Reliability...
This post is going to be about reliability, obviously. Thats what it says above ^.
I find this an interesting issue, especially as its not really been a problem for me, as I've only experienced one break down in my Trafic, and one previously in a friends van.
Just before our trip to Cowes on the Isle of Wight last year, around April time, the EGR valve on the Trafic gave up. So the engine just stopped running like I'd switched it off. Except this happened somewhere totally unwelcome. Any ideas?
MCDONALDS DRIVE THRU! Awesome. Thanks life.
Luckily it was in the middle of a weekday and no-one was behind me. One guy came in and asked if I'd broken down, as if the hazard lights flashing weren't enough for him to make the assumption I had indeed, broken down. So rather than help, he promptly said, 'I'm out of here!', and reversed out!!
Leaving me to bang on the drive thru window to get someones attention, to ask for help pushing the damn thing out of the drive thru. At least I'd made my order first. Which I then forgot about.
About 10 minutes later someone brought my McChicken sandwich out for me, which I ate whilst waiting for the AA to come out. Looking back, I didn't need the AA. Had I known more about my van, I could have smacked the EGR valve with a hammer myself to get it going again.
Diagnoses - new EGR valve. No thanks, the internet told me removing it or blanking it would improve my MPG, running of the engine, BHP and generally make no other difference other than ensure the valve never got stuck open again, leaving the engine with no vacuum in which to keep it running. I bought on eBay a blanking plate, and have no issues since.
YET, I cannot bring myself to go through a drive thru now incase that happens again for any reason. Had there been more people on the first and hopefully only occasion in my life this happened, it would have been 10 times more embarrassing. I also still have some obscene fear that it won't start all the time.
I get so nervous in the cold even though the only problem it's ever had was the EGR valve. I drive a car also, which has been 100 per cent reliable for the whole 2 years I've had it. It may help that it's a lease, and has a long warranty. Any problems I have, get fixed and I get a courtesy car, or use the van. I reckon if the car ever let me down, even just the once, like the Trafic, I would become super nervous.
When I think about, the van has always started, and only broken down once. Apart from that it has always gotten me A to B, just like my reliable car. So why am I so nervous? I guess as time goes by and it doesn't break down, I will feel better about it, so lets hope there are no more problems. My confidence in the Trafic doesn't need any more of a beating.
Look after your vehicle and it will look after you. Makes sense! I think it's amazing how just one problem knocks your confidence completely.
COMING UP! Sheltapod Tweeted that they will be arriving in the uk next week, so hopefully it won't take too long to get them after that.
Only a couple of weekends before our first trip of 2018!
I find this an interesting issue, especially as its not really been a problem for me, as I've only experienced one break down in my Trafic, and one previously in a friends van.
Just before our trip to Cowes on the Isle of Wight last year, around April time, the EGR valve on the Trafic gave up. So the engine just stopped running like I'd switched it off. Except this happened somewhere totally unwelcome. Any ideas?
MCDONALDS DRIVE THRU! Awesome. Thanks life.
Luckily it was in the middle of a weekday and no-one was behind me. One guy came in and asked if I'd broken down, as if the hazard lights flashing weren't enough for him to make the assumption I had indeed, broken down. So rather than help, he promptly said, 'I'm out of here!', and reversed out!!
Leaving me to bang on the drive thru window to get someones attention, to ask for help pushing the damn thing out of the drive thru. At least I'd made my order first. Which I then forgot about.
About 10 minutes later someone brought my McChicken sandwich out for me, which I ate whilst waiting for the AA to come out. Looking back, I didn't need the AA. Had I known more about my van, I could have smacked the EGR valve with a hammer myself to get it going again.
Diagnoses - new EGR valve. No thanks, the internet told me removing it or blanking it would improve my MPG, running of the engine, BHP and generally make no other difference other than ensure the valve never got stuck open again, leaving the engine with no vacuum in which to keep it running. I bought on eBay a blanking plate, and have no issues since.
YET, I cannot bring myself to go through a drive thru now incase that happens again for any reason. Had there been more people on the first and hopefully only occasion in my life this happened, it would have been 10 times more embarrassing. I also still have some obscene fear that it won't start all the time.
I get so nervous in the cold even though the only problem it's ever had was the EGR valve. I drive a car also, which has been 100 per cent reliable for the whole 2 years I've had it. It may help that it's a lease, and has a long warranty. Any problems I have, get fixed and I get a courtesy car, or use the van. I reckon if the car ever let me down, even just the once, like the Trafic, I would become super nervous.
When I think about, the van has always started, and only broken down once. Apart from that it has always gotten me A to B, just like my reliable car. So why am I so nervous? I guess as time goes by and it doesn't break down, I will feel better about it, so lets hope there are no more problems. My confidence in the Trafic doesn't need any more of a beating.
Look after your vehicle and it will look after you. Makes sense! I think it's amazing how just one problem knocks your confidence completely.
COMING UP! Sheltapod Tweeted that they will be arriving in the uk next week, so hopefully it won't take too long to get them after that.
Only a couple of weekends before our first trip of 2018!
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