transponders......immobilizers in disguise.....

I went to my pilates class tonight. That went fine.

I stopped off to get a frozen lasagna for dinner and that's when the fun started.

I got into the car. Started it. Then it stopped. It didn't start again.

I rang the roadside car emergency service. Wait time 20 - 40 minutes. So I thought I would read the owners manual.

I discovered all sorts of things about my car.

After 45 minutes I was bored and cold. The temperature had dropped to 13.5C. I had no socks on nor a jumper. I was cold.

I rang the roadside service and was on hold for a good 10 minutes. Then the man in the yellow van turned up. He had a quick look through my car and then looked at the key. I had lost the transponder chip which immobilizes the engine if missing. This was my situation.

Spare key? At home five minutes away. The man rang through to his company and then told me he would drive me home to get the key. He did, I got the key and he drove me back.

I got into the car - it finally started and I got home. It was only 3 hours since I had left.

Tomorrow I will get a new transponder chip and/or a new key.