I didn't know I'd got an 'under-tray'. I do now.
It turns out that it was this 'under-tray' which made such a dreadful crunching noise as I came out of the flood down by the Mill turn. (No visions of Ursula Andress stalking sexily from the waves please - just a silver Audi emerging noisily from a large muddy puddle.)
As I drove on something scraunched on the road underneath me. Ooo err...not a good noise. It was a bit silly to go through the flood really - anything could have been in the water just waiting to knock cobs of my motor. I parked up at the Village Hall and tentatively knelt down (not wanting to get my knees wet) to see if I could spot the damage. And indeed I could. A large bit of rigid black plastic hanging down. B****r. Looks there will be no driving this home. More damned expense. Sigh.
On going through the water this 'under-tray', which in effect covers the car's undercarriage, had scooped up gallons of muddy water which being so heavy (we all know that a pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter don't we?) tore away the weedy plastic fixings which hold the tray in place and the whole caboodle collapsed.
The Glam Ass (bless 'im) came to the rescue and after a bit of grumbling and a bit of thought suggested I raise the height of the car. This particular model has the ability to raise itself at the push of a button to cope with different sorts of terrain. Clever huh? Why didn't I think of that?
It did the trick and I was able to proceed carefully back through the flood to our very best motor mechanic who has the necessary ramp and big screwdriver. It will be fixed sooner or later but for the time being I shall be driving the pick-up. This means no drive to Yorkshire on Friday for an aged aunt's funeral, but that is another story.
Please be warned - you too may have an 'under-tray' - do not mix with deep water.
13 comments:
Poor you. None of us would want to have our undertrays collapsing from an overfill of water.....sounds painful to me.
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Hugs,
A x
Oh dear - I hate thinking about mattters to do with our underthingies don't you! Hope it is easily and cheaply fixed. x Jo
....and a litre of wine (not water, because water was never sold) weighs a kilo.
Cars eh!
It's ok, you don't really need it. The only purpose it serves is to keep the engine clean. However, given the Audi servicing costs, I think they can put up with a little mud.
I did wonder, as I read your opening words, that an undertray sounded like a euphemism, perhaps for a saggy tummy or the like.... after all, I have a friend who calls her ample bosom her 'crumb shelf'.
I ripped the old Volvo's undertray (although I didn't know that was what it was called) loose after driving over a huge lump of wood on a motorway, and was told that it held the petrol tank in place - I drove very fearfully for the next few hundred miles!
pretty sure that its the mud that keeps my poor old cars under carriage on so pretty sure that I won't have an undertray but its a lovely story !Conjures up some wonderful images!
I'll have to ask The Great Dane about that - but I'm pretty sure that if we have one of those trays it is firmly cemented on with years of mud.
Bummer. Not quite the script you would write for yourself to start the year, but at least you've gained some useful information! Happy New Year to you!
Wow will look at car with more respect - I usually have two boys in the car so floods are well, a bit of a magnet for us....I have been warned!
I ripped an under-tray off a Honda a few years ago - parked on rough ground and when reversing back the dratted thing got caught up. Fortunately a friendly garage didn't charge much to refix it. Hope yours can be sorted without too much expense.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. It is there to catch drips of oil mostly - but then I suspect your car won't be leaking oil anyway - and protect against stones, mud, unfortunate wildlife etc flung up by being hit by something that the wheels hit. You can get by without it. Just avoid rabbits and don't park on polished surfaces.
Cars have a plethora of bits that can fall off or become too tired to function any more , not to mention the bits that need oil or water or anti-freeze . No wonder I bike everywhere . Then the only bit to fall off is me .
Not too sure about the condition of my undertray.
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