Think We Shall Be Switching Our Breakdown Cover!

The mechanic arrived yesterday evening (was meant to be here at 7pm, got here about 35 minures late) and he brought a new starter motor with him... only he didn't need to use it!! There was nothing at all wrong with the starter motor, or the alternator... the battery is crapped out and the guy that sold it to me two years ago (thereabouts) is no longer permanently around here anymore, he just flits about like the Scarlet Pimpernel (as in, "they seek him there, they seek him there...") and I only ever see him when I don't need him. So much for the three year warranty from him!!

So I have to get a new battery now!

The mechanic said which one to get and said that it should cost about £70 (splendid), but fortunately, the Mum of the boys that we have just taken on works for a motor parts supplier, and she's going to look into getting us one, wholesale, for half the price and Dad will put it on here (we have a battery charger and stuff to connect it). Dad did a mechanics course (years ago now) but I doubt that changing a battery has changed much over the years... plus he will feel useful again, and he doesn't get that feeling very often lately as he can't do the things that he used to do because of physical disablities.

As it wasn't a fault of the mechanics (or their part) he charged us the standard £55 call-out fee (that's also their hourly rate for working) and we now have to try and claim that money from the breakdown providers, as it was their stupidity/negligence/imcompetance that meant we called the mechanics back here in the first place!

That should be fun... the analogy of 'blood out of a stone' springs to mind **sigh**