How we laughed!

We were out last Saturday, lovely weather, top down on the way home, when my wife says "there's smoke coming out of the glovebox". I took a look and said with a feeling of doom. "That's not smoke it's steam". I took a look at the temp guage which in the 3 seconds since i had looked at it last had zoomed upwards. My wife was less concerned about semantics and thinking back to our time years ago with an Austin 1300GT when i refused to acknowledge that it really was smoke coming through the footwell. (that didn't end well either). I pulled to the side and checked the coolant (or lack of it) but couldn't pull off the road properly as the kerb was too high and my TF wouldn't by then even start. Luckily the boys in blue turned up and blocked off the main road into Colchester with their car while they helped me push it somewhere safer. When the AA guy came he was an ex; Rover mechanic so quickly found that the heater pipe had split (not HGF thank goodness) which he fixed temporarily. also however at the same time the wire nearby to the engine management unit had come adrift and shorted out so after he had sorted both issues we could drive the 3 miles home. As the car was still in warranty i asked the AA guy whether his temporary fix would get me there but he didn't think so (35 miles to Suffolk). However the repair looked very secure (some sort of sellotape with plastic ties so i thought i'd risk it. Anyway after 35 anxious miles i got there and the garage owner (Sacha at the MGTF centre)is working on iy now. Nice to see that the AA did such a good job for me and also that the supplier of the car was very quick to reply to help me. From what i have seen so far from the MGTF centre in Suffolk i can whole heartedlly reccommend them and i don't often give such endorsements.It also looks like (according to the AA guy and the dealer) i've got away without more serious engine problems even though it did overheat.

You really need a B&G low coolant alarm

You say the cars still under warranty..I reckon if you had siezed the engine up getting to the garage with a temporary repair they probably would want you to foot the bill for the repair...has you had got to the garage with I hope no serious damage then the cost is all there's. Our firm warranties engines for 12 months but if the customer siezes it up then it's down to the owner to pay for the repair.

The MG goddess was smiling on you that day Norm, glad it didn't turn out to be really serious, I'd better check my hoses methinks.

it's on the list!