Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

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superloopy
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Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by superloopy »

Title says it all. My 22yr old xantia is up and running again and since going into the indy for welding and a host of other repairs my breakdown insurance has lapsed. I never expected to see her again! So, is there a decent low cost service out there who would attend to a car of that age without any hassle as i'm not as confident of her longevity as i was previously. A lot if the current crop of breakdown services have t&c that specifically exclude the older car so i'm trying to play safe 😉
Mike

Xantia Activa Dante Red MK1 (96) 121k - SORN, to be broken
Xantia Activa Silex Grey MK2 (98) 120k -SORN, ditto
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by CitroJim »

LV. Previously known as Britannia...

Been with them years - well priced for multiple cars and always outstanding service.
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by daviemck2006 »

Ive never had a problem with the AA, and thet took my activa from here to Jims in Newport pagnel when it was 18 years old. I would need to check their terms though with me having a 24 year old in case it breaks.
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by CitroJim »

Mike, meant to say, delighted your Xantia is back in the land of the living :D

Davie, got to agree, the AA were top-notch with your Activa...
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by superloopy »

Thanks Jim ... although its not quite 'living' just yet. They managed all the welding and minor gripes, rear cylinder leak, rusted curly pipe, rear brake imbalance .. the usual mot fail suspects but it's stil not starting v.well and he says 'air', i say glowplugs. Whatever, i need to get her starting first turn cos its getting cold up here .... need to get the rogue glowplug behind the pump done and then try to track where any air might be getting in if that doesnt sort her. Better on the drive than stuck at the indy and at least she now has an mot, and no advisories!
Mike

Xantia Activa Dante Red MK1 (96) 121k - SORN, to be broken
Xantia Activa Silex Grey MK2 (98) 120k -SORN, ditto
Xantia V6 Silex Grey MK2 (98) 95k - non-runner
Xantia TD Storm Grey MK1 (95) 95k - non-runner
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by CitroJim »

xantiamanic wrote: 27 Oct 2017, 20:21need to get the rogue glowplug behind the pump done


That one is not as bad as it looks ;)

A 12mm cranked ring spanner and Blu-tak is your friend here Mike :)

Stuff loads of rags behind the pump so that the glowplug cannot fall behind the pump as it is removed...

Wrap some soft wire around the new plug to help guide it home and to restrain any tendency it will have to make a run for it...

Use the Blu-tak to hold the little 8mm electrical connection nut when removing/replacing...

Lots of threads on here about air leaks...
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by Peter.N. »

I have been with the AA for 59 years, not the cheapest but they have given me very good service so I tend to stick with them.

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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by CitroJim »

Peter.N. wrote: 28 Oct 2017, 07:24 I have been with the AA for 59 years, not the cheapest but they have given me very good service so I tend to stick with them.

Peter


Ditto me and LV - I think in the time I've been with them they have changed name a few times but that's all... Their service has always been beyond reproach...

They were once, if I remember correctly, National Breakdown, then became Britannia Rescue and now LV. They've always been closely linked to the CSMA and for being both a CSMA member and an LV customer for all my insurance I get quite a good discount... That helps..
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by Zelandeth »

I've been with Autoaid for going on 10 years now. The cover is with you, doesn't matter what the car is. £40 a year, and that automatically also covers my husband (irrespective of whether I'm with them).

They're essentially a dispatching agent rather than an actual breakdown company. You call them, they then arrange your assistance from an appropriate local firm, and then you either fill in a form (simple one) to claim the costs back, or you can ask for it to be involved up front and you simply send them the invoice.

Have used them twice in the last five years - both times when I was with friends and their car expired en route to an event. Have never had a problem. Once was a catastrophic electrical failure in a knackered old ex taxi Mondeo, and the other was an even more ancient LDV Convoy which decided to detonate its gearbox and scatter component parts of it over a large portion of the A90 just north of Dundee.

AA etc will probably be a bit quicker - but as I don't have kids or a job where every millisecond matters, the price was right. I switched to them from the RAC, who wanted north of £130 a year for the same cover.
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by Homer »

I ditched the AA because they left me and my BX sitting around for four hours twice, they "attended" within the first 30 minutes but only with a small van which couldn't do anything despite me telling them I needed a flatbed when I called. And this was in the days before mobile phones so I was risking missing them turning up every time I went to phone for an update.

A few years with National Breakdown before they became Green Flag and started chasing the corporate contracts and bumped the prices up to the regular customer.

Then International Breakdown, which I believe was set up by the guy who originally set up National Breakdown and eventually changed it's name to National Breakdown. Eventually their prices crept up but the service was still good.

Now I use Start Rescue, they are cheap, and I have used them twice, both times attended within 30 minutes equipped to do the job first time.
superloopy
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Re: Recommend a decent breakdown service anyone?

Post by superloopy »

Just to update ... went with GEM in the end. Advertising 10mths for 12, £83 - £18 topcashback so £65 all inc for roadside, recovery and home assistance, any car. And ... they explicitly state that age of car doesnt matter. So that swung it for me 😃. Now to get them to fix my air leak problems on the drive... I think not somehow!
Mike

Xantia Activa Dante Red MK1 (96) 121k - SORN, to be broken
Xantia Activa Silex Grey MK2 (98) 120k -SORN, ditto
Xantia V6 Silex Grey MK2 (98) 95k - non-runner
Xantia TD Storm Grey MK1 (95) 95k - non-runner
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