Originally Posted by Xose

Dean,
Bear in mind that a car that's running beautifully back home will be tested to its full capacity in the French motorways at 70 and before you know it 90 being overtaken by renault 5's hardly touching the tarmac. If there's anything about to go, it WILL go somewhere on the catalan motorway (Paris-Barcelona). Within seconds of breaking down, a funny little man in a bright coloured van will turn up, put cones around your car and insist that a local tow truck takes you off the motorway to avoid a mass pileup - and charge you a shedload of wedge for the privilage. Not a lot you can do about it either as the Gendarmerie are on their side big time. Worth bearing in mind that most of these Autoroutes are two lane daytona 500 tracks in disguise, and they are not far from the real one in speeds and driving practices either.

I had the misfortune of having a spark plug work loose once. Smoke everywhere and I thought the engine had just seized up. The van turned up in a nano second. I told the guy to take a chill pill because he really was over anctious to get me off the motorway. Just as he had finished sticking cones around the car area, the smoke died down and I noticed the high tension lead with the plug off the engine block. I remembered imediately that I had fitted the new plugs without retightening after the engine had warmed up (plank!!!) so back it went and the car was fine - few!!! but the little van man was doing his pieces for the whole two minutes it took me to do that.

Moral of the story. When you say "get myself something reliable", check the oil pressure, water pump, pullies etc really well and any signs of white gunk in the oil cap and the like, run like mad even if the car is a "sweet little runner".

Good luck and most of all, stop and take lots of breaks.

Xose