Chapter 13: The Cold Front Hits                                                                                       25.11.2022

This week in the UK the temperatures have plummeted below 0°C hitting as low as -6°C. Monday morning and I go to get in Raymond and he is completely frozen over. I got in the car and turned on whatever heater I could find: windscreen, seats, steering wheel to try and warm myself and Raymond up. When I finally set off, I was lovely and toasty inside but outside was a different story. The roads were white and like ice rinks, however Raymond handled those slippy roads like they were glue, not sliding once.

Tuesday was the coldest day so without a moment of hesitation all of those heaters were back on making Raymond heaven. The drive was once again sublime, however this is Raymond, so something had to go wrong. Once I was parked up, I went to open the door and nothing happened. I locked and then unlocked the door a few times trying to open the door with each attempt. I thought to myself that it must be the weather and perhaps the mechanism had seized up. I called over to a passing colleague to try the door from the other side, hoping that it was just the inner door handle, but no luck, Raymond had locked me in. I got up and shuffled across to the passenger seat and tried the other door and thankfully with a little persuasion the door opened. Later on, we went to inspect what had happened but lo and behold, nothing was wrong anymore, all the doors were working fine. I think the workshop technicians think I’m losing the plot, with all these issues that ‘solve’ themselves.

The rest of the week Raymond, surprisingly behaved himself, dealing with the tumultuous weather like a champion. Despite the little hiccup near the start of the week, it is times like this when owning a L322 has its benefits and makes me one happy driver.

Chapter 12: A Whole Heap of Problems 28.10.2022

Another week and to start with it has been pure bliss driving Raymond around. There have only been a few minor issues, such as a side light bulb needing to be replaced. The issues of the past seemed to be just that, in the past, or so I thought.

The problems started on Friday; I started him up to go to work and put him in drive. Normally, this is when the car would move, but not today. I decided that maybe this was just a blip and that I should just try again. Put it back into park, waited a moment, said a little good luck prayer, and then moved the shifter into drive and… nothing yet again. I swear Raymond just likes making me late for work. I thought to myself, what’s that old saying “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” So, I did just that, turned Raymond off and back on again and then proceeded to put him in drive once more and hallelujah, this time he moved off like there was no issue at all. Having spoken to the technicians, we believe that a solenoid might have got stuck and that it should be a recurring problem.

Sunday then came around, and I thought, let’s go for a little drive, clicked to open and there was a telling silence that something was wrong. Maybe the key was just dead, and my negative thoughts would be proven wrong… I wasn’t wrong. Raymond was as flat as a pancake, no battery at all. So, instead of going out for a relaxing drive around the countryside, I am in the garage digging out the battery charger and hoping that he is alive for the morning drive to work.

Thankfully, the outcome was good, and he came alive with full power in the morning. Something is definitely draining this battery and we need to get to the bottom of it. We have reason to believe it is not the Sat-Nav, however that leaves us with more questions than answers. Oh, Raymond, you do make life interesting….

Chapter 11: A little Recharge                                                               19.10.2022

Raymond has been working like a trooper, so he had a little holiday for two weeks. However, we aren’t too sure if Raymond liked the holiday as when we went to unlock him, he wouldn’t. When we manually unlocked the car, there were no interior lights. When we tried the ignition, nothing happened. Raymond was out for the count. Luckily, we have jump start packs in the workshop so we managed to get one of those out to Raymond, but no luck, he still wouldn’t start. Perhaps this issue was bigger than just the battery, maybe, just maybe this was the end for Raymond.

Not being one to give up so easily, especially not on Raymond, I persevered, placed the jump pack on him for another go, Boom, we were running.  I left him ticking over whilst I got ready and within 5 minutes, we were on the road heading for Louth, every mile charging the battery a little bit more. OR was I? I had no lights on the dash so assumed the best.

Once back at the Workshop, we tested the alternator, it was working, phew! Next the battery, all ok, or will be after a charge, phew! Then the realisation that Raymond must have a battery drain, oh no. I left Raymond with the Workshop for a while, I think he likes it there as he behaved. A few hours later I am informed the drain has been traced to the Sat Nav which is constantly live. We need to sort this out so Raymond can soldier on.

Chapter 10: Teething Problems                                                              05.10.2022

The cold mornings are finally here; however, Raymond is well prepared for the frosty challenge ahead. The heated steering wheel, the heated seats (of which have two settings, hot and very hot), and the heated windscreen will all fight off any inclement weather and keep me toastie. The first day and what do I have? A frozen windshield, but as I predicted, Raymond dealt with it as if that was what he was made for, and I was on my way with clear glass in front of me.

Whilst Raymond has been a trooper against the cold, I do have to point out a few teething issues that have happened this week. There is a weird musty smell that appears when you have the heaters on. We suspect this to be either the pollen filter or the a/c. We will keep you informed either way. The other issue is that the radio is intermittent these days. I will be driving along, jamming out to some music, everything working fine and then suddenly, silence, radio off, not turning back on until you restart the car, only for it to repeat the process. I have noticed that it does it more often when the headlights are on, so perhaps Raymond has a wiring issue?? The final issue to note is the constant changing of the key fob battery every other week, which I would describe as more of an annoyance than a problem.

