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Possible issue with timing belt which ive posted about previously - have booked the car in at a local indy but been advised not to drive it there in case the belt goes and causes major damage. I have added AA Home Start to my package but not sure if they class it as a 'Breakdown' given it runs, just there's a significant risk i might cause major damage if i try to start it.
How would others approach this with them? Trying to avoid £100 for a low loader to come and take it there...
Call them and ask?
I'd ask the garage of they could collect it, or find a friend who could tow it.
I'd doubt AA (emergency breakdown service) would want to be a delivery service for the car.
yeah doubt it. if it ran but was undrivable then yes (ie brake failure or pissing oil out somewhere). a maybe-issue, probably not.
Just phone a couple of local companies. it's normally about 50-75 quid depending on how heavy the car is.
Yeah had similar recently. Car ran, but had a broken front suspension coil, so the risk of the broken part going into the tyre was high. Paid for a local independent recovery place just round the corner from me to deliver it to the garage. Unless your garage is a long way away, I would expect less than £100. More like what scaled said, 50-75.
What about using a mobile mechanic?
Fair enough, i will ring them and ask anyway but the garage is only ten miles away so if 50-75 quid is more likely the cost of a local recovery company that isn't as bad as i expected.
Possible issue with timing belt which ive posted about previously
This thread?
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/new-hissing-noise-from-vw-diesel/
The video isn't available any more, but I don't think it was an imminent failure.
Try spraying some water onto the auxiliary belt and see if the noise changes. You may be paying £100+ just to be told "They all do that, Sir".
If deeply concerned, get a mobile mechanic to have a quick listen and tell you whether you need to be worried.
Yes, that thread. Sadly I can't get at any of the belts without taking the cover off which is locked in by the fuel filter housing and coolant tank, both of which need to be removed to access it!
Found too many threads online explaining a similar noise that resulted in the aux belt or timing belt going due to a known issue with the tensioners that I can't feel comfortable with continuing to use the car and risking valves starting to hit pistons! It did also come up with a cam sensor error so something isn't working right even if the noise is nothing.
I called the AA out when I was in my work’s car park and I heard the timing sounding very dodgy when I started my car. (I immediately turned it off again.) When their mechanic arrived, I described what I had heard and said I was pretty sure it was the timing belt and that I didn’t want him to risk any further damage by starting the car again. He agreed and organised a tow truck to take me and my car the forty miles home to my local garage. I didn’t have to pay for the tow as I was deemed to have broken down.
That sounds positive, I bet it depends on the operative who turns up and how reasonable they are.
I think this could qualify under home start. I had a car break down, not repairable at the road side. It was late so they dropped it home and then came out the next day to tow it to the garage where I had organised to have it seen to.
Found too many threads online explaining a similar noise that resulted in the aux belt or timing belt going due to a known issue with the tensioners that I can’t feel comfortable with continuing to use the car and risking valves starting to hit pistons! It did also come up with a cam sensor error so something isn’t working right even if the noise is nothing.
Fair enough - sounds sensible.
If you want them to take it to a garage I reckon you'll still have to pay if it's currently at home. For RAC a least there is a clause that they will take you if your more than 1.5 miles* from home when you breakdown but if at home then they'll charge you.
* could be different mileage.