Porcine_Aviator
Friday 23rd October 2009, 22:47
I got a nice new fuel tank sender from Rufe and had it put in, so I knew that Christine would show empty when she was empty and not when she was quarter full. Great I thought I'll nip up to Bristol to pay a visit to a wholesale place.
Mrs P.A. said she would drive as it's easier on her neck, whiplash in 1991 that has never been right since. So off we go, out of Weston on the Mud and up to the M5. She's running a bit lumpy, but no problem, we get 10 miles up the road to J20 and she loses power a sort of cough, and the revs drop back. So Mrs P.A. puts her foot down and all of a sudden nothing, no power, foot on the floor no nothing. So she pulled on to the hard shoulder and dropped the cow into neutral. Then she put her foot down and the revs climbed to 3000 and the cow seemed to be OK.
So a quick look around and then back on the road, she pulled away and then did the same again. Mrs P.A. kept her foot off the accelerator and we got up the hill. The fuel guage was showing just over a quarter full and as it was a new one we thought it should be right.
On the downward stretch to J19 Christine coughed again and lost revs, so the other half pulled her onto the hard shoulder again, not much fun in the rush hour on one of the worst sections of motorway in the country at the moment. This was where a 4X4 went of the M5 last Friday morning hit a pylon and the local plods closed the motorway for six hours, even though the 4X4 wasn't even on the motorway. We were going at nought miles an hour on the inside lane, with blood great artic coming down on us at what looked like 200 mph.
Jean pulled off and then stopped, did the same and we limped to J19 and pulled into the services to put some petrol in, hells bells I could see the bank account draining away as I put the petrol in the tank. I'm not doing that in a hurry again, 15 quid for a couple of gallons of petrol to a motorway filling station run by a licensed bandit.
Any way, we got to our destination, the road works on the Avon Bridge, again, meant all the traffic was doing 50 mph so we didn't need to put the foot down.
Did what we had to do and Jean said to me "You can drive", so after a quick trip to Burger King we headed back onto the M5 South, well we got off the slip road and joined the queue anyway.
After a high speed trip on the inside lane, when the traffic got moving, we were doing 45 mph while everyone else wasn't, we got over the Avon Bridge and on the four lane section that goes up the hill to Clevedon. I put my foot down and, and, and NOTHING, no revs no power. So I pulled over and stopped, took her out of gear and sat there for a minute or so, then revved her and she seemed OK, so I pulled out and accelerated up to 55 mph, now we were moving. I pulled out to pass a wagon and lost power, took my foot off and the power came back. So I managed to get in front of the wagon and pull in, doing 59 mph I sat in the inside lane, trying to pass cars going slower than us was a nightmare, I couldn't get any power so I had to let Christine slowly build up speed.
I was really surprised how many cars were plodding along at less than 50 mph in the middle lane, idiots.
We got back into Weston and I had to negotiate a roundabout on the main dual carriageway, as there was no way I could welly her I had to let the revs build up slowly. What do I get, a bloke in a Merc right up my towing hitch. He sat there and wouldn't pass. So I let the revs build and got up to 50 mph the speed limit, and I left him, cor I'm a speed fiend when I'm roused.
Any who, I got the cow home and she is now parked out the front again. On Monday she's off to the garage again. I have a feeling it's dirt in the fuel lines/filter or injectors. But then why would she run well for a few seconds after she has been stopped with the engine running, very odd.
Still I've come to expect the worst from her and she's not letting me down.
Mrs P.A. said she would drive as it's easier on her neck, whiplash in 1991 that has never been right since. So off we go, out of Weston on the Mud and up to the M5. She's running a bit lumpy, but no problem, we get 10 miles up the road to J20 and she loses power a sort of cough, and the revs drop back. So Mrs P.A. puts her foot down and all of a sudden nothing, no power, foot on the floor no nothing. So she pulled on to the hard shoulder and dropped the cow into neutral. Then she put her foot down and the revs climbed to 3000 and the cow seemed to be OK.
So a quick look around and then back on the road, she pulled away and then did the same again. Mrs P.A. kept her foot off the accelerator and we got up the hill. The fuel guage was showing just over a quarter full and as it was a new one we thought it should be right.
On the downward stretch to J19 Christine coughed again and lost revs, so the other half pulled her onto the hard shoulder again, not much fun in the rush hour on one of the worst sections of motorway in the country at the moment. This was where a 4X4 went of the M5 last Friday morning hit a pylon and the local plods closed the motorway for six hours, even though the 4X4 wasn't even on the motorway. We were going at nought miles an hour on the inside lane, with blood great artic coming down on us at what looked like 200 mph.
Jean pulled off and then stopped, did the same and we limped to J19 and pulled into the services to put some petrol in, hells bells I could see the bank account draining away as I put the petrol in the tank. I'm not doing that in a hurry again, 15 quid for a couple of gallons of petrol to a motorway filling station run by a licensed bandit.
Any way, we got to our destination, the road works on the Avon Bridge, again, meant all the traffic was doing 50 mph so we didn't need to put the foot down.
Did what we had to do and Jean said to me "You can drive", so after a quick trip to Burger King we headed back onto the M5 South, well we got off the slip road and joined the queue anyway.
After a high speed trip on the inside lane, when the traffic got moving, we were doing 45 mph while everyone else wasn't, we got over the Avon Bridge and on the four lane section that goes up the hill to Clevedon. I put my foot down and, and, and NOTHING, no revs no power. So I pulled over and stopped, took her out of gear and sat there for a minute or so, then revved her and she seemed OK, so I pulled out and accelerated up to 55 mph, now we were moving. I pulled out to pass a wagon and lost power, took my foot off and the power came back. So I managed to get in front of the wagon and pull in, doing 59 mph I sat in the inside lane, trying to pass cars going slower than us was a nightmare, I couldn't get any power so I had to let Christine slowly build up speed.
I was really surprised how many cars were plodding along at less than 50 mph in the middle lane, idiots.
We got back into Weston and I had to negotiate a roundabout on the main dual carriageway, as there was no way I could welly her I had to let the revs build up slowly. What do I get, a bloke in a Merc right up my towing hitch. He sat there and wouldn't pass. So I let the revs build and got up to 50 mph the speed limit, and I left him, cor I'm a speed fiend when I'm roused.
Any who, I got the cow home and she is now parked out the front again. On Monday she's off to the garage again. I have a feeling it's dirt in the fuel lines/filter or injectors. But then why would she run well for a few seconds after she has been stopped with the engine running, very odd.
Still I've come to expect the worst from her and she's not letting me down.