Absolute Disaster

[Mark19800_0]

Left for the U.K (now live in France) on Monday night to go and register my Westy at the local DVLA office, which was booked in for Wednesday 2:30 (because they had to see my proof of i.d to do so)

We dodged the showers and managed to get there without getting wet. They guy looked it over, didn't even ask for my proof of i.d and we were away.

Because the car had been set up for the SVA I booked it in to get the carb's reset and the alignment done, as it struggled to go in a straight line. The car was booked in for 8:45 on Thurday, which happened to be the day the ferry was booked for, so I was a little nervous to say the least.

I dropped the car off and the guy said he would ring me. I told him over the phone earlier that we were setting off for Portsmouth at about 1 o'clock

At 12 o'clock I phoned the guy to see if he was done, he said it would be early afternoon before he would be finished. So to cut an even longer story short I only got the wheels aligned and he had a fiddle with the carbs. (which made it worse)

Then we set off for Portsmouth, the drive down was fairly uneventfully until the last 7 miles, the cycle wing carrier snapped, and the cycle wing was touching the wheel, we couldn't do more than 40mph on the motorway, but we limped on and made it onto the ferry on time.

Saturday we drove off at Bilbao, where it was lashing it down, we had fitted the hood on the boat and headed off to find a garage to get the cycle wing carrier welded. No joy what so ever, so I secured it properly with some ty wraps and we headed for Toulouse. The rain was terrible, we could hardly see where we were going, but we plodded on slowly.

Then we got to France, just outside Pau actually, we stopped at the services to take a quick toilet brake and to fill up with petrol. This is where the day got WORSE. When we jumped back into the car, the damn thing wouldn't start, just kept turning over!

I checked the petrol, at first I thought I had flooded it, but that was fine, then checked the spark from one of the plug leads, nothing!!

I had a spare crank sensor as I have had problems with these before, but didn't have anything to change it with...........

I called my breakdown service for my french car, but when I finally got through, they told me they only had the Porsche on cover and that they couldn't come out for the Westy. So I called back an pretended it was the Porsche, don't think they believed me but said as it was on a motorway they are not allowed to send anyone, and to call 17 from my mobile. I did this and a tow truck was on its way in the next half an hour.

Then I saw a Cobra coming into the services, I flagged it down and there was an English guy driving it, on his way to Malaga where he lived. Unfortunately for me he didn't have any tools to change it. Only had a few essentials  

The tow truck soon arrived and the french mechanic tried to fix the car, he changed the crank sensor for me but it wasn't that. SO now my Westy is left in Pau in a Peugeot delers hands. He said he is going to have a look on Monday. When I asked how much a tow back to Toulose would be he said over 1000 Euro's, so he convinced me to tow it to his garage for 160 Euro's

He took us to the nearest railway station, where we took a 3 hour train that cost 60 Euro's back to Toulouse, We got on the Metro to the station which links to our local line, only to find that the trains did not go to our village on Saturday night. We managed to get to a village which is 2 villages away from ours in the hope to get a bus or taxi.

When we arrived we couldn't find neither, after ringing all the numbers in my phonebook we managed to get a neighbour to come and get us and arrived home at 100 last night

I now have 2 choices, let him fix it and drive it back, hoping nothing else goes wrong, or find a car trailer and car to tow it back home.

GUTTED

500 miles on the clock and its already broken down. Just hope its the coil pack and not the ECU thats not producing the spark!

Mark

[Neil Purdie]

GUTTED

I reckon thats an understatement

At least the trip will be memorable  

[smithaam]

Sorry mate, sounds like your having no fun. I would get it back home yourself if you can, would not trust just anybody to look at it. Hope you get it sorted.

[Mark19800_0]

Cheers guy's, will keep you posted on my progress

If anyone knows someone with a trailer in the South of France, please post!

Yes, I know its a long shot!

Mark

[pistonbroke]

E'gads Sorry tale , sounds like a right nightmare!

Glad I have breakdown recovery on mine  I think its essential for travel abroad especially in something as vulnerable as a Westfield .

I wouldnt want to leave mine in the hands of any froggy mechanics , there all rip off merchants afaik esp. to  roast beefs  

[alan dixon]

Did somebody make you go and live in France?  

[Vinny's Westie]

Did somebody make you go and live in France?  

The government