Having a bad day....

[wildbears]

Car broke down on the highway...

Was heading north to the Three Creeks Park to do some cycling when the van suddenly died. Got it over to the shoulder and called AAA. Two hours later I get a call from the tow truck that they don't see my vehicle. Dispatcher had sent them 10 miles south of my location for no apparent reason as the exact location was given several times. Another 30 minutes, tow truck arrives and van loaded. We get to the dealership and the tow bed is stuck and the van can't be unloaded. Another hour and a second truck arrives. The van is transferred from the first truck to the second and then unloaded. Get the van checked in and then ride the bike 10 miles back home. Good thing I had the bike as the dealership did not offer a loaner or a ride.

The transfer...




Waiting for the Dx. Probably a bad alternator.

[Scot]

Could not have waited to break down after vacation. How do these things know...

[955i]

Sort of my luck, too.

[Lee]

Seen plenty of bad tow truck reports since 2020.
The tow truck breaking down is a new one.

[802Mike]

Happened to my daughter once. I grabbed my jumper pack and jumper cables, dad to the rescue.
I drove it home in the winter with nothing but lights and a window partially open for the cables.

[Lee]

Do you have your van back now?
I see your van in the other tread but didn't know if the picture was from last week.

[wildbears]

Van is back. It's a 2012 Honda Ody with variable cylinder management (VCM). The idea is that the engine only uses 4 cylinders except when more power is needed. However, this results in excessive piston ring wear in the 4 main cylinders requiring engine work about every 80k miles. This time the VCM module developed an oil leak and as it sits above the alternator, the dripping oil eventually takes out the alternator. So the van is up and running after a new alternator and a new VCM module.
Many have bypassed the VCM so that the engine is always running on 6 cylinders and apparently have fewer engine problems.