Grumpy in Madeira

Bom Dia

Today is going to be a RANT!!!!!!!!!!!! 🤬

Lots of emoji’s 🤬🤬🤬🤬

Bom Dia means good morning, good day…….HA!!!!! that’s one thing we didn’t have yesterday.

For those of you who read my post regularly, bless you. You will remember the car battery problem that we had.

I was disturbed that batteries today only have a two-year lifespan🤬.

Well FUCK me, two year’s would be better than ONE DAY.!!!!! 🤬

The nice and knowledgeable (NOT) mechanic who came to the house said “It is definitely the battery”.

Is a knob!!!! 🤬

Right. From the beginning……

Two day’s before the battery packed in, Maria took the car for the annual inspection.

There was a bubble on one front tyre. The other front tyre needed replacing. She was taking it to be done the next day, that’s when we had the battery problem.

So after the mechanic’s visit, Maria went off to get a battery. I fitted it onto the car.

It was not a big job, even though it was pissing down and I got soaked. 🤬

The car started straight away!!!!!!

So all good eh!!!!!!

We also booked the car into the garage the next day for its service.

We took the car in the morning and left it with them.

“Don’t worry” they said “we’ll check everything”.!!!!!! Ha.!!!!! 🤬

We went for a walk. We did over ten kilometres. We ended up at Pria Formosa. We were meeting some friends for lunch.

We met Issac and Catia at Beira Calhau, a nice beach front restaurant that we like.

We had a nice lunch and a catch up and a few beers for me and Issac.

Then time to pick up the newly serviced car. With a ONE DAY old battery.

Life was good!!!!!!

Maria paid the garage and we got into the car, Where it wouldn’t fucking start.!!!!!

🤬

Another very knowledgeable mechanic said, “Oh, there must have been lights left on.” We checked, and all lights were turned off.

He jump started the car.

I said, “There must be another problem.” The battery was only one day old. He replied, “It will be fine now.” 🤬

We thought maybe they had realized that they had left lights on while doing the service, so we left.

We drove to pick up little Bella from creche. It was a five-minute drive. Maria said, “The car doesn’t seem right.” We were going to call the garage after we got home.

Well fuck me!!!!! We didn’t make it another five minutes. The electrics all died on the car. The power steering packed in.

🤬

Luckily (HA didn’t think I’d use that word today) we broke down were we could pull into a space.

Maria called the garage and they sent a guy out. He said “the battery’s dead”

🤬

Tell us something we don’t know!!!!!

We told him we’d need a tow truck.

Maria explained the last couple of days again. He tried to jump start it ten times. He agreed we’d need a tow truck.!!!!! 🤬

The mechanic left and we waited for the tow truck to arrive.

He arrived 15 minutes later, a nice guy. Very knowledgeable. 🤬

He said “oh yeah the battery’s flat” I swear I had to fight the urge to set Bella on him. 🤬

He tried ten times to jump start the car. We explained that every Tom, Dick and Harry had tried to jump start it. 🤬

He eventually gave up and set about getting it on the truck.

He needed help to push it backward. Then he needed help to push it forward, and a little further back. He then asked Maria to steer it while we both pushed it towards his truck. 🤬

The car ended up at the foot of his ramp. He then said “don’t worry, I’ll do the rest”. 🤬

What rest!!!!! A few more feet and I’d have pushed it to the garage.

🤬

We made it back with a lift from Nadia. We were both so glad to be home. Even little Bella looked relieved.

We have since been told by the very Knowledgeable mechanic “that it’s definitely the alternator”

“probably”.

🤬🤬🤬🤬

Watch this space!!!!!