Mobilio Warning

[glojo]

We have just had the Mobilio technician out to our car and he mentioned something I wasn't aware of.

One morning at about 2-30am this technician was called out by mobilio to a car that had run out of petrol on the M5 (just south of the services at Taunting Deane) The technician poured 2 gallons of petrol into the vehicle, then followed the driver to the next service area. The car driver had to pay for the 2 gallons of fuel AND a call-out fee of £184! The technician stated the call out fee was charged because the call-out wasn't the fault of the car. I have no sympathy for the driver that had driven miles with the warning light on, and had only just driven pass a service station, but I thought running out of fuel was covered by mobilio? This driver by the way simply parked on the hard shoulder, switched off ALL his lights and went to sleep. Unbelievable.

John

 

[Shude]

Is it not also illegal to run out of fuel on the motorway?

It is only about £35 for the metal, oem fuel can that sits inside the spare wheel. Holds 5 litres IIRC which should be good for about 30 miles or so on the motorway at least.

EDIT:

Also it is called "MOBILO".

 

[Carrotchomper]

I think £184 is a reasonable stupidity tax for running out of petrol having passed services!!

And yes, it is illegal to run out of petrol on a motorway!

Parking on hard shoulder without lights is not illegal per se, but I think the £184 stupidity tax can probably go towards this too!!

 

[spitzkop]

In Germany it is illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahns. You are therefore recommended to carry a fuel cannister.
In France it is illegal to carry a fuel cannister!
Just dont drive near Alsace (Franco German land), where you can bob inbetween France and Germany very easily.

 

[Satch]

Is it not also illegal to run out of fuel on the motorway?

It is only about £35 for the metal, oem fuel can that sits inside the spare wheel. Holds 5 litres IIRC which should be good for about 30 miles or so on the motorway at least.

EDIT:

Also it is called "MOBILO".

Been meaning to get one of those for a while now. Can somebody look up the part number?

 

[stats007]

Mobilo have always had a disclaimer for running out of fuel or for putting diesel into a petrol engine etc.

 

[glojo]

Parking on hard shoulder without lights is not illegal per se, but I think the £184 stupidity tax can probably go towards this too!!

Crikey,
I thought it was a illegal to park at night on a de-restricted road without obligeratory lighting?

Totally agree about the stupidity taxation.

Regards,
John

 

[Flash]

Also, when diesels run of fuel it is not always a simple case of just topping up as sometimes the system needs bleeding first.

 

[Gollom]

Also, when diesels run of fuel it is not always a simple case of just topping up as sometimes the system needs bleeding first.

You're right - but on the W203 it was just a matter of letting it turn for a few minutes (I know 'cos it happened to me. All Mrs. Gollom's fault of course )

Also, I'm sure it said on the Mobilo stuff that fuel was covered for the first year or something? Not got the car now - anybody out there with a 2003 W203 care to look at their mobilo handbook?)

 

[pammy]

Never crossed my mind that something like this would be covered. I also thought it was illegal to park without lights on on the motorway if it's dark

He deserves all he gets by way of a £184 stupidity tax. To ignore his light for so long is plain stupid.

 

[stats007]

Some diesels are self-bleeding but you won't do it any favours by cranking it endlessly. Crack an injector or two with a cloth around it and it will fire pretty quickly.

 

[Gollom]

Some diesels are self-bleeding but you won't do it any favours by cranking it endlessly. Crack an injector or two with a cloth around it and it will fire pretty quickly.

Neglected to say that just turning it was what it said in the manual. But would not be the first time they were wrong!

 

[Flash]

You're right - but on the W203 it was just a matter of letting it turn for a few minutes (I know 'cos it happened to me. All Mrs. Gollom's fault of course )

Also, I'm sure it said on the Mobilo stuff that fuel was covered for the first year or something? Not got the car now - anybody out there with a 2003 W203 care to look at their mobilo handbook?)

