Show Posts

91

General Discussion Area / They Say Things Happen In Threes.

« on: 16 April 2022, 17:59:10 »

Yesterday I changed the rear nearside brake caliper on my Mondeo, and due to a schoolboy error spilt loads of brake fluid on my drive, leaving a nice black stain in the tarmac.

Later feeling a bit stiff and achy from my exertions and a bit pissed off with spilling the brake fluid, I decided to have a long hot bath which was nice. When I pulled the plug, I thought that the draining noise sounded unusual so checked in the crawl space/void under the house and saw that the waste pipe had disconnected itself and was pouring water everywhere and all over stuff stored there.

Due to the wet, damp and mould growing over everything it looks as though the pipe came apart ages ago, but as I usually shower I didn't notice anything strange going on. $:-\$

This morning I went to move the Mondeo and it was as dead as a Dodo!

Don't know what happened, but I think I may have left the ignition on last night with the wipers on intermittent judging by the position of the wipers this morning. Cursed the Ford designers, who thought it was a good idea to tuck the battery behind the air box, so you have to remove the air box to get the battery out.

How's your weekend going?

92

General Discussion Area / Cornish Daff-ties

« on: 06 April 2022, 19:28:28 »

Dafft Linky

93

General Car Chat / Electric Cars

« on: 04 April 2022, 17:13:36 »

Last year the journalist Ian Dale leased an Audi eTron GT. Nice looking car!

He recently used it for the first time on a long journey. Here's his account of the trip.

94

General Discussion Area / Mind How You Go Folks!

« on: 01 April 2022, 23:54:00 »

The driver of this Defender got 5 points on his licence and a £1200 fine when this cyclist toppled off her bike as he drove by.

I guess he could have slowed down a bit to pass them but £1200 and 5 points? C'mon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnQdwsA960w&t=8s

95

General Discussion Area / Hygroscopic Salts

« on: 23 March 2022, 20:20:33 »

I've had penetrating damp in a property I own after the neighbours faulty gutter was pishing water down my gable end for months.

The damp patch appeared in October, the gutter was fixed pronto and it's largely dried out over the winter. I went round a couple of weeks ago and the paint was flaking, and as I peeled it a patch of plaster skim came away as well, so I scraped and sanded back until the edges were firm.

I went round again a couple of days ago and the edges of the patch were peeling slightly, but salts had appeared on the bare plaster.

Am I right in thinking that there is no point in repairing this until the salts have stopped coming through, as my repair will get blown off as well?

96

General Car Chat / LPG

« on: 17 March 2022, 19:24:58 »

I was think about getting another LPG'ed car with the increased fuel costs, but it seems that filling stations that sell LPG are disappearing. $:-\$

My local fuel station where I used to fill up with LPG when I had my Omega, stopped selling it in January. Shame.

I've never really understood why it never took off and remained a niche market. $:-\$

97

General Car Chat / Droning Noise

« on: 14 March 2022, 10:43:02 »

I've got a irritating droning noise coming from the rear end of the Mondeo. $:-\$

It's definitely running gear so I'm thinking a wheel bearing is grumbling?

I switched the tyres around yesterday but the noise still comes from the back end, but I can't tell if it's nearside or offside. $:-\$

The little handbrake lever on the nearside caliper has been seizing up recently but it's currently free and working properly, and neither of the rear hubs seem hot after a run.

Any ideas?

TIA!

98

General Car Chat / ABS Light

« on: 12 March 2022, 17:57:16 »

The ABS light is on in the V70. Sigh...

My code reader says: ABS-0021 Right front wheel sensor. Faulty signal.

Is that the offside or the nearside? IE The right side as I'm sat in the car looking out or looking at the car from the front.

TIA!

99

General Discussion Area / Green Stuff

« on: 18 February 2022, 19:59:36 »

So they say that oil and gas production will have to stop to meet climate change targets like Net Zero in 2050. Indeed already government support for North Sea oil and gas is lukewarm to say the least, and it's been said that is why Shell walked away from the Cambo oilfields off of the Shetland Islands. $:-\$

You might find it surprising then that it turns out that a useful by product of refining crude oil is a key component of batteries and the UK is at the cutting edge of producing this stuff!

Interesting read here and video here.

100

General Discussion Area / Power Generation

« on: 18 February 2022, 19:38:26 »

Talking of power generation here is the current mix as at 1925 GMT.

Nuclear 14%
Gas 33%
Biomass 6%
Wind 26%
Solar 0%
Coal 4%
Pumped Hydro 1%
Hydro 3%
Interconnectors 13%

Obviously if you click on the link later, the mix will be different.

101

General Discussion Area / Nice Work If You Can Get It!

« on: 14 February 2022, 18:26:12 »

I'm sure that Britain's legions of commuters are so pleased that their extortionate train fares funds jobs like this!

102

General Discussion Area / Fracking

« on: 10 February 2022, 22:19:11 »

Fracking is officially dead in the UK now as the Oil & Gas Authority has ordered Cuadrilla to permanently seal it's two wells in Lancashire by filling them with concrete and abandon the site. $:-\$

Fracking has obviously been extremely controversial in the UK with claims that the water table will be contaminated and the process causes earthquakes. Others say that the 'earthquakes' that caused headlines were actually tremors that were only felt with sensitive equipment, and that the Russians have funded green groups across Europe to the tune of 90 million Euros to oppose the process and lobby politicians to ban it.

Apparently there are an estimated 37 trillion cubic metres in the Bowland shale gas formation and experts say that small proportion of this would meet Britain's gas needs for 50 years! Meanwhile ministers and officials have been slow to approve new oil and gas projects in the North Sea, so we will continue to import shale gas from the Americans and we will pay through the nose for it!

I think this is utter madness! Some will agree with me, but some will cheer the decision. What do you think?

103