And more car issues!

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A couple of days ago I had planned to drive to Wales as I had a few days when I didn’t need to be here and I do need to go there to check on things. But with my car problem it would be far too dangerous, even if I waited until the middle of the day on a sunny day – because of course it might start off ok with a clear windscreen, but the problem would reappear later or the next time I needed to drive. So my partner offered to lend me his car – which at only 10 years old is considerably younger than mine with fewer issues! So off I set and everything was fine. I had driven around 80 miles – just about half way – when I stopped at the motorway services for a toilet break and to get a snack. I parked in a nice sunny spot. It was still mid afternoon and it was cold but otherwise a perfect day for driving. I was only there about 15 or 20 minutes. When I was ready to set off again I turned the key in the ignition and – virtually nothing. Do you know the kind of ‘turning over’ sound you generally get when starting a petrol- or diesel-engine car? Or even when it won’t start but you can hear the ignition trying to start? Well it was like that except extremely slowed down. There was obviously no chance it would start the engine! I wasn’t sure what to do, whether I should call the rescue service. I called my partner and he said there should be some jump leads in the compartment with the spare wheel so I could see if I could find someone to help me. I checked – the leads were there. Then I looked around. There were a few cars parked and some people had just returned to the vehicle almost next to mine. It was a big pick-up and it looked like it ought to have enough ‘oomph’ to help me out so I went and waved at the driver. He turned out to be a lovely helpful youngish man who didn’t hesitate but immediately turned his truck around, grabbed his own leads and in a matter of moments I had the engine running again. I was very grateful. Normally it’s me jump-starting other people’s cars! Anyway after that I was rather afraid to continue with my journey. I had planned to stop and buy some groceries on the way but what if I was then stuck at a supermarket in some small town with no-one around to help? I’d be back to calling the rescue service again, and I might have to wait hours in a freezing cold car park for them to arrive. Or if I didn’t stop but carried on to my destination I’d be surrounded by fields, I’d have to look for a friendly farmer to help me out, and wouldn’t even have a hot drink to cheer myself up unless I then walked the three miles each way to the nearest shop! And even if I did get the car started, I couldn’t really ask anyone to do it more than once so I would basically have to come home again as soon as I got it running. It all seemed beset with potential difficulties. I decided I had better turn back, so I drove the 80-odd miles home again, and everything seemed fine. I would almost have thought I’d imagined it all except that the mileage indicator and the clock both reset themselves to zero, which they would only do if they had absolutely no power (such as when you take the battery out) – normally they both stay on even when the car is not in use. The really weird thing is that the next day, after investigating what could be wrong and how to check it, we went out to test the battery and the alternator with a multimeter – and both seemed fine. And the car started at the first turn of the key, just like usual! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2024.