Your quite right Mr G - in my W203 handbook/MOBILO litertaure it clearly states that "fuel mis-haps/loss of keys" are covered.

 

[glojo]

Your quite right Mr G - in my W203 handbook/MOBILO litertaure it clearly states that "fuel mis-haps/loss of keys" are covered.

I can't get to my literature today nor my Shude dickshunarie but I thought there was a time condition regarding fuel. I have no sympathy with folks that run out of fuel, it is plain dangerous. No engine means a loss of hydraulics (in most cases) plus it can be argued (not that we ever do on this nice forum) that the car will suck through any gunge that is at the bottom of the tank. To drive past a service station with the warning light on should double the 'tax' I am now going to do something I have criticised on a different thread Top Gear once had a feature on an excellent Audi diesel that drove from London to Scotland and back on a tank of fuel. Clarkson appeared to drive right by a number of service stations with the tank on 'E' for empty and the warning light on. He appeared to drive in the offside lane of the motorway and through roadworks!!!If the car had run out of fuel in either situations, the consequences could quite easily have had fatal consequences. Now before anyone screams at me, I confess to being the first member to state how these 'stunts' are rigged, but with this particular stunt, it will encourage copy cat type events and I fear these will not be staged.

Going back to the topic of this thread, no one can accuse my local dealership of being the exception because Mobilo (note Shude the spelling) is based in Europe and they arranged the repair. However........ Not only did the technician solve the problem, he then contacted the dealership, and has booked our car in for repair. This afternoon the service department contacted me, they offered their apologies for the car letting us down and have booked it in for repair next week.

Those of us that have cars that might still be covered by this warranty should give it serious thought before opting out.

Regards,
John

 

[Flash]

I absolutely agree that people who run out of fuel deserve everything they get!!!

How hard can it be seeing the orange LED light on the cluster and a warning message in the MFD blinking away...

 

[Gollom]

Pushed it too far on my return from France early one New Year. Was late for ferry so ignored light (the countdown said I had over 40 miles left in the tank) and would have been home dry if it had not been for the fact that the ramp up to the ferry was uphill.....

Yes, fuel ran out with the nose of the car no more than 10ft from boarding the ferry. I kid you not! They would not let me push the car on board so we had to watch the ferry sail away! Mobilo came to the rescue and by some miracle (which I think was down to a language misunderstanding actually) they classed it as a fault which resulted in our hotel being paid for!

Do you think Mrs. Gollom has EVER let me forget? :bannana:

 

[Flash]

Do you think Mrs. Gollom has EVER let me forget? :bannana:

At least she got to spend a night in a nice hotel FOC...

 

[glojo]

Mobilo came to the rescue and by some miracle (which I think was down to a language misunderstanding actually) they classed it as a fault which resulted in our hotel being paid for!

I also think good manners and lots of humble pie will also go a long way The subject of this thread had neither. He couldn't care less that he had dragged someone out of bed at 2-30 in the morning, couldn't be bothered to have his lights on and....... the technician had to wake him up Another of my many 'moonlighting' jobs was as a taxi driver, if anyone swore at me that earned them a press on the extra's button Manners, maketh man. Or a £184 bill.

John

 

[Gollom]

Totally agree. In all my life, being courteous and polite has got me WAY further. Everybody deserves to be trated like a human being. Puts me in mind of a Swedish proverb I read the other day

"Hug me when I don't deserve it. That's when I need it most"

 

[spitzkop]

One thing failed to be mentioned, what about a faulty fuel sender or indicator? How does Mobilo justify the charge without investigating the fuel sender. Perhaps the party in question suffered such a problem, or is colour blind? Food for thought!
One of my cars goes from 1/4 tank to reserve in a matter of miles... I know the problem, so expect it, but someone borrowing it could get caught un-awares!

Re: Diesel - Self priming on cdi's so long as filter hasnt got contaminated, which it might if you go sucking the dregs of fuel out.