First Breakdown!

On Saturday we broke down in the van for the first time! We were in Waterlooville and Nick and I were driving in convoy, me in the car in front. I noticed after a while I couldn't see a big yellow bus in my rear view mirror......

The problem was the engine wouldn't idle, it would stall whenever Nick took his foot off the gas. The AA man came nice and promptly and had a laugh at the engine. There was a hole for which neither Nick or him knew what the purpose was and he bunged it up with an old spark plug. Job done! Looked like whatever had been previously plugging up the mystery hole had come out! I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have worked on a modern car. We later decided it was the vacuum pipe for the brake servo; but as our brakes aren't servo assisted, the pipe is redundant.

Breakdowns used to be a pain in the arse - they invariably happen on the way to or from work, or when you are on holiday, cutting into your free time. The strange thing with the van (and being unemployed) is that you can just sit back and put the kettle on so it doesn't seem so bad. Obviously as long as you can get safely off the road and it doesn't cost a small fortune.....