As excitement builds for the Euro 2016 finals in France, the odds for one of the home nations to bring home some silverware have become a mixed bag. Sadly Scotland won't be going this time round, but the remaining three UK countries will.
Notwithstanding a Leicester-style shock, Northern Ireland are rank outsiders, with bookies offering around 350/1 for them to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy. Only Albania has longer odds.
Wales are seen as eighth most likely to win the cup, attracting odds of around 80/1.
But England hold the best hopes for the UK, with odds of about 8/1 – behind Spain, Germany and the hosts France, who are 3/1 favourites.
Indeed, the French were victorious the last time they hosted the finals – in 1984.
Summer Breakdown
But while the chances of a home-nation victory are easy to work out, the same can’t be said of a summer time breakdown. Thousands of UK motorists will be heading down to France for the finals – and many of them will suffer a mechanical failure on the way. Sadly, a lot of them won’t have breakdown cover, which will mean a big repair and recovery bill.
If you don’t want to suffer a ‘breakdown in Europe’ akin to the one Paul Gascoigne endured in Italy during the 1990 World Cup, you need to take care of your car. Indeed, if you want your chances of suffering a breakdown to be the same as an Albanian victory in the Euros, make sure the following are in good working order.
Warmer weather will demand more from your car's cooling system, so make sure it’s topped up in order to avoid an overheated engine.
Oil pressure
Hot weather causes oil to become less viscous, meaning it doesn’t lubricate as well. The crankshaft and camshaft can become especially vulnerable to wear when the oil isn’t lubricating properly.
Rubber belt failure
The rubber belt drives the alternator which powers the lights, windscreen wiper and sound system, along with – usually – the air conditioning system and the water pump. If the belt has perished and snaps on the way to France, overheating and battery failure could result – along with the inability to listen to Three Lions all the way to Paris.
Electronics
While the electronics can get wet in winter, summer dries them out – sometimes resulting in failures. Such faults can be very difficult to fix by the road since the offending component is hidden away inside the car.
Brakes and clutches
The more friction a brake or clutch receives, the more likely its surface will alter, meaning it won’t work as effectively. These systems can also fail if the brake fluid has not been replaced for a long time.
Get Covered for Your Euro ‘16 Trip
Don't have European breakdown cover yet? Join the thousands of British motorists who trust startrescue.co.uk to provide first class breakdown recovery – whether they are in the UK or mainland Europe.
Choose from one, four, nine, 16, 25 or 31 days’ cover for your Euro ‘16 trip.
A full nine days' protection costs just £25 – a small sum compared with paying for a one-off repair or recovery service in France, which could easily run into hundreds of euros.
Rely on startrescueco.uk for your Euro ‘16 breakdown cover
The odds-on favourite for European breakdown cover this summer
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