A “Kate Morley Investigates” complaint in the Money section of this morning’s Telegraph features an Audi A3 which would not start. The owner had RAC breakdown cover but the RAC mechanic attending tried to jump start it and failed.
A garage said that the attempt had wrecked the engine which another took apart “…and said the valves had been hit so hard by the pistons they had bent and even damaged the holes they sit in.” It quoted £6500 to fit a new engine, more that the car was worth. (Kate's investigation led the RAC to cough up £6000 for the car.)
The last jump start I had was about 9 years ago, on my Hyundai i30. That was all right as had been various others in the past. What could have gone wrong in the case of the A3?
For that matter, what is wrong with bump starts, now frowned upon although I have used them often enough in the past?
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