Re: Monumental screw-ups
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:00 pm
I?ve found that Lotus cock-ups/problems tend to come in groups.
It?s as though they all hang around until there?s enough for a family get together then arrive en masse.
Several years ago, in my corporate days, I drove to ?the city?, about 4 hours away, to attend a meeting.
Leaving to come home it was raining and the motorway was really busy.
Managed to stall in the bumper to bumper traffic. Quickly reached for the key but it wouldn?t move. Stuck in the ?run? position. Wouldn?t turn to ?start?, or ?off?.
Leapt out, jammed my foot behind the front wheel, ( no hand-brake and on an incline), and used the solenoid to restart.
Jump back in quick before rolling into car behind.
We?re away! Until having to stop for gas and can?t turn engine off.
Easy, deliberately stall it.
Use solenoid trick to restart, but won?t?..click, click?..flat battery.
Small, country type garage so lady owner happy to give me a push as husband briefly away.
Push across the forecourt pretty quick as there?s two of us. Leap in and foot on the clutch.
Straight to the floor?.no clutch.
Push it out of the way and in desperation decide to check the clutch master in case it?s empty and a top-up may make it sort of work.
Take off the long modified throttle return spring that runs above the airbox, then the box, lid off cylinder and check out. Looks fine and as husband has now returned run car over pit and check nothing obviously awry underneath.
All looks normal so decide to get a push from husband and wife and carry on without clutch.
Plenty of speed across the forecourt this time as I crunch it into gear, and we?re off again.
And I mean off?.forgotten to put the throttle return spring on hadn?t I.
So we?re heading for the main road at full noise unable to depress the clutch or switch off.
Frantic braking on the wet road resulted in the fronts locking whilst the rears kept driving. As we sledged towards the road my eyes were getting pretty big as I tried to figure out how I was going to merge sideways. Fortunately even more frantic braking brought the whole plot to an end.
Got home clutch-less, key-less, and battery-less. Amazing how well you can plan your driving if you know you can?t stop.
My business suit was never the same?
Ralph.
It?s as though they all hang around until there?s enough for a family get together then arrive en masse.
Several years ago, in my corporate days, I drove to ?the city?, about 4 hours away, to attend a meeting.
Leaving to come home it was raining and the motorway was really busy.
Managed to stall in the bumper to bumper traffic. Quickly reached for the key but it wouldn?t move. Stuck in the ?run? position. Wouldn?t turn to ?start?, or ?off?.
Leapt out, jammed my foot behind the front wheel, ( no hand-brake and on an incline), and used the solenoid to restart.
Jump back in quick before rolling into car behind.
We?re away! Until having to stop for gas and can?t turn engine off.
Easy, deliberately stall it.
Use solenoid trick to restart, but won?t?..click, click?..flat battery.
Small, country type garage so lady owner happy to give me a push as husband briefly away.
Push across the forecourt pretty quick as there?s two of us. Leap in and foot on the clutch.
Straight to the floor?.no clutch.
Push it out of the way and in desperation decide to check the clutch master in case it?s empty and a top-up may make it sort of work.
Take off the long modified throttle return spring that runs above the airbox, then the box, lid off cylinder and check out. Looks fine and as husband has now returned run car over pit and check nothing obviously awry underneath.
All looks normal so decide to get a push from husband and wife and carry on without clutch.
Plenty of speed across the forecourt this time as I crunch it into gear, and we?re off again.
And I mean off?.forgotten to put the throttle return spring on hadn?t I.
So we?re heading for the main road at full noise unable to depress the clutch or switch off.
Frantic braking on the wet road resulted in the fronts locking whilst the rears kept driving. As we sledged towards the road my eyes were getting pretty big as I tried to figure out how I was going to merge sideways. Fortunately even more frantic braking brought the whole plot to an end.
Got home clutch-less, key-less, and battery-less. Amazing how well you can plan your driving if you know you can?t stop.
My business suit was never the same?
Ralph.