I sincerely apologise for the lack of poetic grace and thought-provoking prose that ensues. However, I feel a small, self-pitying rant coming on.
The fears that I have been harbouring about my car have been realised once more. Last friday I drove South to Edinburgh to help Jones with packing up her flat and for a pleasant weekend in the city. However, the journey was interrupted when my steering wheel started to vibrate and shudder and try to veer off to the right. However, I found that if I let the car cool the problem would cease and I could get to Edinburgh with a couple of rests.
Now this problem has happened before, about a month ago, on the first journey I took the car on - similarly to Edinburgh. It was towed to Lix Toll garage and they said they couldn't see a problem and sent me on my way. It happened again 40 miles down the road and I was towed to Edinburgh (for £30). The Skoda dealer in Edinburgh also said they couldn't see a problem and sent me on my way. Fine. I drove back to Fort William and it was OK. I drove a fair bit round Fort William for the next month. Fine. However, here we are again. The problem has reared its ugly head. The common denominator? Long journeys - long enough for the car to really warm up.
On Saturday we decided to head to Northumberland, and with scheduled stops I felt that if the problem occurred again I could just cool the car and it would get better. Alas. On the way back it all went wrong, and wouldn't remedy itself after cooling down. So, Mr A.A. was called and we were towed to Edinburgh. The recovery chap said he could see a problem with the front-right wheel - maybe a wheel bearing? When he jacked the car up he could spin the wheel, but after a while he would feel some resistance and had to really force it round to complete the rotation. This would explain the juddering and sporadic twitching of the steering wheel. We all saw it too - I have witnessess Dammit.
So, the car went into the Skoda dealer again, I'm stranded in Edinburgh, I've had to turn down a morning's work with the avalanche service, and to top it all I spoke to the garage and they claim they can't find a problem. WHAT?
How many times am I going to have to tell them that it only occurs after a long drive? They have already turned me away once and said to come back if it happens again. Well, here we are. It has happened again. My car is not fit to drive back to Fort William. And of course, the fine service they offer involves me ringing them to find out the latest, rather than them ringing me.
I have been told to come down to the garage to talk later on, so they better have some good news, or I'm going to be a touch miffed.
That it all.
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