So after the minor disaster on Friday night (see my other post), i finally had my car running hapily and insured, taxed and MOT'd! For the first time in four months i had wheels and it was great!
So Saturday morning myself and my friend Matt set off on the 560 mile trip to Portsmouth to get AdamSki's St Tropez. Pretty much flew down there with the car seeming REALLY happy, cracking economy even at high speeds, nice sunny day it was great! Half way there i got a call from Tom Sheppard who invited myself and matt to his for brunch at his in south hampton. Tom and WomanBeHis laid on a lovelly spread and it really hit the spot! Adam then joined us with the St Tropez. It's a pretty crakcing little car and i think its a lot more than Mat was expecting! Ha Ha another BX convert! We left via the petrol station, and just when i had almost forgotten the photo op, i remembered!
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</center>so we left Tom's and headed up to Andy C (ActivaUK) in redditch to meet up with him Kitch (FDV) and Amazon Activa. Had a good time rifling through all the parts andy did have lying about, found a half decent interior for the St Tropez and a few other bits for all the BX's! Had a late dinner with every one and then Mat and i set of home, well this was when it started to go down hill!
But again i wasn't one to miss a photo opp!
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</center>Anyways, i trundled back home on my own as it took only seconds for Mat and the St Tropez to vanish off into the distance and where no where to be seen! I'd made pretty good progress and was only about an hour from home when things started to fall apart fast!
First the CD player refused point blank to accept a new CD. I thought it was a bit odd, but then i noticed the lights in front of the car where starting to dim. Realised just in time to get off the motorway at junction 13 and sat on the slip road hard soulder. Hi Vis jacket on and with engine running i checked the battery connections and earth point connctions, made sure the battery was secure etc. There was no obvious sign of a problem so i figured i would be better to find some where with more light! So i mousily made my way to the end of the slip road and off down an A road with very little lights at all, until i found a well lit bus stop to seek refuge in.
I couldn't figure what the problem was, it was kind of like a flat battery but the 'battery' light wasn't showing so i assumed the alternator was okay. So up into top height and back to under the bonnet, again with the engine still running which might have ben a big mistake! Anyways, still couldn't see a problem then the engine just stalled. The temperature was still registering as being warm but okay (remember i have manually operated fans so am dependant on the temp guage!). Then the car wouldn't start at all, run through the heating sequence and everything seemed okay but on turning the starter everything went dim and REALLY didn't want to work! So i called Andy C and he came up with some good ideas, but further testing suggested the alternator. So i called the break down people to send the flat bed. it came we loaded and went back to my parents!
Get to my parents and the car has sank onto the tyres at the back so we cant roll it off. Worse still i have no keys for the house! BUT i do have a garage key and by luck the AX is unlocked. Stole the battery from it to start the car up and oh my!
Engine started pretty okay but ran like a dog. It spat out masses of smoke from the exhaust but more worryingly masses from the engine bay! Got it up then lowered it off the bed with the hoist.
Had to sleep in the garage, which was far from pleasant! Very cold and very hard floor (i did have a quilted boiler suit AND a 3 season sleeping bag so i wasn't gonna freeze!). Got up in the morning and started calling for support. Called Landrover Mike and had him get my house keys from my room in liverpool, then stop in for an alternator at the local factors. They didn't have one in but could order it for Monday, i passed. Mike got to mine about 11 and we tried starting her on the recharged battery and again started first time but with even more blue smoke from the engine and the whole town slowly dissapeared in fluffy blue clouds! Those from the engine bay where clearly eminating from the turbo! That explains the rattles then!
Since then the shower head broke making showering very interesting, i forgot my wallet when migth brought me back to liverpool so we had to go back and get it or i cant get into the library at Uni. And on the second visit to the house i thought i'd use the internet to have a look at GSF, went okay until the computer went on fire! My dad will be SO happy!
All in all i've had a pretty rough two days!
I am now in the market for a new engine or possibly a new car! So not impressed, but so tired i just dont care!
And to add to that i can't do anything about it until June which means the car wont be going to the FCS! just not fair!
