The inestimable value of good neighbours

General Discussion
1

I know I have gone on about this before but my very good neighbours have come up trumps once again.

On my way back from the market on Sunday, just as the car dropped to 1st for the last hill to the house, the engine died and stopped. I free wheeled it back to a safe place to abandon it and tried to start it again. No luck. So I got my heavy shopping bag out of the car and trudged in the heat up to the house.

Once there and putting my stuff away I realised that I had left my phone in the car so trudged down and back up again with it to find that there were 5 calls and texts from Marie-Paule, finally saying that if she didn’t raise me soon she would climb over the gate to check me out.

I got back to her and, re-assured, she handed the phone to Mario. We agreed to get together in the morning to see if we could get it started. We did finally and he gave it some 5 minutes or so at high revs and I drove it back home, with him checking that I got there.

He told me that if it didn’t start at 1330 when I go to the supermarket I was to come and see him again. It didn’t, so I got my stuff and walked next door thinking he was going to give me a lift there and back. Not a bit of it, he insisted that I take his Berlingo and if necessary use it 'till my mecano comes back from holiday next Monday.

So that is where we are, I got to the shops and parked it outside the gate as agreed and put the keys safe in the house, seemed funny driving again the trusted vehicle that I had practically lived in over many years and thousands of kilometres but there was one more thing, well 2, to test me. I parked at the supermarket, got out and locked it with the remote but then realised that my shopping list was inside. The doors would not unlock to either the remote or the key. :astonished_face: I tried all round no luck and then the back hatch, it opened and I scrambled in to reach the front doors and lifted the levers. Left it unlocked after that.

I said 2 problems. The reason we agreed for me to park it between our houses was because that morning my electric gates failed to open, so now, until the installers come, hopefully tomorrow, I am using the emergency key to isolate the pistons.

All through this canicule, M-P has been keeping an eye on me just to make sure the heat is not causing me to kick the bucket. I really hope that all aged singletons are as lucky in their guardians as I am. :joy:

16 Likes
2

Glad to hear that you had some help David.

I am no car mechanic, but I had a similar problem with my car a week ago - came out to find it wouldn’t start. I had to call Green Flag and the rescue guy immediately diagnosed a dodgy battery - he jump-started it and told me to drive straight to Halfords to get a new one.

Whether it was due to the canicule anglaise or just the battery being old I don’t know. But I wonder if your wagon is suffering from a similar malady?

3

Extremes of heat and cold will always finish off a weak battery.

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4

This does sound like it

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I’ve been aware we’ve been doing a lot of short journeys recently, so I’ve been trying to incorporate extensions to save the battery (one of those stop-start ones, so not cheap to replace).

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Morning Porridge

I have a VW Passat, and I have turned off the stop start as it bugged the hell out of me on short trips.

Worth a thought.

Andy

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Yes I hate that too and have disabled mine as at first I thought it had stalled. Really annoying

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I’m so vague that I remember only when it’s done its work!

But thank you both: you’ve inspired me to dig into the manual (or Google) to find out how to do it.

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Don’t think it is that Chris, because it turned over very strongly before finally bursting into life for Mario who then gave it very high revs for several minutes before leaving it ticking over.

Normally I reverse into the garden and it is then downhill when I leave and, if it is, as Mario thinks it is, a diesel feed problem then the fact the it was pointing up hill when it failed, downhill slightly when he restarted it but uphill now because during the canicule I have been driving it up the garden under the trees. Maybe if I had thought of that when I brought home things might be different.

As it is now the strong battery is beginning to fail after all the recent attempts on it. I think I might put it on charge today and then wait for Hannes, my mechanic, to come on Monday. I only have 3 brief outings planned before then so will stick with the returning Berlingo. :joy:

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Bonne chance!

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If it’s any help, on the VW there is a button you press to disable it.

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Thanks, @andyw - I was hoping for a more permanent solution, but that seems to require reprogramming and that’s well beyond me and my appetite for risk!

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Have you figured out how to disable the rear collision detection system so that you can reverse with a trailer attached?

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Its normally automatically disabled when you plug the trailer electrics in

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I have an acquaintance with a 2024 Passat that didn’t get that memo. Trailer hitch and socket fitted by dealer. Neither dealer nor VW France can figure it out.

But that’s enough thread derailing for now.

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That sounds very likely.

We used to have a 7,5t truck that was an absolute s*d to start if it was not run everyday. The simple (& cheap!) solution was to fit a non-return valve in the fuel line as even when parked on the flat the pipework was inclined downwards towards the tank.

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17

And dont forget to replace them from time to time. My old Renault Scenics had a primer bulb to assist in such situations, I fitted them to other diesels I owned as well.

Back to neighbours, mine has left his garden hoze running and gone out. He has electric fences all round to keep his horses in so no chance of me scaling a fence. Any ideas, dont have his number and his business details are not showing on google maps anymore. Would you climb a gate to turn off the water?

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His problem, not yours. He may have done it deliberately?

When he’s back, then is the moment to ask him, would it be useful to share phone numbers, in case of need?

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19

He was filling the horse trough and seems to have left it running.

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I know someone who did that with a swimming pool, left it for a week!!!