Broke down

[nev7n]

Took the T4 to the tip to drop off some recycling, went to start it to leave and....nothing. The ignition didn't feel right so I guessed it was the new ignition switch I'd fitted recently. The tip was just about to close so I got a free push off the premises by the workers at the tip so they could lock up and go home.

An hour later and the van was loaded up on the recovery truck for the journey home.
[album]1255[/album]

The recovery driver wasn't sure if we'd fit under the low bridge with the high-top so we took the scenic route.

Checked the ignition switch at home by taking it out and turning it manually with a screwdriver - no problem there. However, feeling in the back of the ignition barrel the metal tab that turns the switch was missing. I guess the new ignition switch being a bit stiffer than the old one finally made the tab give in to metal fatigue.

Got a new ignition barrel from Just Kampers: http://www.justkampers.com/1h0-905-855-a-ignition-barrel-for-vw-t4-1990-2003.html. You have to drill a small hole in the casing to release the ignition barrel, I'm planning to fill it with a little metal filler at some point to make it secure again. All up and running again now .

Fitted a new courtesy light switch to the drivers door at the same time, 5 minute job and good to have the light come on automatically with the short winter days.

 

[pabloalfa76]

Welcome to T4 ownership!
Here's mine.

 

[surfbus]

Here's mine.
We could start a whole new section on breakdowns ..... sorry, it's not a T4.

[album]1257[/album]

 

[Freeley]

What was up with yours surfbus?
Driveshaft?

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[surfbus]

What was up with yours surfbus?
Driveshaft?

Nothing as mundane as that, the EGR valve failed and it was at the dealers for the best part of a week being repaired. Its a 180 BiTDi and engine repairs seem to be a bit more complex than the 140 which apparently can have the same repair done in less than a day. This is part of the reason that my next T5 is a 140 ..... a bit less to go wrong and easier to fix.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

The joy of old vans

Brake failure on the M4…


Applecross to Skye was a bit much for her…


Glad it's nothing serious.

 

[pabloalfa76]

Hi Dan,

What's the story with the 2 different recovery company's?

Saving fuel between campsites?

Paul.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Two unrelated incidents, about 6 months apart. First one the brakes failed on the way to Wales as we were getting off the M4 at reading services. Got a ride home. Lucky really, imagine if it had been the Severn crossing tolls we were approaching...

Second one was an alternator belt failure travelling between Applecross and the Isle of Skye. I didn't know my van so well back then, thought that belt ran the water pump. I know better now and wouldn't bother with a recovery if that happened again. Very embarrassing getting towed into a campsite, then back out again the next day...

Anyway, my headlight switch just failed and I can only get sidelights. Another job on the to-do list, but at least we got home before it got too dark.

 

[Retiredron]

Here's mine.
We could start a whole new section on breakdowns ..... sorry, it's not a T4.

[album]1257[/album]

I think there's a photo of Andresz Cali on the back of a breakdown truck
Ron.

 

[nev7n]

Nice to know we're not the only ones, and good to see a T5 thrown into the mix too

 

[sidepod]

Come on chaps, I think we need to raise our game a touch?

S.

 

[JockMacMad]

The joy of old vans

Brake failure on the M4…


Applecross to Skye was a bit much for her…


Glad it's nothing serious.

Applecross to Skye. The Bealach sprang straight to mind along with a mental picture of a breakdown lorry, T4 and parachutes. I take it they took round the coast road and right past my house rather than over the top :hello

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Applecross to Skye. The Bealach sprang straight to mind along with a mental picture of a breakdown lorry, T4 and parachutes. I take it they took round the coast road and right past my house rather than over the top :hello

Hehe. We drove the coastal road so must have driven past your house We got onto Skye and past Portree before the belt went, interestingly in the only place we'd had a mobile signal in about a week!

That's a beautiful part of the world you live in. I think I wrote in our blog that if there's a heaven, it probably looks a lot like Applecross.

dan

 

[smgcowfoldparts]

What was up with yours surfbus?
Driveshaft?

Nothing as mundane as that, the EGR valve failed and it was at the dealers for the best part of a week being repaired. Its a 180 BiTDi and engine repairs seem to be a bit more complex than the 140 which apparently can have the same repair done in less than a day. This is part of the reason that my next T5 is a 140 ..... a bit less to go wrong and easier to fix.

to change the EGR valve on a 180 is about 4 hours work so in and out in a day no problem. 140 is much easier to do and just over and hours work.

cheers

 

[surfbus]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the clarification.
Maybe my local dealer (Vindis) had some other issues but they certainly kept it for 4.5 days.
Thankfully your service department seems to have a very good reputation .. Keep up the good work.

Bill

 

[JockMacMad]

Applecross to Skye. The Bealach sprang straight to mind along with a mental picture of a breakdown lorry, T4 and parachutes. I take it they took round the coast road and right past my house rather than over the top :hello

Hehe. We drove the coastal road so must have driven past your house We got onto Skye and past Portree before the belt went, interestingly in the only place we'd had a mobile signal in about a week!

That's a beautiful part of the world you live in. I think I wrote in our blog that if there's a heaven, it probably looks a lot like Applecross.

dan

You must have just driven past the other house when you broke down then as we are on the junction from Portree to Uig which you went up to get to Edinbane. :doh

I see on your blog you have a picture of Monty Halls converted byre. If you think

it is sad to see that it has fallen back into disuse and disrepair

you should see what it looked like before

I took the picture a few years before the TV Show





but a hell of a beach called aptly Sands next to it, as you must have seen, is always a dog walking favourite.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Drove past and got trailored past

Never saw the TV programme, but went to see Monty Halls do a presentation on it so saw a photos of it's transformation. It felt quite sad that after all that work it was being left to go derelict again.

The adjacent beach is rather lovely, so much space and the views all around! Really enjoyed our couple of days up there, would like to spend more time. The Coral beach further round the coast was stunning.

Next time will try the mountain pass, think we've got the van to a point where it stands a chance of making it over!

 

[Billy]

thankfully not me, but ouch anyway!

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Another one for our growing collection.



Didn't quite make it to the Northampton meet...

 

[surfbus]

Another one for our growing collection.

Do you exchange Christmas gifts and get Birthday cards from the RAC?

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Hehe. I have a customer loyalty card for all the wrong reasons

To be fair to my dog of a van, this is the first time we've had to be rescued since June 2012!

 

[pabloalfa76]

Come on Dan, spill the beans!
What was it this time?

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Not sure what went wrong yet, but end result is the engine is seized. Suspect a bearing failed. Beyond my ability, got someone looking at it in the week.

Was planning a recon of the engine later in the year anyway. Good news is we were less than a mile from home and a T5 is able to tow a Westy up a hill

It takes 5 people to push it onto our drive though.

 

[pabloalfa76]

Oops, Sorry to hear that.
I hope you didn't have any trips booked up soon, as I guess your going to be off the road for a while?

 

[sidepod]

Dan, point of order!! Almost every time I stroll in here you've had some sort of off, either mechanical woes or RAC based issues. Sort it out.

The T4 mill is practically indestructible from a lubrication point of view so it must be a cooling problem.

Perhaps you could talk the bean counter into a new T5.

No more aborted weekends .

S.