Lambert's Castle, Dorset, 27/12/17
Our trusty Renault Scenic, which we bought as a used car in 2004 and which has shared our family adventures at home and abroad ever since, started to misfire after a steep and puddly drive up to the Lambert's Castle hillfort on Wednesday, and then became increasingly underpowered and juddery, so that going up any incline at all was not unlike riding an ancient petrol lawnmower. Then the "toxic fumes" indicator started to flash on the dashboard.
Given we had to drive back to Southampton the next day, this was a problem. I tried the RAC, but after several lengthy sessions of listening to the same recordings ("We're exceptionally busy right now...") I gave up. There's one subscription I won't be renewing this year. But a web search threw up a Renault specialist in nearby Axmister with a 24 hour recovery service. So I rang, and he answered. Yes! He diagnosed the likely problem over the phone (the notorious unsealed Renault ignition coils), ordered the parts, and we limped into town the next morning.
A good garage, I think, should not look like a soft-furnishings salesroom, but more like an oil-encrusted rubbish dump, preferably with a blackened yard roughly defined by battered Portakabin units and old sheds, and with an external bell on the office phone which never stops ringing. This one was perfect, in a frosty spot down by the river, and our car was back to its old self just one hour later. Should you ever experience car problems down Axminster way, I recommend Robin Wilson. In fact, I may even drive the Scenic down there for its next service.
Axminster, 28/12/17
6 comments:
What is your position on bitching about all cars built after ? Would this be included in the Mark of the Mechanic?
(My guy blames modern automatic transmission troubles on a lack of whale oil, before hastily explaining that he certainly does not advocate whale hunting)
Absolutely. We were treated to some graphic warnings at Robin Wilson's about buying later Scenic models, complete with visual aids. Too many bloody electronics! Keep this one going as long as you can!
My father could fix any pre-80s vehicle using chewing gum, twine, and sticky tape (a necessary skill for a despatch rider alone in the Western Desert) but gave up once "sealed components" came along. Where was the fun in buying a boxed part that was as easy to install as Lego?
Automatics are still unusual in Britain, where manual "stick shifts" are the norm. In fact, there are "auto only" driving licenses, which require a further test to graduate to manual. I'm not sure whether whale oil is involved or not.
Mike
You'd probably like the repair shop where my wife has her 2004 Corolla Estate Turbodiesel serviced - it's in the former engine house of an abandoned coal mine. We decided on this one after the owner of her previous repair shop declared that he definitely didn't want to see this car on his yard again (he was a bit miffed after a futile attempt to exchange the front wheel bearings). The current repair shop happens to have a local bus operator as a customer, and my initial thought was that if they were able to keep those junkers roadworthy, they must be good at what they do. On this year's vacation trip, however, we had to find out that they didn't check the radiator water ...
Best, Thomas
PS: If the Scenic isn't fixable any more, check out Honda - I've got a 2008 Jazz on which I've already put 205.000 km, and the only stuff which had to be replaced was the AC radiator at 150.000 and the generator at 199.000.
Thomas,
That definitely sounds like my kind of place! I like the invoice to come impressed with the mechanic's own oily handprints.
If I haven't said so before, let me say it now: your English is very good indeed! Where the hell do you get vocabulary like "junker"? I'm impressed.
Yes, I've often thought about Hondas, especially when getting the elegant rear view of various Civic models. Their reliability is legendary. We've recently replaced a venerable Ford Fiesta with a Skoda Citigo, and so far I'm impressed -- I mean, a comfortable 90 mph out of a THREE cylinder 1 litre engine?? What is the world coming to?
Mike
Re English: Thanks for the flowers, much appreciated! My vocabulary is mostly from reading English books (including Catch-22). In the age of amazon.com, books in English are easy to obtain, and the nice thing about Kindle books is that the Kindle has an Oxford Dictionary built in. You just mark the word, and see the translation in a flyover window (curiously, I forget this translation pretty soon - if I use a physical dictionary instead, the translation tends to stay in my memory). I could use some speaking practice, though; I believe my accent is pretty terrible.
Best, Thomas
Thomas,
Well, I wouldn't worry, I'm told my accent is pretty terrible, too...
Mike
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