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1

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: Yesterday at 22:37:34 »

Managed to get the bonnet open

It has taken a week of periodically pulling the release lever and pushing/pulling on the bonnet.

Need to fit a good battery and see if it starts now.

What can possibly go wrong

New battery I ordered from Tayna yesterday (standard delivery) arrived today.

Need to get of my arse and fit it now.

Fitted the new battery yesterday - wouldn't start.

Gave the battery a good charge overnight, refitted it today and finally got it started - (for the first time in 5 years).

There is something not quite right with the starter motor. Cranking was slower than it should be and my helper said that they saw sparks and some magic smoke - almost as if the starter wasn't bolted tightly to the engine.  Something to investigate before the MOT.

Once the engine was running I had to shunt it back & forth a few times before the rear brakes would let go. Brake discs look surprisingly good but tomorrow I will get the wheels off and have a closer look.

Spent the day cleaning & checking the thing (MK2 Ford Galaxy Diesel auto).
5 years under a tree had resulted in a mouldy interior. The cheap seat covers fitted by the last owner had grown a layer of fur, I tried cleaning them with a carpet cleaner and the vinyl surface peeled off. 7 seat covers are now in the bin. Seats look OK underneath.
All the seat belts were a bit surprised that I wanted to extend them  couldn't get one to extend at all so will have to pull the trim off to inspect it.
Undid all the wheel nuts half a turn, will get the wheels of tomorrow to check the brakes........

2

General Discussion Area / Re: SMETS2 smart meters

« on: Yesterday at 22:20:18 »

And they will all need replacing again in the next decade or so, when 2G is sunsetted.

I don't think 2G ever worked in this valley (despite the provider's signal predictions claiming otherwise). Does it count as sunsetting if it never worked in the first place

Curious to see whether they can sort out the comms by adding an external ariel or 'mesh' communications.

My parents installed solar panels last year, To get the feed in tariff they needed a smart meter. The mobile signal in their house is even worse than it is here but Octopus went through the motions of fitting a series of comms modules until they got working comms so I expect that it should be possible here.

Why they waste time rather about with the basic comms modules in this area beats me,

3

General Discussion Area / Re: SMETS2 smart meters

« on: 27 April 2024, 22:31:13 »

Finally got around to agreeing to have the meters replaced. Both gas and electricity were over 20 years old so 10+ years overdue.....

Waited all afternoon on Monday - no show.

Rescheduled for this morning - British Gas installer arrived and got on with swapping the meters.

Electrical meter swapped first and left to establish communications while the gas meter was swapped.

Gas meter swapped. Waited. Waited a bit longer.

I now have two shiny new dumb meters 

To be fair, Auckland is a fair way for the British Gas installer to go between jobs.                                       

Fair point.

We have smart meters in Auckland - they 'just work'. Probably because they have a good mobile signal.

I am back in Cornwall for a while - trying to clear up the chaos caused by people we trusted. 

Each day I discover so many new things to piss me off that I have chosen not to share as I don't have the time

4

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: 27 April 2024, 22:18:42 »

Managed to get the bonnet open

It has taken a week of periodically pulling the release lever and pushing/pulling on the bonnet.

Need to fit a good battery and see if it starts now.

What can possibly go wrong

New battery I ordered from Tayna yesterday (standard delivery) arrived today.

Need to get of my arse and fit it now.

Fitted the new battery yesterday - wouldn't start.

Gave the battery a good charge overnight, refitted it today and finally got it started - (for the first time in 5 years).

There is something not quite right with the starter motor. Cranking was slower than it should be and my helper said that they saw sparks and some magic smoke - almost as if the starter wasn't bolted tightly to the engine.  Something to investigate before the MOT.

Once the engine was running I had to shunt it back & forth a few times before the rear brakes would let go. Brake discs look surprisingly good but tomorrow I will get the wheels off and have a closer look.

5

General Discussion Area / SMETS2 smart meters

« on: 25 April 2024, 19:51:13 »

Finally got around to agreeing to have the meters replaced. Both gas and electricity were over 20 years old so 10+ years overdue.....

Waited all afternoon on Monday - no show.

Rescheduled for this morning - British Gas installer arrived and got on with swapping the meters.

Electrical meter swapped first and left to establish communications while the gas meter was swapped.

Gas meter swapped. Waited. Waited a bit longer.

I now have two shiny new dumb meters 

6

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: 25 April 2024, 19:20:00 »

Managed to get the bonnet open

It has taken a week of periodically pulling the release leaver and pushing/pulling on the bonnet.

Need to fit a good battery and see if it starts now.

What can possibly go wrong

New battery I ordered from Tayna yesterday (standard delivery) arrived today.

Need to get of my arse and fit it now.

7

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: 23 April 2024, 21:23:17 »

Managed to get the bonnet open

It has taken a week of periodically pulling the release leaver and pushing/pulling on the bonnet.

Need to fit a good battery and see if it starts now.

What can possibly go wrong

8

General Car Chat / Old Diesel Fuel

« on: 20 March 2024, 08:43:31 »

How bad is old diesel?

A few years ago (5 or 6 years?) the oil companies started adding bio-diesel to the mix.

Talk at the time was that the bio content would/could support bug growth That stored diesel would turn to jelly and/or corrode the components in fuel injection pumps and injectors.

What are the chances that a Diesel car that has been stood for 5 years will ever run again?

9

General Discussion Area / Re: Pronouns

« on: 11 October 2023, 10:24:01 »

50 years of dumping plastics into the environment is exposing us all to man made compounds that behave like sex hormones. Male and female of all species are becoming less fertile. Both (all ;-)) sexes are exposed to a cocktail of synthetic hormones which is screwing with everyone both physically and emotionally.

I suspect that the human race is yet again the architect of it's own downfall.

10

General Discussion Area / Oops! (or is Cassington far from Brackers?)

« on: 03 October 2023, 09:25:15 »

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-66989386

11

General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?

« on: 27 August 2023, 10:48:32 »

Not me but my dad.

Been driving for just under 70 years (he's 84 now & I think he was 16 when he started) and he just got his first speeding ticket.

I guess that's what happens when you get a Beemer 

12

General Car Chat / Re: Bye bye, Old Friend

« on: 06 August 2023, 11:37:27 »

Rainbow pattern on a wet road? Smell of diesel in the air?

13

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: 18 July 2023, 09:58:25 »

And then immediately passed MOT

Air freshener successfully detached for retest?  (5492)

14

General Discussion Area / Re: Another Change in the Law - Single Use Plastics

« on: 16 July 2023, 10:52:58 »

About time too.

When I was a lad greengrocers used paper bags.

Not sure about meat, I think it was wrapped in grease-proof paper?

Frozen food was a novelty.

Couldn't believe it when plastic carrier bags replaced the paper ones.

Can't say I miss the tartan shopping trolleys that old ladies used to drag along behind  them though 

15

General Car Chat / Re: Project anyone?

« on: 05 July 2023, 11:30:40 »

I have owned single/twin/triple/straight 4 & V4 bikes. Owned straight 4, V6 & V8 cars (not to mention not learning to drive a 2CV)

Never owned a straight 6.

I keep thinking I should get myself an Australian Ford with the 4 litre straight 6 "Bara". With a turbo. Just because........