Famous Four x

Chapter 9: Back in the Workshop                                                                                     21.09.2022

This week Raymond is back in the shop and due for an important repair. The workshop investigated the car after the last blog and concluded that the radiator was leaking and that it would need to be replaced. There is a video of the radiator swap on the Famous Four YouTube Channel. (https://youtu.be/zf6d6HmCE5s)

To remove the radiator, we first need to drain the coolant. Then the pipes and fans need to be disconnected, removed from the radiator unit, so the radiator can be removed from the car. The new radiator can then be fitted, and all the pipes and fans can be reinstalled. Add coolant and check to see if there are any leaks, of which there were none thankfully, and that is the job completely done.

After a few days of testing, the issue seems to be resolved and the new radiator unit is holding up well. However, nothing is ever straight forward with Raymond… As I was driving along the interior air bag light has come on, so as a matter of safety we need to get that checked out sooner rather than later. We went and got the diagnostic kit, turned the car back on and magically Raymond had fixed himself and the light was no longer on. The never-ending uncertainty of Raymond is starting to become his main characteristic.

Famous Four x

Chapter 8: New Discoveries… 28.08.2022

Since the last chapter Raymond has been driving really well, which has allowed us to make some discoveries about him…

In a previous chapter, we mentioned the 3 cup holders in the front and none in the back. Well, we now know that one of the cup holders is adjustable so you can put drinks of varying size in it with no issue.

With the inevitable cold days of the British winter upon us, I was very excited with a fully functioning heated steering wheel. Another added bonus was the super demister that clears not only front and rear screens but also the wing mirrors. Magic!

The fuel situation is also improving with the MPG slowly creeping up to 21.2 meaning the fuel we put in might last a little longer, maybe the 5 working days??

After a week of no issues, our luck had come to an end as two problems occurred at once. A message stating the key fob battery was low and also that the coolant was low. The battery issue should just be a simple battery replacement, but the coolant one is different as it was only just topped up, which would suggest a leak somewhere. The workshop say they will investigate where or if we have a leak.

Chapter 7: Fixing The Issue!

18.08.2022

After the ordeal of the last drive, Raymond was now sat in the workshop, so that the technicians could reveal what really happened. And just as we had predicted last time, the air spring had deflated. So, now we need to get hold of a new one and then change them over.

A nice easy job, take off the wheels, remove the brake discs to reveal the air spring and then disconnect the air spring from under the bonnet. Then it is a case of placing the new air spring in and reconnecting it, putting the car on all fours and hoping that it inflates. And without any hesitation, Raymond rose like a phoenix. We also topped up the coolant as it was low.

We took Raymond out for a drive, and he feels so much better now, gliding over all the bumps, smooth as can be. It is amazing how one little change can make such a mountain of a difference.

-Famous Four

Chapter 6: Raymond Felt Deflated

16.08.2022

This morning I was on my way to work, and everything was going swimmingly, until I started to notice that he was pulling to the left. I got out after pulling into a layby to check to see if I had a flat tyre. NO. WORSE.

The entire car had sunk on one side as the front airbag was empty. Was there a message on the dash to alert me to this life-threatening issue? Of course not! I tried to turn the engine on to see if the bag would reinflate. It didn’t…

I decided since I was so close to work, to drive Raymond, very carefully. The steering was heavy, and the ride was particularly bouncy. I finally arrived back at Famous Four and what happens after I put him into park? A little fault code pops up on the dash saying ‘suspension inactive’, just in case I hadn’t noticed already. Thanks Raymond!

-Famous Four

Chapter 5: Raymonds Second Home

05.08.2022

With Raymond now driving the mean streets of rural Lincolnshire, we can explore him a little more in depth. He has three cupholders in the front for the two passengers, and none in the back for the three passengers… makes sense, doesn’t it? Also, if you want to feel like you are in a spy movie you can lift up the middle console and find, hidden away, a secret phone. Yes, the thing looks like a brick and as far as I am aware is completely not working, but to have it there, is pretty cool.

Now, the not so good thing about Raymond. He has decided he has a new favourite hang out spot, or as I like to call it his second home due to the amount of time he spends there. That place… the fuel station! And boy does he make you pay for taking him there. Fourty Great British pounds and it moved the fuel gauge to a quarter… A QUARTER! All that expensive fuel   we lovingly donate to him, does he save it and cherish it? NOPE, first journey 19 mpg, second journey 15.6 mpg, third journey was an improvement but still only 20mpg! We can’t wait for the more inefficient winter months ahead.

– Famous Four

Chapter 4: The First Proper Drive

05.08.2022

After all of the new parts and fixing, it was finally time to take Raymond onto the road. Was this going to be scary? Of course, but what is life without a bit of unknown adventure? I soon settled in and noticed that Raymond is actually quite a nice car to drive around in. The air suspension means that he floats along the road and pot holes are not even noticeable.

The interior is comfortable and luxurious, with arm rests, lumbar support, working air conditioning and heated seats. Not everything is perfect in Raymond though… Firstly, he is a big boy, like ‘Andre the Giant’ big and this means that he drives like a bus. The steering feels heavy, and the stopping distance is a lot longer than any normal car. The temperature gauge is either broken or Raymond is ice cold… I’m going to go with broken though.

His final issue that I noticed was the next morning when I was due to bring him back. I went to get in, but I couldn’t due to the locks not working. I walked around the car, tried the key in the door, but nothing was working. Ten minutes later though, like an indecisive child, Raymond decided he did want to work and unlocked himself. The joys of a budget L322 have only just begun…

-Famous Four