On the road again

There are very few things in life you can put your trust in. One is the AA. Another, I now realise, should be my 16 year old SAAB.

It had started showing an engine alert warning which I assumed meant something serious and it was time for a change.

While my car was off the road and started researching new hybrid vehicles, resale value, charging points and a hundred of other things while my poor old car just sat there.

Today, feeling armed for the worst possible scenario I called the AA and booked a mechanic to look at it. 

To cut a long story short right now my car has a clean bill of health and has just returned from a nice long run up the M1.

The mechanic was brilliant and gave me lots of useful advice on how to keep it on the road. Things like: "The SAAB is designed for long journeys, so if it doesn't get a good motorway run every couple of weeks the engine will clog up. After a long run your car will have fewer emissions and your fuel consumption will be better."

It's ironic that had I taken it on the run up to Scotland earlier this year it would have been a lot happier. "They never break down on the motorway" apparently.