Half broken down

[Biker chic]

Ideas please. Ducato, Swift Sundance 04. I drove from Redditch to Martin, Winsford Cheshire last night, got stuck in traffic on the M5, just before M6 fridge was running off engine battery, got to Junction 12 of M6 and the engine battery light came on. Decided to chance my arm and plough on (did stop not turn engine off and turned fridge of, and radio off, and fan off) Made it to the campsite buried my head and pretended all would be well!
Braved it this morning and she started had a battery meter read half charge. Turned it off. I am here for British Superbkes at Oulton Park. My gut feeling is alternator. Motorhome lives in storage in Redditch and access is not 24 hrs, my car is there.
Plan was to drive back Mon eve stay over night and straight to work Tues morning then return to storage (hours 3-6 in a Tues after a Bank hol)
Am I on right lines of diagnosis?
Anyone know a garage I can be relayed to Mon eve Redditch/Worcester (I’ve recently moved and only know where I used to use in Berkshire, could use there and get lift home!)
Sorry a very long waffle! Thanks

 

[Landy Andy]

That would be the basic and simple diagnosis. Would want a meter to test it properly but in most scenarios charge light on equals failed alternator or missing drive belt.

 

[Flairy]

Your only half an hour from DA Roberts Whitchurch Shropshire 01948 662762 one of our ducato vans in there at the moment give them a ring Monday very helpfull.

 

[nicholsong]

Always check the earth strap because all electrical systems on vehicles these days rely on the earth return through the chassis to complete the electrical circuit, as there is mostly only a positive lead from alternators and batteries to systems.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

If you have recovery ask them to have a look they might be able to fix it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Biker chic]

So…… AA mechanic arrived 10:20 and was pretty sure it was alternator, he tries to get hold of a local garage to get relayed to and repaired. Sadly Bank Holiday Monday no can do so choice of relayed with or without. Woohoo I thought, I can still go to Oulton Park and have a ride home on boyfriends motorbike. However if I travel without my beloved motorhome the say 72 hours from start of journey as it gets picked up and dropped off to suit drivers (yes this is the AA) Oh no, ok I’ll go with it, to cut a very long story short I had 3 yes 3 relay trucks (one to Cherwell Valley, one to Reading East and one to the garage!h as each got me loaded and then announced they did not have enough driving hours!!! The second could have dropped me at the destination as the services he took me too was further than the garage!!!! I finally arrived home (thanks dad!!!) at 23:30. I am waiting to hear if they agree with the alternator diagnosis and then credit card at the ready.
Oh and the one driver on the relay truck did advise me of the best time to break down is at the start of their shift……. I’ll bear that in mind although I’m hoping there is not a next time

 

[Flairy]

I forgot it was bank holiday,sorry.

 

[Silver-Fox]

There were some motor factors open bank holiday.

Why didn’t the first response bloke try and change the alternator

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

Halfords are open bank Holidays the AA man should have fitted you one they are getting worse.

 

[Biker chic]

There were some motor factors open bank holiday.

Why didn’t the first response bloke try and change the alternator

He didn’t have one/couldn’t get hold of one

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Biker chic]

Halfords are open bank Holidays the AA man should have fitted you one they are getting worse.

He didn’t have one/couldn’t get hold of one

 

[Silver-Fox]

He didn’t have one/couldn’t get hold of one

We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt

 

[bigwood]

Things have changed since I was working at the roadside. One of the reasons I resigned was un realistic targets.
We were targeted on call to arrive times, time spent on repairs and then questioned why we put jobs up for recovery.
I moved to recovery work towards the end to get away from roadside repairs once vehicles became harder to repair at the roadside. Even then I was constantly being questioned as to why I wouldn’t home run jobs that took me into a lot of overtime.

 

[Biker chic]

Things have changed since I was working at the roadside. One of the reasons I resigned was un realistic targets.
We were targeted on call to arrive times, time spent on repairs and then questioned why we put jobs up for recovery.
I moved to recovery work towards the end to get away from roadside repairs once vehicles became harder to repair at the roadside. Even then I was constantly being questioned as to why I wouldn’t home run jobs that took me into a lot of overtime.

Targets!

 

[Nanniemate]

they do the relay so that all recovery vehicles can stay local and they are not paying for a return empty journey surprised you could not find someone to look at it at the meet all those petrol heads.

The AA and Halfords are the same group but they do not have access to the stock files as they are treated as separate entities