General Our annual Christmas Tree 'breakdown' run

[thisisburdett]

Last night was our annual Christmas tree pick up.

All year our little cinquecento runs without fault, starts first time and (almost) flies through it’s mot. Not bad going for an almost fifty year old motor!

Then in the week leading up to the big night it starts riding rough. A headlamp starts to flicker, a tail light goes out. It’s as if it’s getting anxious about our yuletide expedition. A yuletide expedition which every year, without fail, splutters to a halt about a mile or so from home.

Wiring in new earths to the aforementioned head and tail lights and a fiddle with the ageing fuse box seemed to do the job (a new one ordered but not arrived as yet), which meant yesterday afternoon we set off for the tree, road legal (ish).


The journey to the tree farm is a little over 4 miles so we allowed ourselves the scenic route and arrived with minimal shenanigans. Tape measure in hand we set about choosing our festive fir and plumped for an 8 and a half footer which we duly strapped to the top of our little car.

‘Didn’t fancy a biggun’ this year then?’ quips a fellow tree buyer as we pull out of the farm.

His humour didn’t register, I was now completely focused on the homeward leg of our journey, I mean...could this be it? The one? The first year we get home without roadside assistance of some kind?


A mile in and we almost forget the tradition within the tradition that has become;
‘The Christmas breakdown’. 2 miles down and the engine is humming along wonderfully, whirring in unison with the accompanying Frank Sinatra on the radio ...we can almost smell the celebratory mince pies that await us.

With just half a mile to go we decide to indulge in a new addition to the tradition, (the more the merrier!!) a family snap by the park gates. What could go wrong?

We position the car, hop out with the self timer in hand, grab a wheelie bin and leave the engine running (too late in the day for any motoring mishaps!)
The result; the accompanying picture! Hoorah! A success. ‘Wallop what picture, what a photograph’ ...One for the family album.

Then, just as I open the driver’s door to jump in and head home...CLONK!!

Lights out!

Engine off!

Surely not?!

A familiar festive tension starts to descend...

I turn the ignition off and then back on.
Pull the starter lever up slowly and feather in the accelerator, pleading with the 50 year old machine through the gentleness of my touch.

Thruchchchug!!!

The car springs back in to life for all but a brief second then disappears again.




Silence.



I follow the same ritual but this time the car doesn’t even flinch.


Tick.


Nothing.


Again.


Tick.


Nope. Nothing from the battery, our only option is to try and jump it.


If we can get it to the top of this hill then the descent on the other side might just give us enough momentum to jump start it. Just the small matter of pushing a car complete with Christmas tree, two small children and a dog up a hill.

With some choice ‘non seasonal’ mutterings we’re making good ground, with the baby up and waving at the back window and the dog stood up at the steering wheel. A few cars pass us, slowing to get a better look and a photograph of the alternative Christmas card scene unfolding before their eyes.

Almost nearing the top I hear Charlotte, who is bringing up the rear: “No, we’re fine, honestly. We’re almost at the top and we’ll jump start it from there”. Despite her polite refusal for help these particular good Samaritans weren’t taking no for an answer.
They pull their car over just ahead of us and I catch my first glimpse of them,
Out get 4 policemen and a policewomen.

There's always at least a handful of 'pullable' issues with a car of this age (in my possession at least!) under close scrutiny.
Front plate? How's the tyre tread? Number plate light? Any of the lights for that matter...

I'm sure in the cold light of day they may of had some questions but tonight the law seemed to be full of festive cheer and before I know it we’ve tipped the crest of the hill and I’ve jumped in to get the car going.

Thruchchchchugger chugger chugger chugger!

It lives!!

The car has come back to the land of the living and we need to make a quick getaway before anyone notices anything untoward (like the driving dog perhaps!).

Charlotte runs down to us from the brow of the hill as I over rev the engine, shouting gracious ‘thank you’s’ to our new friends as she comes.

And we are go, the met’s finest waving us off as they disappear in the rear view, we're off home with our Christmas tree... and with our tail lights out!

