Car Breakdown

It finally happened: one of my cheap cars broke down on Sunday, 7.November. It was the Suzuki Vitara. I had not driven it for the past 3 weeks; but on Sunday I wanted to drive it, to avoid it getting too rusty. It started immediately - so I drove from the driveway up onto the street, then just stopped the engine, leaving the car in the middle of the road before we would leave for shopping. I should have been warned by what happened next: when one of those rare occurences happened that another car wanted to pass through our narrow street, I needed to start the car again and move it to the side. But nothing happened, as I turned the ignition key. What was that? I signaled to the other driver that I was unable to move the car right now, and he had to back out in reverse...

I tried again for a couple times to start, then I gave up. I had no idea what could be wrong... to low battery? I connected my back-up battery, tried to start again - and it worked! So now I decided that I had to drive the car, to recharge an obviously low battery.

We went to do some shopping at the Leeds White Rose Shopping Center, and the car drove nicely. Then, as we were done and I tried to start the car again, nothing. The starter did not make any sound at all. I tried again with my spare battery, but this time it did not help. So for the first time, I could use my membership in the AA, to get help. I already envisioned to be towed away by a truck, and I was wondering to where they should bring the vehicle: to my home would not make much sense, as then I would still have to get the car to a repair shop. But to bring the car to a repair shop now, on Sunday afternoon, also did not seem very sensible, as all car repair shops would be closed. Also, I did not know to which one the car should be brought....

Calling the AA on the mobile phone. The woman there at the other end did not seem completely to understand my location - I told them several times that I was at the White Rose Shopping Center, near the Sainsbury, Parking Lot #1. But when I got 1/2 hour later a call from the actual AA driver, he called from another Sainsbury, at the other end of Leeds... So a closer driver was dispatched, and he arrived after another 20 minutes. When he arrived, he very confidently bent over the open front hood and jiggled something very deep down in the engine. He then asked me to start the car - the starter motor worked, and the engine immediately started! It was just the cable connector to the starter motor which had a bad connection. He fixed it and told me that this would hold for a while - no need to go to a repair shop. I was relieved, and then we drove back home again.