Further Adventures in a Rover 114

I do some volunteer work for a charity and left there about 5.30 pm after an afternoon of putting leaflets in envelopes.

Got to the car and put the key in the ignition. It went clickety-clickety-click and didn't start.

Luckily I am a member of the RAC so I called them from my mobile - which merrily told me there will be a charge for an 0800 number but there you go - such are networks these days that they cannot let you get to an 0800 number for free.

The RAC man turned up in due course and assessed the problem. He diagnosed a flat battery and nipped under the hood to check the alternator output. He connected up my battery in parallel with the one on his car and charged mine up. I revved the engine and he deduced the alternator was not only not charging, but after I had switched the engine off, noted the alternator was actually draining the battery.

He followed me all the way to my 'usual garage' and I left the car there overnight. The RAC man even took me home. The next day I rang the garage only to find the repair bloke was away on holiday and they suggested another garage I could ring that was near them.

I rang that garage and they said they were fully booked out until Monday and then said 'Not sure where we'll get an alternator from, though'.

Last time I replaced an alternator on a car, it was a fairly simple task of removing the alternator, going to Lucas and getting a recodnitioned replacement unit, then returining to the car and fitting the new alternator.

My previous cars had been Minis and Metros and the alternator on those was readily accessible at the top of the engine. The alternator on a Rover 114 is in a different place, below the exhaust manifold and above the oil filter. This makes it a fiddly job to get the alternator out and and even fiddlier job getting the replacement unit in. As I have a back injury I decided it was worth paying a garage to do the job.

Anyhow not only did my 'usual garage' not have any repair work capability they also did not have so much as a booster box or jump leads to start the car. So I had to ring the RAC again and the same man came out to help me.

We charged the battery up again, which by now was fully flat, and took the car to an autoelectrician who was able to repair it that same afternoon. It cost me £160, a day lost to repairing the car and I now have a brand new Bosch battery and a shiny reconditioned alternator.

I don't think I'll be bothering with my 'usual garage' ever again. I can get the car MoT'd elsewhere and I'll find other garages for doing any repairs.

I was already wary of them after I booked the car in for a service the day after I bought it and asked them to change the fluids and check the brakes. Three weeks after that a water pipe burst and I found out I had no anti-freeze in the water system. I also had to have the rear brake rubbers done recently despite him saying they were ok two months ago.

Anyway, the car is fine now.