A short journey turns into a nightmare!

[MudRat]

Went to Tescos in the 90, on the way back, left the handbrake on!! 5 mins up the road smoke coming up from the seat box (next to the fuel tank!!) pulled over pulled up the seat pan, engulfed in white smoke, thinking quick i poured six cans of diet coke over the cable which was red hot and glowing. The wire had burnt through the winch cable which then shorted out the battery in a matter of minutes!!!! Called RAC, said 3 hours  luckily mate came along in his rangie, he has a twin optima set up, with much revving and disconnecting of wires, we got her started and me home, handbrake is stuck off, but will fix it eventually. RAC will be getting a very stern letter.

[mikiep1986]

oh dear harsh unlucky but yea dam rite send the rac a nice verbal letter lol

[robert francis]

say you got kids in the car normally they there within an hour

[Jake]

You wont drive with the handbrake on again 'eh
 ;)

[Yoshi]

I had a nice lengthy wait for RAC on Tuesday. 

Collected a punto (subject of a thread a couple of months ago about one my brother purchased) and 9 miles away from the collection point it had head gasket failure.

So called RAC out, young lad on the phone said they would be an hour and a quarter, so 75 mins.  An hour in i get a phone call from their dispatch team informing me that a driver would be there within 50 mins!  Obviously i let him know my disgust at being told that it would be 50 mins when i was told alot less.  So one turns up 25 mins later, has a thorough look over the engine, does some tests etc............ then gets on the blower to get a recovery wagon sent out!

Now just to let you know, initial phone call was at 10.25am, the recovery wagon turned up at 4pm!  The funny thing was, he picked me up, drove me 2 1/2 miles up the road and dropped me off to collect a courtesy car!!  They had sent a wagon from 50 miles away, yet the depot they dropped me off at had 4 wagons and drivers sat there doing nowt!

So i am guessing thats a couple of strongly worded letters coming there way!

[thermidorthelobster]

Was it really the handbrake on, or did the engine earth through the handbrake cable because of an earthing fault?  I'd have thought you'd have noticed the smell before it got that hot.

[MudRat]

handbrake was def up and on, maybe a combo of both but won't know until i look.

[Range Rover Blues]

RAC, last time I called them out to a RRC auto with a blown head gasket we were waiting an hour then a van that would have fit inside the RRC turned up, didn't even get out of the cab and 'phoned for a flatbed.  Another hour's wait.

Greenflag (via the caravan club) half the price, ring them up and within the hour we're inside a brand new flatbed recovery truck halfway home.

And it's cheaper

And the cover is better, they fetch you caravan or trailer and they will do both trips if they can't fix it.

[carbore]

Good reminder of why I always carry an extinguisher in my car. (Diet coke was a good substitute mind and even sprays out like an extinguisher and is in a red bottle!)

[carracarra13]

the AA are no better m8 bunch of  censered gits left my wife and kids strandered 4 four hours

[TDi90]

yup waited for 3 hours in the dark for the aa once... wont go back to them...  [-X

[Boddle]

Greenflag (via the caravan club) half the price, ring them up and within the hour we're inside a brand new flatbed recovery truck halfway home.

And it's cheaper

And the cover is better, they fetch you caravan or trailer and they will do both trips if they can't fix it.

 Went back to them this year as for some reason they fob us of with Directline a number of years ago (they gave the impression the had been bought out).
 But on the occasions I have use them which is nearly 15 years ago they were there within the hour all but 1 occasion that was on the M1 in rush hour Monday morning I was given a refund as the man 1 1/2 hour (50%). The only other occasion that I knew off which took longer than a hour was my Dad used them we were at the end of Loch Torridon the nearest Garage to us us was at Ullapool about 70 Miles away and the 2 hours that it took for the recovery truck was reasonable I think.
  Haven't had the need so far to use them since I rejoined them.

[Gordo]

I've had an idea: Why not have a little light on the dashboard to show the handbrake is on? Could even make it red...  :doh:

As for breakdown insurers, they're all much the same: AA and RAC have pretty universal reviews of poor service.

Direct Line bought Green Flag a few years ago.

[muddyjames]

I've had an idea: Why not have a little light on the dashboard to show the handbrake is on? Could even make it red...  :doh:

Series landys dont have that. sk my dads ex how she knows the hand brake was on, on my series landy when she had a drive in it! Doh. We thought it was on fire. :lol:

[muddysteve]

I've had an idea: Why not have a little light on the dashboard to show the handbrake is on? Could even make it red...  :doh:

Series landys dont have that.

neither do most early defenders, mine hasnt

[Gordo]

I've had an idea: Why not have a little light on the dashboard to show the handbrake is on? Could even make it red...  :doh:

Series landys dont have that.

neither do most early defenders, mine hasnt

You learn something new every day...  :oops:

[kizz81]

can leave my hand brake on all day and not get hot  :lol: might because the mounting bracket is bent and im still waiting for a new one to come

i had to use rac last week on mine, they sent a van out within 45 minutes even though i had been trying to find the fault all morning but with no luck then a hour after that a recovery truck turned up, wasnt to bad as it was hot weather and i was at uni so could have a cold beer or thre in the knowledge that i wouldnt be driving any where for a while  :lol:

good luck in fixing it
kieran

[Boddle]

I've had an idea: Why not have a little light on the dashboard to show the handbrake is on? Could even make it red...  :doh:

As for breakdown insurers, they're all much the same: AA and RAC have pretty universal reviews of poor service.

Direct Line bought Green Flag a few years ago.

 Yes they did but strangely Green Flag is now acting as an independent company.