Duderstadt 2011!!! **Dates confirmed 29th July - 31st July**

[erikmr]

8)day one

the jouney begins

[toxo]

8)day one

the jouney begins

Yes it does - I am on the ferry right now!!

[paul port]

8)day one

the jouney begins

Yes it does - I am on the ferry right now!!

Good News...
What was the bill in the end??

[toxo]

8)day one

the jouney begins

Yes it does - I am on the ferry right now!!

Good News...
What was the bill in the end??

Teehee you're funny! That was posted on the ferry on the way THERE. I'm still in Gent...

[Scott Barton]

Yes it does - I am on the ferry right now!!

Good News...
What was the bill in the end??

Teehee you're funny! That was posted on the ferry on the way THERE. I'm still in Gent...

You STILL there??

[toxo]

Yeah they haven't even looked at the car yet. The whole of yesterday was the euro recovery guys waiting for approval from the insurance brokers to spend money... The left hand isn't talking to the right. I only had a hotel last night because I chased them because it was raining and my coat is in my car (along with my house keys and passport which was pretty stupid)

One thing that's infuriating is that I know the first hour of 'labour' will be diagnosis when I already know what's wrong! I doubt they will let me speak directly to the garage (and then they will need to know English quite well) but I shall try.

I'm gonna need to buy some more clothes today!!

[tonigmr2]

Blimey what's going on!

[toxo]

As far as I have worked out, one of the screws holding the rotor arm on worked loose, jammed between the arm and the cap and as a result the cap and rotor arm are smashed. There was a thud and I got an EML about a second before I lost power which I guess was 'no signal from distributor', hopefully the dizzy jamming hasn't caused the intake cam to jump a tooth. This happened about 4KM outside Gent so I was recovered there and put up in a hotel.

I purchased my euro recovery through a brokers, and every time the recovery company want to do anything they have to go back to the brokers for approval to spend money, so I've been here 2 days and so far nothing has happened. The car goes for diagnosis today even though I know what is wrong and could get the parts in the UK for under £100!!

[Lauren]

Blimey, what a game. Surely a trip to your local Toyota dealer would get the parts for you?

[toxo]

Blimey, what a game. Surely a trip to your local Toyota dealer would get the parts for you?

Absolutely, in fact I am trying to get the car taken to the local Toyota for the work. I have the parts manager from my local dealership all ready to phone up and provide the relevant part numbers if they don't have the Japanese epc cds loaded. But I am being kept very much out of the loop by the euro breakdown lot.

[paul port]

Brokers... Joy...

And the next update will be...
"We have valued your car at 50p, but since we have already spent that on this phone call, you can F**k-Off"

Next time you speak to them, suggest:
Day Trip Dover / Calais £22
http://www.poferries.com/tourist/conten ... lymail.htm
Fuel for a friend to drive over with the part 500 miles round trip ~£100

Let me know and I'll do it!

[toxo]

Rest assured, after the events of this year I am never using a broker again for insurance or breakdown cover. The value of the car is not too big a deal - it doesn't appear in Glass's guides so there is no automatic value, and the market value for the particular vehicle is clear as I've arranged a sale already. Quite literaly, "the car is worth what someone will pay for it".

You may regret making that offer btw

[Scott Barton]

I can imagine your beard will of grown an inch or two by the time you get back!

Will be like Tom Hanks in Castaway.....Wilson....Wilson...WILSON....!

[toxo]

lol, it is already getting in the way of consuming all this Leffe! The good news is, the Paul Port recovery service is on its way with parts from Toyota.

[Scott Barton]

All hail the Paul Port recovery service!!!

[Steve Horrocks]

Honestly?! It's quicker & easier for Paul to pick up parts & drive to Gent than brokers to just say, OK, fix it?! Absolutely farcical!
Top effort on Paul's behalf though!

[Lauren]

Wow, hats off to Paul!

But what a load of crap from the breakdown cover. Anyways hopefully you'll be back in Blighty soon.

[toxo]

I know, it's ridiculous. I have been for a walk and found the garage where my car is. Although the breakdown company told me it's a Ford dealership, it's actually a Toyota garage. So, having had the car for a whole day their diagnosis is...



this will make you laugh...



The starter motor is broken. Try "it has a CAT 1 alarm, so you must disarm the immobiliser first" The starter motor was working fine on the hard shoulder of the E17 when I was trying to restart the engine!

So, I will go there tomorrow and hopefully they will have someone who speaks English who I can explain to and finally all the bureaucracy etc will be out the window. Then in the afternoon Paul wil arrive with overnight parts from... England

[pistol pete]

well i hope it all works out buddy...

hats off to Paul.. good work...

[toxo]

well i hope it all works out buddy...

hats off to Paul.. good work...

Absolutely, he is an absolute beast of a man. Am home now. Gent Toyota are great, the Ibis hotel in Gent is pretty good, never use the Green Insurance Company or any recovery brokers who use ICA for their Euro cover. That is all.