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View Full Version : Another brilliant bit of service from the AA


will-w
26-08-09, 09:05 AM
I know there has been some debate recently about which breakdown service is best, and I'd just like to share my tale of great service I just had!

08:00 - Got in the car this morning to come home from work. Car was a complete mare to start, on the 3rd time I got lucky.
08:30 - Arrived in Ashford, ready to get some diesel and then head home.
08:35 - Got stuck behind what I thought was a smelly old BMW running rather richly
08:40 - Got to the Shell garage and put £10 worth of diesel in (am changing fuel filter tomorrow, so didn't see much point putting more in now)
08:45 - Came out of the kiosk to find a rather large pool of diesel under the front of my car... I won't repeat what I said just incase there are kiddies reading!:unsure:
08:50 - Pushed my car out of the way (managing to spill £5 worth of diesel in the process) and called the AA. Spoke to a very nice lass, who actually seemed to know something about cars (or at least MG's)!
09:10 - AA man arrived. Briefed him of what happened, he had a quick look, walked back to his van and got a wee bit of pipe out.
09:15 - All fixed (temporarily) and I set off home.

25 minutes from calling the AA, to being on my way home again.. Can't fault them in the slightest! :)

I won't pretend to know exactly what happened, as I don't... But I do (now) know that the pipes bringing diesel back from the injectors (overflow pipes or something) have perished rather badly, and as a result acted as a high pressure diesel water pistols! :guns:

I am so glad that I don't have a petrol, as it would have surely gone up in flames with petrol being thrown all over a very hot engine!!!

Sorry for my rather large story, I am tired and have been up for 18 hours, so am now off to bed! :)

Night!

Simon's ZS-120
26-08-09, 11:32 AM
lucky guy when i my car sliped in to limp mode for k-series reasons it took rac 75 mins to come have a look

arwilson80
26-08-09, 11:45 AM
Never had... Better stop already as i'm likely to jinx myself. :)

Simon's ZS-120
26-08-09, 11:49 AM
lol im taking the rac card out proberly break down again today

will-w
26-08-09, 11:49 AM
I was counting my lucky stars when it happened, if it had of been a petrol there would have been lots of flammable petrol spraying against a rather warm engine! :crazy:

On a side note, does anyone know the best thing to get diesel off paintwork? I've just noticed that i've got a lovely film/beading of it all over the back of my car:yikes:

stamford
26-08-09, 12:16 PM
Can't fault the AA, they have done a sterling job for the family this last year including myself!

ZS
26-08-09, 12:47 PM
Had the same on my old Diesel... easy fix really :)

Had nothing but bad experience with the AA and RAC (AA left me in the middle of M4 slip road during rush hour to call out a recovery truck.. took 2 hours for truck to arrive, then he deemed it too dangerous to recover me from said location and had to close the slip road (with police help) before putting me on the back of the truck.... Apparently the original AA guy should have towed me up the sliproad and onto the hard shoulder... AND he should have raised it as priority 1 due to location, as it was it was put through as low priority...


The only Breakdown service thats any good in my experience is green flag...

Mind you round here you allways get the same company recovering you (Boarhunt Garages) so its just the initial diagnosis that counts ;)

Ritchy
26-08-09, 07:22 PM
every company has the odd bad story about them, the AA is very hard to get into, you have to be a very good mechanic to pass the test to get in, i have seen some weird repairs done by some breakdown company's to get cars going though lol, not sure which ones though

Sirrel Squirrel
29-08-09, 11:33 AM
I've had to use the AA a few times, I really can't fault them, average response time from calling has been about 30 minutes and the driver normally calls when they're on their way and asks about the problem.

One time I called them when I was in my girlfriend's car and the throttle cable snapped, the guy was like MacGyver and made a new throttle cable out of bits he had in his van.

Jay-ZS+
29-08-09, 12:01 PM
I cant fault the AA always a great service for me but the gf had a nightmare with RAC only last night went to drive back home to see her parents and her 400 was smoking from bonnet and not smelling good, Rang RAC only to be told shes not covered as it in her stepdads name, He rang them to also be told hes not covered although hes got all the details and has been with them for donkeys years, SO eventually they agreed and then said the couldnt do anything till the next day!!! lol unbelieveable

Turns out theres a fair bit of work needed so looks like I will be busy next week, anyone got a aircon pump, intercooler piping they fancy donating :laugh: