19th Dec what a time for your car to have an electrical fault in Eurotunnel

A snowHead

'TwaS I

In mitigation..

Having succesfully collected all three children at lunchtime from three different schools across the county, we were on the road and got a clear 3 hour run to the eurotunnel arriving 2 hours early for our check-in hoping to get an earlier crossing, only to learn our booked crossing was being put back 90mins.

In an instant our plans of nine hours driving, a few hours kip and a leisurely ski before lunch on saturday were up in smoke. Instead I was facing 3 hours reading the registration of a disco in the queue in front of us.

Mumbling something about dad being in a grump the kids immersed themselves in the dvd playing on the screens in the back.

Finally onto the train and then nothing, we sat for another hour before it moved, still at least the kids were entertained watching another film.

Finally time to get off the train and the cd player cut out as i turned the ignition, then the car flashed up an ABS warning sytem. I went for the fuse cover just as the "do not start go to garage" warnings flashed.

The space between us and the cars in front became a void filled only by the eurotunel employee walking towards us having a conversation on her walkie talkie.

I didn't look back but could feel the frustration and suppressed anger from the families confined by us..
road delays, eurotunnel crap and now some t****r with an electrical fault, even at this stage I was convinced this was a serious car malfunction.

For the first time my 11 year old son heard me swear.

Two drivers emerged from behind and valiantly but unsuccesfuly tried to push us to bump start the engine, The eurotunnel lady addressed my wife stating that we should relax, they would sort this problem, free of charge, to get us on our way!

Then a minature breakdown truck reversed up through the carriages at a high rate of knots, I couldn't be releived that help was at hand until I saw his brakes work.

The french knight asked if it was my battery "no its a serious electrical fault", I might not speak french but I know a derogatory retort when I get one.

Jump leads (big enough to start a eurotunnel train) attached, the car started first time and I emerged from the carriages with a wave of gratitude to the walkie talkie lady and drove like a bat out of hell for the next hour to clear us from revenging families.

We didn't make the morning skiing but got a warm up after lunch and then 10 more days of great family skiing.

I hope my fellow eurotunnelers enjoyed the same after their short delay.

A snowHead

Lucky the french have a tow truck on hand!
Although perhaps in future, don't watch films for so long with the engine not running. No surprise it drained the battery to such a low voltage that it casued th electronics to go mad.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Help!!

19th Dec what a time for your car to have an electrical fault in Eurotunnel

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