Break down services- no its a Towing service

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Originally Posted by alien d2

We have the wife in Extra care with RACV.
Our Christmas drama...
Just out of Boorowa NSW(10 hours from home) the timing chain breaks on the Disco.
RACV covered us for the following...
NRMA tow to town, 15KM.
Taxi to Orange, covered the first $200(we kicked in $250).
Hire car for 3 days ex Orange to Glod Coast, 200KM/day plus trasfer paid(we kicked in $130 excess KMs).
Disco picked up at Boorowa and delivered to home.

This it's 3rd time on a tow truck covered by RAVC;)

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You're getting good value for your dollar - and also I suppose I wouldn't take the Rangie that far from home - I couldn't afford the fuel to get it there to start with, much less worry about the reliability.:p. As for the roads around Boorowa, I thought they usually killed a vehicles suspension, but it's the first time i've heard of them killing a timing chain...:D Probably a bit unfair, it's been years since I went up through that way, and maybe the roads are a bit better now, but last time I did get up that way, it cost me a tyre.

Cheers - Gav.

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Originally Posted by isuzurover

I have the top level of cover with RAC(WA), but sometimes wonder why I bother.

My wife was stranded in the 110 with a flat battery early last year (she must have left the lights on though she claims she didn't. The RAC guy said he couldn't start the vehicle with his jumper leads. He said the battery was so flat the vehicle wouldn't run (or power the lights) even if he got it started :D . Explained why he was wrong over the phone but he wouldn't have any of it. He left, I drove out there and got the 110 going again in 5 minutes.

Have a few similar stories. Seems you can't even rely on them for a jump start these days...

I wonder what training (if any) these guys have these days.

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It does make you wonder about training in the NRMA AFAIK all parolman are qualified mechanics maybe vic and wa are different:confused:

RACQ mostly subby the work out these days, but when they advertise for employee they ask for mechanical aptitude. In reality they only employ qualified mechanics albeit below mechanics' award wage. No wonder they don't want to go to a great deal of bother.

I know a woman from Innisfail who called the RACQ to a flat battery (diagnosed by her and told the operator) in a 3 year old Hyundai. Service man diagnosed dud starter and called for a tow truck to take the car to Cairns to be fixed under warranty. RACQ only cover the first 40 km of the 100 km trip. The dealer diagnosed a stuffed battery and charged full retail, added to the train fare, towing cost and fuel, it was an expensive mis-diagnosis by RACQ, for her.

I wouldn't be without RACV Totalcare. They have picked up my Rangie from both home and the side of the road and taken it to wherever I wanted it to go regardless of distance and then looked after me. And apart from my annual Totalcare membership fee it has cost me nothing.

When we did our Madigan trip a couple of years ago, I was stuck on the side of the road about 20km out of Nyngan (out of fuel in one tank and couldn't operate the (full) aux tank).

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/01/343.jpg

Explained what the problem was and asked the NRMA guy to bring a length of syphon hose (lesson learned).

He arrived, no hose apparently they are not allowed to syphon fuel (not that I asked him). Flat bed back to Nyngan, filled up, still on the flatbed, round to the depot, offloaded, started and on my way losing just on 2 1/2 hours.

Only other time I have used them was when the clutch master went when the wife was driving

To me, it would seem that taking the time to try and see if it could be repared by using a piece of copper pipe or some metal putty or what ever is needed is a cheaper cost to the company than towing the vehicle. Maybe they are just lazy, or they are employing patrollmen with little knowledge and ability.

They're mechanics, not repairmen. They are trained to service not fix.

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Originally Posted by bacicat2000

Nothing much has changed over the years. About all they will do is jump start, change a tyre or rescue your keys. Anything else is towed. Going back 20 years, I was driving my parents car when it lurched to a halt. A quick look under the bonnet showed the fuel line had split near the carby. Having no tools on board, the RACV was called. I showed them the problem, but they didn't even have a screwdriver and knife on them to fix it - it was towed. Based on this, I have never bothered with roadside assistance myself, I figure if I ever break down and I can't fix it myself, I can call a tow as easy as anyone else.

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Going back to the mid 80's they would carry a set of ignition points as this was the most common reason for a car not to start (if it has fuel)

Dave.

I like one story that I heard.

The owner called the NRMA out to his home as his car wouldn't start.

The NRMA guy diagnosed faulty points.

The owner "just happened" to have a new set of points.

"Nah, that's all right" said the NRMA guy, Ï'll just clean these old ones up to get you started and then you can take your car to a mechanic".

The RACV s a breakdown service to get you going if possible. They are not for doing maintenance and fixing problems in cars due to lack of servicing. I still can't believe the amount of people that are stupid enough to run out of fuel. Or coulds even be bothered to change their own flat, and would wait up to 3hrs to get some one else to do it.
As for changing the tyre a basic thing to know, maybe this should be taught at licence testing time. Even a woman broken down on the side of the road, if she made an effort to at least know to get the jack out then I reckon more than a dozen passing motorists would pull up and change it for her if she was stuck.
As for RACV it depends on the mechanic, mum recently had a smart one from off the refuge boat, he would not even back his van up to her car, he made my 70 yr old mother & sister push the car to his van.I When I found out I was furious. That bugger was just to lazy.