rac near useless

[stevesey]

You are right the AA would not even show up today - if you tell them it is an accident they will not come out and help - at all.

That's progress for you.

Reminds me - I still have an AA key for roadside phones (where still giving them out when you joined in the 80s). Anyone else got one, ever used one?

 

[evdok]

Cheaper option to get you home

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_164842_langId_-1_categoryId_165664

 

[Rory]

My steel spare wheel is the same size as my alloy wheels. i have a set of bolts in the boot ,that look the same size as the ones on the car to me. Normally i just use the ones i take out to fit in the spare nothing bad so far, touch wood

The extra set are usually a little bit shorter - maybe that's only on space-savers, not sure?

If they are shorter you MUST use these bolts otherwise the longer ones do expensive damage to the rear hubs.

 

[219]

The bolts for each type of wheel differ in length .

The hub section on most alloy wheels tends to be thicker than on a steel wheel , hence longer bolts are required to secure an alloy wheel than a steel one .

The problem would arise if you tried to fit a steel spare wheel using the longer bolts for an alloy wheel : the bolts would protrude too far into the hub . This will not normally cause a problem when the wheel is being fitted to the front of the car , but if long bolts are used to fit a steel wheel on the back of a Mercedes they will foul the shoes and other components of the parking brake contained within the small brake drum in the centre of the disc .

The solution , should you have the misfortune to suffer a rear wheel puncture on your Mercedes with alloy wheels and discover that you do not have a set of short bolts with which to fit your steel spare ? Take your steel spare wheel and fit it in place of one of your FRONT wheels using the long bolts ( this will be fine ; you can confirm this by rotating the wheel by hand whilst it is raised off the ground on the jack ) , you can then take the alloy wheel from the front of your car and fit it in place of your rear wheel with the punctured tyre .

Guido , I wholeheartedly agree with your point regarding punctuation : reading the OP's posts , which lack not only punctuation but correct spelling , made me feel quite breathless . Good punctuation is akin to good manners .

Although I have RAC roadside assistance by virtue of the fact that my car is insured with the RAC , I am fortunate that I have never needed to call them out . I remember being approached , as I was exiting a supermarket many years ago , by a gentleman trying to sell AA membership ; quick as a flash , I replied " I don't need it : I DRIVE A MERCEDES-BENZ ! " . The poor chap was gobsmacked by this and responded with a look of awe , I gave him a toot and a cheery wave as I drove by a couple of minutes later in the Ponton

 

[ringway]

I had a puncture repair last week and got the socket for the locking bolt out of the small blue tool bag supplied with the car.

I did notice the four extra bolts and presumed that they were perhaps spares of some kind

You learn something new everyday..

 

[ringway]

I remember being approached , as I was exiting a supermarket many years ago , by a gentleman trying to sell AA membership ; quick as a flash , I replied " I don't need it : I DRIVE A MERCEDES-BENZ ! " . The poor chap was gobsmacked by this and responded with a look of awe , I gave him a toot and a cheery wave as I drove by a couple of minutes later in the Ponton

I too was asked leaving the supermarket "Would you like to join the AA sir?"
I replied, "I'm already in it.... and I haven't touched a drop for years"

He smiled...

 

[hawk20]

You are right the AA would not even show up today - if you tell them it is an accident they will not come out and help - at all.

That is not their job. Your insurance covers accidents. The AA cover breakdowns.

Or phone your MB dealer; they have a good system for dealing with accidents.

 

[CE230]

Last summer I loaned my car to a friend to collect someone from a train near to a rally site I was at. For some reason the car stopped to he called the RAC using his personal membership and all was fine but when he noticed the tax disc wasn't on display (Only had the car a week and had forgotten to fix it) he totally refused to do anything to the car. My friend was now in a quandry as he is a permanent user of elbow crutches and stranded miles from the site and home. The RAC eventually brought him back to the site even though it is against their rules to transport people with no car, the same set of rules that forbid them to work on what appears to be an untaxed car.

Due to the condition of the site it was nearly 24 hours before I could get a lift back to the car (We were on a field and it rained for Noah and had to get towed off and back on again). Unsurprisingly there was a parking ticket on the car. Jumped in and it started first time and I drove it back to the rally.

There was an RAC representative on site and it was he that took me to my car and stayed with me while I drove it back. He was appalled by the attitude of the RAC technician even though he operated within their rules and was most apologetic.

I appealed the ticket but lost as time ran out due to the lack of co-operation from the RAC who I needed to confirm that they had attended but refused to repair.

 

[219]

So , if you were to break down whilst taking a SORN'd but unlicenced car for a pre-arranged MOT test , something you can do quite legally as long as you have insurance , the RAC would refuse to help !

Or , in my case , last year , when I bought my W126 freshly MOT'd that day , but untaxed , the RAC roadside assistance that came with the RAC insurance I had taken out the night before would have been worthless ( couldn't tax the car at the Post Office as I didn't yet have the insurance certificate , so had to 'drive home from the MOT' without tax ). Stretching the law , I know , on a 125 mile journey , but with a new MOT and printed receipt for my online insurance in my possession I wasn't too worried about being stopped ; my experience being that most traffic cops are pretty reasonable if you are straight and reasonable with them . The car WAS taxed online later that same day when I got home and the previous owner posted the disc on to me a few days later .

 

[flango]

I stopped dealing with the AA & RAC a good few years ago I think they get their patrol men from Billy Smarts circus based on some of the fault diagnosis I have seen in the past, same goes for Green Flag as well.

I use THESE £29 per year for the CLK and the service is brilliant no question. Mrs F broke down on the way to our caravan when we first got the car, off side rear puncture, dangerous to change so she called them, they were there in less than 30 mins wheel changed and she back on her way.

Also with these you have the option of just getting the car trailered home from the start. i.e. If you dont want some comic mechanic under the bonnet you just tell them at the first phone call and they send a flatbed and take you home.

I can't believe how much money I have wasted in the past on the RAC & AA for nothing but comic service.

 

[AANDYY]

I think I'm with IC can't remember there name, never used them yet.
I joined them as I wanted cover instantly when I bought my MB, alot of the others don't do that, you have to wait 24/48 hrs.

£30 for recovery, good times....

 

[Spinal]

Actually - I called the AA out just the other day...

I had my plates glued onto the previous owners private plates, an expired tax disc (the new one was in an envelope at home) and hadn't finished rebuilding the car, so I had the whole interior stripped down... oh yeah, and the driver door lock was missing...

I got a flatbed recovery all the way home...

Turns out that my alternator fuse was blown - which cost me £4 to fix...

M.

 

[verytalldave]

Green Flag responded to my call to change my flat. Were there in 15 minutes and I was on my way in less than an hour. Worth the £10 tip...........
Class act.