Merry Christmas everybody.

Happy motoring

 

[fiat500]

Great story and lovely photo. [emoji106]

 

[thisisburdett]

Thank you sir!
I hope all is running well with you.

 

[Vitesse]

A blast from the past! Nice story and picture Dan.

 

[Mark126]

Nice picture, I too have a border terrier. I find that they are like our Fiats as they are small, determined to keep going but prone to small leaks!

 

[the hobbler]

It sounds like you are suffering what used to be called "icing" The air going through the carb is so cold that the moisture in the air freezes in the venturi of the carb. If you let the engine stand for a short time the heat in the engine soaks through to the carb and clears the frosting in the carb and hey presto, the engine starts again. The fact that you only suffer it at a particularly cold time of the year, and is only noticeable on a relatively short run would also point to this as the cause, and the fact that after you had stood around for a short time (during which the heat of the engine would have worked its magic on the carb), the engine was startable again, and then ran fine.
The old Ford 105E Anglias were particularly prone to this problem, which in those days was not an unknown on a number of cars.

 

[lazylobster]

Worth the hassle just for the great picture! That my friend, is a great family shot.

 

[thisisburdett]

A blast from the past! Nice story and picture Dan.

Thank you! I do keep an eye on the forum, but since the little motor has been running pretty well the last couple of years I've had not much to enquire for

That said, these electronics are definitely on the way out. It's a case of keeping on moving the weakest link around the car after each repair.

I've bought a new loom but that looks like a few days in the Spring to me...too cold to be out there at the moment unless I'm inside the car.

Have a great Christmas!

 

[thisisburdett]

Nice picture, I too have a border terrier. I find that they are like our Fiats as they are small, determined to keep going but prone to small leaks!

Haha, I hadn't thought of him that way but a very apt description.
He did for a moment look like the registered owner and keeper of the vehicle as the police arrived, on his back legs in the drivers seat with both paws on the wheel!!

 

[thisisburdett]

It sounds like you are suffering what used to be called "icing" The air going through the carb is so cold that the moisture in the air freezes in the venturi of the carb. If you let the engine stand for a short time the heat in the engine soaks through to the carb and clears the frosting in the carb and hey presto, the engine starts again. The fact that you only suffer it at a particularly cold time of the year, and is only noticeable on a relatively short run would also point to this as the cause, and the fact that after you had stood around for a short time (during which the heat of the engine would have worked its magic on the carb), the engine was startable again, and then ran fine.
The old Ford 105E Anglias were particularly prone to this problem, which in those days was not an unknown on a number of cars.

That sounds just about right!

I was scratching my head, thinking whether I'd left the choke up, or was running rich...somehow flooded the engine.
You know how you go through the whole list of things.

Yours sounds the most plausible...but the battery is now completely flat?!
(That said, all this fiddling about with the fusebox may have fixed the rear view mirror light, that subsequently is sometimes jammed on...and could perhaps drain it. Oh the joys of classic motoring

 

[fiat500]

Thank you sir!
I hope all is running well with you.

..it is just now; I did have the recent hiccup of having very rusty brake-pipes and seized cylinders....now sorted, with the best brakes ever.

I suspect that your issue relates to your battery probably being on a fairly low charge when you set off, and the dynamo being barely able to balance the drain from the lights. When you left the car on tickover there would be zero output from the dynamo. As you'll have experienced, leaving a struggling battery for a few minutes will sometimes allow it to regain a bit of life, so it had an attempt at starting.

Next Christmas, if you haven't already fitted an alternator, you'll be more secure if you charge the battery fully before take-off. You'll need to work hard to top that photo though.

 

[ben]

That's some official fiat marketing material right there, great photo! ?

 

[Kiltedboarder]

Lovely story and if nothing else a great memory for the future

I was going to take mine out with my 2 year old daughter to get our tree but it snowed here and roads were rotten with salt. So decided to give the wee girl a break and use the multivan. Just Chuck the tree in the back and Bobs your uncle. Very practical but no where as much fun or magical

Happy Christmas to you and the family