Poorly Bear
 

Going out last night to dinner with the CMGOC at Quintrell Downs, about 40 minute drive from home. So I took the Bear to give it a run. Drove it’s usual self. Except when I got to the pub the fan was running at high speed. And wouldn’t stop. Until I disconnected the battery. Other members of the club lent me tools to disconnect the battery as I don’t carry any tools in the Bear. All the tools are in Banana.

So instead of going to dinner I reconnected the battery and drove home. Where it was still light enough for me to disconnect the battery.
I then phoned a few friends to see if anyone had an idea. Posted up on the 260’s page the problem.

So this morning went like this.

Contacted the AA at 09.00. The reply was will be with you by 10.30, then 11.00, changed to 11.35, then it will not be till Noon.

Then the AA office phoned me to ask what I needed breakdown for. So I explained that the fan was constantly running, and I had to disconnect the battery to stop it burning itself out.

And the reply came as a surprise. They would not be coming out to me as I wasn’t broken down. The car was mobile so they recommended me that I take the car to my local garage and with that they rung off.

On one of the forums I’m on said that the relay for the fan was behind the bumper, which meant me taking it off. I phoned Allen and asked if he wasn’t doing anything could he come round and help me. No problem he said be round in about 30 minutes.

Then a recovery van turns up from Keltek motors. I explained that the AA had cancelled the job. The mechanic was not impressed. He showed me proof on his phone that the job was still active.

Well, he had never seen a V8 before. It was a good ten minutes before he looked to what was causing the fan to constantly run. He took every relay out, and it still ran. He took out the master fuse, and the fan stopped.

Out came the scanner and he plugged it in. But these V8’s can be cantankerous so n so’s, and the Bear refused to “talk” to the scanner. I said about the bumper coming off to reach the relay behind. And bless him he said right let’s get that off. Allen arrived to find the mechanic looking for the relay.

Allen had phoned the garage that we use, Polyne, and spoke to the sparky about the Bear’s problem. Fuse, relay, sender unit or a break in the wiring. Allen relayed this all to the mechanic. So the bumper was refitted, fuse put back in and battery reconnected.
The mechanic said he was baffled and said that the sender unit was at fault as that was the only thing left to check.

But the mechanic asked for a favour. Start it up so I can hear the rumble. I gave him the keys, he was like a kid with a new toy.

So the Bear is now in the workshop. Was going in anyway for it’s MOT.

Allen gave me a lift home.

:oops::oops::cry::cry::cry:
Rev

Bob you seem to be bearing up when most of us would have been laying on the floor grizzling, well done.

I decided to finish with the AA when they listed me as "deceased", and there are numerous stories about other groups.

The only reliable thing in this is Allen, what a pal, good luck.

Oh, I just joined the AA because I was annoyed with the RAC. I broke down a couple of months ago (remember UBP problem?). The only issue was that I had broken down in the car park at a Kwikfit centre. The RAC said because they were a 'garage' they wouldn't come out unless I paid £100 for the recovery truck. I told them that Kwikfit weren't a garage and that they only offered fitting services like tyres etc but they wouldn't have it. I called a guy with a truck and he charged me £50 for a 2 mile journey ... I was well brassed off. If the AA do the same then the last option is to have Big Russ follow me everywhere or have him on speed dial, lol. :duh::duh::duh::getmecoat::shrug:

The AA have been very good up till now. So I may just say goodbye when the renewal comes up.

Unfortunately all breakdown company’s are just that, breakdown insurance to get you home and not there to diagnose a fault. Hope the V8 is sorted soon Bob.