The Car!

Well, still no car. :(


It was booked in yesterday and I took it into the workshop. Here's how the story goes.


I booked it in for a service with the dealer as it was due for its 75,000 km service. I mentioned the alternator and said it's not charging.

I decided to put the battery on charge for an hour and also take my jumper pack with me just in case... not sure why but if the battery was dead, the jumper pack wasn't going to make any real difference.

I got her started, on my way to the dealer at about the half way mark, the ever glowing battery light started to flash. Then all of a sudden the beeps started. First ABS went out. Then the airbag system was "disconnected". Followed by a host of other features that make the car safe.

Then it came good for about 10 seconds. Then the tacho started to jump up and down, and the engine lost power. The speedo was also jumping up and down. The lights on the dashboard went out completely and the needles rested as if the car was turned off. I coasted down the hill, putting my hazard lights on, which was futile as there was NO power at all. They didn't even flash once. I got beeped at by cars behind me. And I tried to beep back, but having no power meant all I got was silence.

I coasted down the hill some more, getting ready to vere off the road and slowly pull the handbrake up to come to a stop. I came to a stop. I reached for the key, with my foot still on the throttle all of a sudden I patted her on the dashboard and said "It's okay baby, you got me this far." I reached for the key to turn the ignition off and all of a sudden she came back to life.

Engine idling to spec. Battery light not on. All systems were perfect. I dumped her into first gear, launched her back into traffic and gave her another pat on the dashboard, kissed her on the steering wheel and said "That's my girl... now let's get you to the doctor."

I raced to the dealership because I didn't want her Italian temperament (if it's anything like mine) to change direction and decide that NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYMORE.

I made it to the dealer with nothing but a slight whirring sound coming from the front of the car. I suspect the alternator crying "ENOUGH with the spinning!!!"

I dropped her off and expected a phone call the following day asking me to come and get her. What really happened was a phone call two hours. The service was complete. However, the alternator wasn't good. With my permission it was sent off to an Auto Electrician, but first I was told about the 2-3 hours it'll take to remove it. I believed them. Because when I looked at it in the drive way, the only way it appeared to have access to the damned alternator was from the bottom of the car or maybe the side once the wheel was off and the inner guards were removed (if possible).

Either way, I had to sit down for the cost.

Then they informed me that the front discs needed replacing. I nearly exploded because they were replaced at the 60,000 service (European cars have "softer" discs that bite really well but wear out faster). I told the dealer that I don't want to be angry at him, however if he's going to lie to me about the car I will come over there and proceed to stick my size 12 foot up his size 1 virgin arse.

When I arrived to return the loan car which I only had that day, I looked at him as I marched into the workshop and he got up and ran off.

Another guy came out instead. Greeted me and explained the mistake about the brakes. I told him the other guy is lucky he ducked off for his "lunch break" otherwise I'd bent the brake discs around his neck"

Anyway, long story short. I got a call today that the alternator was sent to the auto electrician, not repairable, I must get a new one. So, the bill which includes the service and alternator comes to about $1,500 Australian Dollars TOTAL... So far.

When I get the car back I'll be more than likely putting it up for sale immediately. And I have begun my quest to find that old HR Holden I grew up saying I'd own one some day.