was the problem. Lookers could not find any fault with module at the moment agreed with me may be an intermittent fault caused by high temperatures in Rome 32+ degrees C
I decided to wait and see if the car runs okay and it is now home waiting for a visit form Autowindscreens tomorrow to fit new windscreen.
I'd be interested in any comments from the mechanically minded as I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE IT. All the stress and expense of loads of phone call and huge costs for Red Pennant and the "experts" say that there's nothing wrong with the car.
Regards
Tim
As my "readers" will be aware we broke down in Italy nearly 6 weeks ago when our Vauxhall Monterey tow car began to misfire and finally cut out and refused to start as we drove north from Rome..
CC Red Pennant advised repatriation of car as all Opel dealers in Italy close for whole of August for hols. No one to accurately diagnose/fix fault. Italian breakdown truck garage took out and waved around what I now know is the ignition module as the offending item.
The nearest hire tow car was in Stuttgart. RP had this delivered took 12 hours. 3 towcars later got the caravan home courtesy of CC Red Pennant. Struggled north and out of Italy with VW Passat hire tow car, a bit underpowed for our 'van and belongings. Stabliser on our car so hard work without stabiliser - aching wrists by the end of the day. Travelled by longer route via Brenner motorway as gentler gradient. Once we got to Austria RP provided a VW Tourareg - a wonderful tow car and then a LR Disco from Calais to home.
Our car delayed - with arrival date changed 4 times. Finally on last Thursday Red Pennant admitted car transport had been subcontracted by usual transport company "One Time" and they were having trouble locating it. WONDERFUL LOST MY CAR.
Late Friday "found" car. Nowhere near Liverpool - no in Purfleet, Essex because subcontratcor had lost keys and so would be unable to unload from truck in Liverpool. I had to make a special journey to Liverpool to take spare keys to Lookers to facilitate unloading of car the next morning.
Joy of joys - phone message from transport company. Car had been delivered to Lookers. Spare keys not needed as original keys had been "found"!!!!!!! by transport company.
I went to get bikes and other possessions from car and pleased to see still there. However, found Windscreen had been SMASHED on its journey home. Red P told me to get it fixed and they will got cost from transport company.
BUT THE BEST BIT IS TODAY - Lookers could find NOTHING WRONG with the car whatsoever. No fault code in EMC. Charged me £88, one hour's labour, to tell me this. Did offer to fit another ignition module costing £212 +VAT Italian Breakdown garage had said this was the problem. Lookers could not find any fault with module at the moment agreed with me may be an intermittent fault caused by high temperatures in Rome 32+ degrees C
I decided to wait and see if the car runs okay and it is now home waiting for a visit form Autowindscreens tomorrow to fit new windscreen.
I'd be interested in any comments from the mechanically minded as I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE IT. All the stress and expense of loads of phone call and huge costs for Red Pennant and the "experts" say that there's nothing wrong with the car.
Regards
Tim
Facebook
Twitter