Nightmare journey!
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:35 pm
It seemed like SUCH a good idea - meetings in North London, hop upto Newmarket for an overnight and dinner with clients, meetings the next day then up to Yorkshire for a team day. Leave the Audi at home - take the RS for the first proper drive in well over a year......
Started out well - cracking drive up the M3, round the M25 and into Trent Park - just over 100 miles and smooth as silk. Nervous leaving her in the car park but relieved when I came back and she was in one piece!
Next stop, another 80 miles onto my hotel just outside Newmarket - Tuddenham Mill - stunning conversion of an old building and very comfortable. Went to pick up one of our Japanese clients while his colleagues came in the Taxi - he loved the noise of the RS as it came on cam
After a day of heavy meetings - took five hours from Newmarket to Swinton Park in North Yorkshire - not seen rain and bad driving conditions that bad for many, many years - scary sphincter clenching moment when aquaplaning on the A1 - but it's more easily managed in a lightweight car than a 2.5 ton Audi A8
Relieved to get to the hotel, great meetings yesterday, early to bed and up early to head home.....
This morning beautiful sunshine to drive in (too hot to have the roof open!) - made 200 miles from Swinton Park, not stopping for 2 3/4 hours until I made it to the services on the A43 / M40 junction to take on fuel.
Carried on straight away after checking oil - joined the A34 heading south and thought "cool, going to be home early for a change!" - famous last words.
In the outside lane about nine miles from Newbury, I felt the power go and watched the rev counter die to zero
Eery sense of 'silence' before realising what had happened.
Mercifully nothing else in the inside lane so I coasted her to the slip road and then gently onto the verge - I was gutted - pulled myself together and thought "this is the ruddy CDI again!" - fiddled with everything in the back - checked the fuses and then realised I was going to have to call out the RAC.
After three hours a really nice recovery truck guy arrived and loaded her on - Bob Watson had said to come over whenever I could get there and five hours after loosing power on the M40 we pulled into his yard.
Bob and I both stunned to find BOTH the CDI AND the coil had gone Might be where she was in storage for a year - might be because it was one of these ruddy Brazilian Bosch coils (I remembered Vic's post a couple of years ago) - might be 'cos she'd been on a long blat (but temp was perfect all the way).
Anyway, I was VERY relieved to arrive home seven hours later than planned
- CDI's gone off to be repaired and now got to find a proper black Bosch coil.....
Can't possibly thank Bob enough - and I really MUST get one of the old CDI's I have refurbed and keep it with the tools in the car
Next post - anyone know where to find a proper black Bosch coil?
Still - it's fun driving old cars innit
P
Started out well - cracking drive up the M3, round the M25 and into Trent Park - just over 100 miles and smooth as silk. Nervous leaving her in the car park but relieved when I came back and she was in one piece!
Next stop, another 80 miles onto my hotel just outside Newmarket - Tuddenham Mill - stunning conversion of an old building and very comfortable. Went to pick up one of our Japanese clients while his colleagues came in the Taxi - he loved the noise of the RS as it came on cam
After a day of heavy meetings - took five hours from Newmarket to Swinton Park in North Yorkshire - not seen rain and bad driving conditions that bad for many, many years - scary sphincter clenching moment when aquaplaning on the A1 - but it's more easily managed in a lightweight car than a 2.5 ton Audi A8
Relieved to get to the hotel, great meetings yesterday, early to bed and up early to head home.....
This morning beautiful sunshine to drive in (too hot to have the roof open!
) - made 200 miles from Swinton Park, not stopping for 2 3/4 hours until I made it to the services on the A43 / M40 junction to take on fuel.Carried on straight away after checking oil - joined the A34 heading south and thought "cool, going to be home early for a change!" - famous last words.
In the outside lane about nine miles from Newbury, I felt the power go and watched the rev counter die to zero
Eery sense of 'silence' before realising what had happened.Mercifully nothing else in the inside lane so I coasted her to the slip road and then gently onto the verge - I was gutted - pulled myself together and thought "this is the ruddy CDI again!" - fiddled with everything in the back - checked the fuses and then realised I was going to have to call out the RAC.
After three hours a really nice recovery truck guy arrived and loaded her on - Bob Watson had said to come over whenever I could get there and five hours after loosing power on the M40 we pulled into his yard.
Bob and I both stunned to find BOTH the CDI AND the coil had gone
Might be where she was in storage for a year - might be because it was one of these ruddy Brazilian Bosch coils (I remembered Vic's post a couple of years ago) - might be 'cos she'd been on a long blat (but temp was perfect all the way).Anyway, I was VERY relieved to arrive home seven hours later than planned
- CDI's gone off to be repaired and now got to find a proper black Bosch coil.....Can't possibly thank Bob enough - and I really MUST get one of the old CDI's I have refurbed and keep it with the tools in the car
Next post - anyone know where to find a proper black Bosch coil?
Still - it's fun driving old cars innit
P
