What happened???

Just out of interest, did you know this before?

'Cos you said you were changing down and nailing it trying to get it going faster...

I witnessed an accident on the M1 today caused by someones car shedding a tyre. The tyre was pretty much intact in the 3rd of a 4 lane section, the broken down Golf on the hard shoulder awaiting assistance. I was in lane 4 when the car in lane 3 suddenly braked having come across said tyre when the car following (too closely) behind rammed into him. I personally would rather get on the hard shoulder and call my breakdown recovery company to change the defective tyre rather than risk causing more untold carnage to other road users!

PhilÅ ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Exactly.

What you SHOULD have done was hazards on, ready to dip the clutch in case it died, and coasted across. Not dropped a cog and floored it.

Don't be so pathetically melodramatic.

Well it could now :-0

Sorry Mr Chapman

All is ok, no one harmed and I have a better idea and have learnt from this group.... Never to ask for advice again..

Seems that you asked advice but havnt listened to any of it!!

While I agree that if there is something minor wrong with the car it is probably safer to get off the motorway, that would depend on how near the next exit is. Fair enough coasting at 5mph for a couple of hundred yards to get off but not for a few mile.

Personally, I would of hoped to of spotted the problem on the slip road as you accelerated down there and pulled over there and then. Have a quick look at the car, stop engine, start again and see if engine light is still on. Check handbook if unsure (rather than after posting my question on a newsgroup, lol) what the light is. I am no mechanic but if the engine was feeling tight then I dont think I would of wanted to rev it too hard but...............

As you say the car is about 3 yrs old Im betting that you are hoping its really really goosed and you can get another one sooner rather than later eh?

Ha ha

Steve

"Another mile and the engine management light started to flash like mad, and shut down power, could not get above 2.5k RPM and engine started to feel very tight below these revs noticed smoke from the rear if I tried to put my foot down and drop it down a gear."

Your words, not mine.

Dropping down a gear to accelerate and putting your foot down.

Yes, you're right - there's no disputing this. Your actions from a fleet managers' perspective were foolish.

Thanks.

So why is you trundling along at 5 mph safer than them towing you at 30? If it's much safer to drive it then it'd be safer to tow it & they'd do so.

Yeah, we are only supposed to keep them for 3 years. They have stalled a little with the renewal, but I ordered my new car last month and it is due in a few weeks. Hire car coming tomorrow, hopefully I will never get the Zafira back. A 1.6 in it is just poor anyways, that's why they have stopped selling it with a 1.6.

The AA will not carry out any work at the side of a motorway unless absolutely essential. They'll either tow, or get the vehicle recovered to a suitably safe working area.

They send a patrol out first before a recovery truck, motorway or not.

SimonJ ( snipped-for-privacy@mine.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Not always.

Besides, any patrol is perfectly capable of towing you.

I hope you lose your job if your incompetence with running a car is proved. I wouldn't have said that if you had kept your ignorance and arrogance to yourself but you just had to try and learn some basic principles at your companys cost.

I do hope that nobody here works out what company you work for and points them to your arrogance.

The cat had failed, the fact it exploded is irelenvant.

The cars manual indicated the car's sensors sense the failure and restrict the performance of the engine, my actions of trying to avoid an accident and getting over to the hard shoulder then saftly off the motorway are as in the case of the car's manual sensible and sound.

Regarding the car change, I have been informed by a vauxhall dealership employee that the 1.6 was dropped from the range as in his words "It was too underpowered for the car" so yeah I will be glad to see it auctioned off, and whoever the buyer is will have a brand new exhaust system, fair play to them. I do not feel I am being arrogant or ignorant.

The cat had failed, the fact it exploded is irelenvant.

The cars manual indicated the car's sensors sense the failure and restrict the performance of the engine, my actions of trying to avoid an accident and getting over to the hard shoulder then saftly off the motorway are as in the case of the car's manual sensible and sound.

Maybe the initial post was an exegaration of the events. But hey, thanks for the advice anyway guys.

I was always told by Vauxhalls that any yellow warning lights flashing or otherwise is fine to carry on driving.

If red, stop immediatly, I only had yellow for an emmision fault.

Anyways, I can't take it in for a few days and my next car is a ford so wish me luck.

That would depend on the vehicle, and the fault.

The patrol will only be able to do a front end lift, or a tow on a straight bar. Cars with a flat tyre on the rear, or rear wheel problems, or RWD automatics, or 4x4's, or low spoilers cannot be moved by the patrol.

I wish the car luck.

Phil ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

I've never once seen a warning light that changes colour, in any car.

SimonJ ( snipped-for-privacy@mine.net) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

On the occasions I've needed a flatbed sent, they've sent me a flatbed first time, every time.

Indeed. And, for a problem like the OP's, they would.