Our Bob Is An Awesome Bob!

Bob will be spending Christmas alone this year…

She’s not finished being sorted yet as Les at Superbeetles wants her to breakdown on him so he can properly diagnose the problem. So we’ve agreed that she should stay in Colchester for the holidays. 

Merry Christmas Bob, see you in the 2009…

Bob is now with Superbeetles in Colchester for as long as it takes…

I’ve waited a while before posting this entry in order to let time create a sense of perspective that was sadly lacking on Tuesday.

Some of the texts I sent to H whilst sat by the side of the road waiting for the RAC seemed to suggest regret at our purchase of Bob, and indeed at times even called into question the parentage of our VW Camper…

This was the view that I enjoyed for over three hours on Tuesday as Bob decided not to work again. I’d picked her up the day before from Colchester and she’d been fine. I took her to show off at badminton the night before and she’d not missed a beat. Even though she is booked in at Superbeetles next week to be finally sorted out I thought a quick trip over to Braintree would be well within her capabilities. It was only going to be a short trip out so I didn’t bother putting a jumper on under my coat…

I guessed something was up by the time I’d driven to the end of the road, for although I’d sat and let her warm up for a time on the drive, and although she’d been great the day before, there was a slight loss of power when in mid-revs. The road to Braintree is twisty and with many a blind bend, and it was just before one of these bends that Bob’s engine died for the first time. It was about 11.30am at this time. I tried to restart her but there was nothing. I waited a few minutes and tried again. The engine fired and I quickly got her moving again, aiming for the layby in the distance where I could settle the engine and if need be return home to try a different car. The engine lasted about 20 metres. With the layby tantalisingly close I now found myself actually on the blind bend and thankful that although I was in a dangerous position at least I was big and orange and likely to be seen. Again I tried to get the engine going with no success. I decided to again wait a while before trying, and when eventually she did get going again I slammed her into first gear and headed for the layby. It was a good job that no one was coming the other way – I wasn’t going to stop for them!

And so I sat admiring the view for further while seeing if I could get the engine going again. When I managed it I sat and let it run. For almost two minutes it ticked iver nicely and then. Gone. I was further than two minutes from home and the road is not a good one to be broken down on, so for the third time in a fortnight I called the RAC and gave the registration number JAT 910V. It was 12.30pm. The Scottish woman was very pleasant and apologetic when she informed me that due to an accident that morning the waiting time was around two and a half hours, but that she would try and get someone from another area in less than an hour. The trip to Braintree seemed to be cancelled. I used the opportunity to make some ‘phone calls, check my e-mail and take photos of just how cold it was. For some reason there’s a thermometer stuck to the underside of the sun visor. It stated 15 degrees celcius (Warning!) when I first stopped. By the time I’d been there three hours it was somewhat lower. I did get Bob going on three occasions whilst I was waiting, and each time she ticked over beautifully – for about two minutes each time before cutting out…

At 2.30pm I was called by the RAC to apologise for the wait and to inform me that there wouldn’t be anyone there for at least another 45 minutes. It was then that I called Adam from The Old Volks Home to update him on the situation and he reminded me that there was a gas cooker in the back! Having only owned Bob for a fortnight and never having cooked in her I had forgotten this, and swiftly retired to the rear to crack open the gas bottle and warm myself up a bit. From a low of 9, I managed to get the temperature back up to 15 degrees before the RAC man eventually arrived at the by now misted up Bob just past 3.30pm. Over four hours since I’d left the house. My feet were like ice.

The engine wouldn’t start for the RAC man until he’d linked up the battery to his van to give the starter a bit of extra oomph, but then proceded to run like clockwork for about ten minutes… He’d checked all the easily removable parts and they were, as is known, all A1. We decided to give it a go getting home, and so I shut the engine bay. Immediately the engine started to splutter and fail. I felt very confident that I had diagnosed the problem as the engine cover but the RAC man said that that was unlikely. He quickly opened the engine bay again and got her ticking over properly, and we made our way back home. The engine ran well and made it without any problems. I was followed home by the RAC who gave diagnosis number umpteen – he thought it was air getting into the engine through a gasket or possibly a crack in the manifold. We’ll see…

Bob has since been sat on the drive and tomorrow I’ll be taking her back over to Superbeetles to be completely sorted. The Old Volks Home has again agreed to have Bob put right for us, even to the extent of replacing the carb if need be. Although our first few weeks of VW ownership have been a little less than ideal I do have faith in Superbeetles and The Old Volks Home to put Bob right. Italy is not as far as way as it seemed on Tuesday afternoon.

Alfie & I went and picked up Bob from Superbeetles (rather than Bulli Barn, which is actually a different part of the same company that I’ve never been to…) and found that she is running much better now the choke has been reduced and the mixture from the carb increased, particularly when driving around town. Les from Superbeetles got out his infrared temperature sensor and showed me how the carb was quickly freezing as the fan pulled cold air through the air-cooled engine before the heat inlets had time to warm it up. He suggested that the heat inlets were coked up and/or needed the gaskets changing.

Driving her home from Colchester saw a much smoother drive but the same sort of problem occuring : cutting out at junctions until the carb reached a decent temperature but great after a decent run stopped it from freezing. I ‘phoned Adam from The Old Volks Home who immediately told me to get the heat inlets sorted by Superbeetles under warranty. We have had our problems with Bob since we’ve owned her but The Old Volks Home has been only too happy to make sure that they’re sorted and we’re happy Camper owners.

Bob will be back at Superbeetles next Monday and I shall be driving her around until then showing her off!

And so it was all arranged. Bob was to be taken to the Bulli Barn and the starting/running issues sorted once and for all. Of course there was the problem that Bob wouldn’t necessarily start so after giving it a go (and failing) we called the RAC again. It would seem that the choke was sticking on and so it was only a small job to get the engine running. The choke sticking would apparently also explain why Bob has been stalling so often on short trips but absolutely fine on longer journeys.

I drove over to Colchester without any problems (bar stalling at the first few junctions) and Les from the Bulli Barn gave her a look over. He agreed that the choke was possible the cause of the problem and said he’d have a play with it, as well as checking over other connected items that might be playing a part. He also took Bob out for a drive and was impressed with how she drove. I know that Bob is a great camper but after the past week it’s nice to hear it confirmed by as many people as possible, especially those who know their way around them.

Bob will be back with us by the weekend hopefully and I look forward to reporting on many an eventless trip here, there and everywhere…

I thought that this afternoon I would pick A up from school in Bob – but only if she started first flick. She did! I decided to give her a longish run to get her warm and she ran very well. Until I got to A‘s school anyway. It was then that she started to struggle at tick over whilst I was parking her.

When I’d fetched A from the school door we got in and…nothing. Just the engine turning over with it nowhere near to catching. We tried for 10-15 minutes (not continually!) but eventually stopped because I didn’t want to kill the battery. Bob was duly rolled out of the school grounds onto the roadside where we ‘phoned Adam from The Old Volks Home.

He’s arranged for us to take Bob to VW Bulli Barn to have the ‘intermittent’ fault put right at The Old Volks Home’s cost, which is what I hoped (and expected) to hear. Bob will be with Les at the VW Bulli Barn tomorrow and hopefully the teething problems will be put right…