To complain about the AA man

[TeaAndBrie]

So my car is having issues, I spilt a drink in the passenger footwell a week ago. The car was still working fine and I was advised it was safe to keep driving when I Took it to a garage yesterday, they couldn’t sort it but recommended someone else. He can look at it but not for a couple of weeks.
Today it wouldn’t start at all.
i contacted the AA and 6 hours later the AA arrived. Not an issue because I was at home but still a long time.
I felt like I was being told off by my dad. He kept asking if I understood that it was serious. It was an accident and he made me feel so stupid. He told me that cars can’t function if the electrics don’t work and that water conducts electricity 🙄
he told me that the garage only said it was fine to get rid of me and that no one will want to touch it.
I understand what I’ve done but it wasn’t on purpose and as a paying customer I don’t need to be told off.
currently researching RAC membership instead…

I've owned more than one Citroen and am very aware of their electrical failings! That's also why I know it's highly unlikely a spilled drink in the footwell has caused immobiliser problems.
The AA man sounds like a patronising tool

A week old half cup of spilt liquid rendered your car unusable… is it made of paper.
I’d be complaining to bloody Citroen not the AA man.

Definitely do not swap to RAC; had a guy tell me I needed the garage, said great please take me there (I paid a lot extra to have them take me anywhere I asked) and he said he wouldn't be able to and would have to call someone else yada yada so he called my 'nearest garage' and said they could do it for me immediately, and for what must be mates rates as it was so cheap. I protested that I really would prefer to go to my own garage and he got a bit impatient and told me he'd have to leave me then and he'd have to see if a tow truck could get out to me sometime that week.. this was the night before my mother's funeral (which he knew) and I really couldn't deal with the argument so agreed to go to my 'my nearest garage'. Which turned out to obviously not be my nearest garage but one the other side of the next town, who charged me the going rate (about £500), and who completely bodged the repair. After another week or so driving it broke again and this time took out the suspension, costing me about £1000. The RAC gave me £50 compensation. Moved to AA and had a guy out within 20 minutes who had diagnosed it before I even got to the door (it was in the drive) and them happily took me to my own garage without a murmur. It's definitely luck of the draw.

TLDR repair guys at any outfit can be arseholes, but no-one's ever as bad as the RAC.

Don't drink and drive. I've never understood this mental idea of supping hot drinks in a car. It's actually insane.

If he letting it dry out too. I used to have a Renault that had the airbag light on for a few days every time it was washed. I'd say you already have left it but with the cold, could prolong. Get a hairdryer on it 🤣

My commiserations on Citroen ownership. My husband had a couple of Renaults, so I feel your pain 🤣 But, many cars have body control modules in the footwells, which if they get wet could cause the issues mentioned by the OP. That’s why driving though floods is unwise, even if you don’t get any water in the air intake. Admittedly, 50cl shouldn’t cause an issue, but again I wouldn’t be so quick to rule it out on a French car. In any event it’s not going to be something an AA patrol can fix at the side of the road. Him being a patronising tool is a separate matter, and is likely to be true ☺️

Ah good old French electrics! Not!! French cars are renowned for having complicated, poor electrics. If the liquid spilt around the gearbox and handbrake, then yes it's entirely possible the electronics have been damaged. I would suggest you follow the AA man's advice. In fairness he was doing his job and trying to reiterate how serious the issue is, especially as you'd been told by a garage all was fine.

it was a macdonalds coke, part of a meal that I was bringing home 5 mins up the road.

Oh wow that sounds awful :(
I had a bad experience with RAC about 20 years ago which is why I’ve been with the AA since.
i guess it depends more on the individual than the company.
I don’t disagree with what he said to me, but it was the way he was so patronising

How is this a breakdown incident for the AA when you’ve been driving it for a week since it happened?

they should charge you for the false call out

"Yeah he’s talking shit."

Not sure about the AA man but you might be!

BCM's etc might usually be found in the engine bay but I've had cars with airbag modules etc in the centre console near the gearstick, and there are mass of connectors etc near the dashboard end of the console The OP said footwell in the opening post and you would not expect wiring in the boot floor per se butOP has since admitted the source was the centre console and wet connectors often develop connection problems etc.

in any case if there is an immobiliser code the AA are not best placed to fix these and a proper garage might be the next step.

It wouldn't start. That's exactly what the AA is for.

Give over, he was being a knob. I hate it when people act like you're inconveniencing them by asking them to do their job.

I would say the spilt drink likely isn't causing the car not to start. that is more likely a separate issue, could be anything down to the battery, alternator ,starter motor or something else.. Did he check any of those things? The air bag warning thing might be an issue with the sensor.

Saying that, the cars central control module is likely there and if that gets damaged, it can prevent a car starting

@DNAwrangler It makes perfect sense that it would take a week to break! That's how long it takes for corrosion on electrical wires to occur

@Jabbabong Way to spectacularly misread the OP and then twist what she said in order to fit your own narrative, wow!

@MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira It absolutely is true!!! 😂 All cars have electrical wiring all through the footwell and under the seat! Don't make things up, it makes you look foolish

Find me a Citroen with immobiliser wiring in the footwell. You won't, the looms will be for interior electronics or rear lights. A spilled coke wouldn't stop an engine from starting. I'm one of many saying the same thing. Your opinion differs fine, not sure why you think it's appropriate to name call.

Please find me a wiring diagram with electronics feeding the starter motor that run through the footwell. You won’t, cause they don’t exist. The battery and the alternator are both in the bonnet, which are what supply the car electrics, and the starter motor, also in the bonnet. The alternator will be driven by the timing chain or belt off the motor. Again, all in the bonnet.

the electronics that might run through the footwell (or rather tucked inside channels of the bodywork that is covered by soundproofing and matting, or centre console) are going to be for interior electronics or potentially rear lights (although I would generally expect the rear lights to run on an independent loom under the bodywork in a dedicated channel).

Whoops should have read the next reply 😂

If it helps reassure you, I wouldn't swap to the RAC. I've worked with both in a professional capacity and my preference for cover on my own vehicle is with the AA. The RAC aren't a bad company but I've found the AA much friendlier and more efficient in general. You do get the odd gruff patrol but that's the same with any breakdown company.

Unfortunately I don't know enough to help you with diagnostics, but it does sound like he was talking about wiring under the seat (which could include airbag wiring). I don't see how he's in any position to diagnose issues with under the seat wiring by the roadside though.

This. You'd be amazed at how many people managed to pass thier driving test yet don't know the simplest thing about cars.

Not a Very Nice Man after all 🙁

updated for anyone who is interested

the electrics guy called me this morning and said he had time to come and look at it today. The guy was here a good couple of hours in the awful rain but I kept him topped up with tea and biscuits 🍪.

so the airbag / pretensioner fault was caused by the drink spillage. The sensor for this is just to the left of the gear stick and even though it was bagged some fluid had got in.

the other issues were nothing to do with the drink spillage. There were caused by corroded connectors to the battery which caused inconsistent voltage which stopped the car from starting. My battery is at 65% so he has suggested I replace this. It was only night direct from the AA 16 months ago and I’m sure it’s covered in warranty for 5 years so will be looking into that too.
if the AA man had actually tried to do anything on the car yesterday then he would have discovered the same.

he is a magician and I am so grateful to him for fixing it.