What's made you grumpy today?

[bugsymike]

Mentioned elsewhere that I've been in and out of the city several times on the days before new year to my boy's houses south of the city. On one of these journeys, when I was picking up my younger boy's kids to spend the day with us so they could get on with work, I followed him to his local garage so he could drop his Audi off for MOT (which had expired, I despair!) and I then ran him home again. We know this garage very well and the owner is a friend of his, and to some extent me too. Anyway, whilst there a very familiar face from oh so many years ago, walked out of the office garage. We both did a double take, must have been around 45 to 50 years since I last saw him, which was when I worked alongside his brother in the DAF garage. Anyway we spent a good few minutes catching up and I then asked him what he was doing here (at the garage) Turns out he's led quite a high powered business life. Got into car sales with Volvo/Polestar - he had a few interesting comments to make about that - and is now some sort of business advisor (he's younger than me, only now coming up on retirement age). Anyway, a very pleasant surprise to run into him after all these years, we took up as if we'd only seen each other last week! Not so pleasant was the MOT bill. The brake pads, pretty much all round, were just about to go through to the backings and they, quite rightly, advised immediate replacement before the discs suffered - I don't have anything to do with this car as he needs it for his business and hasn't the time to let me muck about with it (secretly I'm very happy with that as it's an electronic nightmare!). Anyway, total bill for the MOT itself and pads all round came out at circa £320.00p Apparently they had trouble with one of the rear callipers refusing to wind back (electric hand brake of course). All things considered and especially as they did this immediately without booking it in (probably because he's a friend of the owner I guess?) I think that was a reasonable price to keep him mobile and able to work. Really brings home to you how much money you save by looking after your own car though doesn't it?

I have been warning my children for ages that they will have a rude awakening when they have to pay garages for their repairs instead of me doing them, sometimes not even for the cost of the parts, which as some of my old retail customers are finding are parts that didn't need replacing and that in quite big garages.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I have been warning my children for ages that they will have a rude awakening when they have to pay garages for their repairs instead of me doing them, sometimes not even for the cost of the parts, which as some of my old retail customers are finding are parts that didn't need replacing and that in quite big garages.

Foolishly, very foolishly, I never really started charging my kids for parts because, when they started driving they hardly had any money. Stupidly, as the years rolled by, I just never grasped the nettle and started charging them. Of course Dad's garage had no labour charges. So they're now getting a big shock when Dad just can't manage something any more.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Interesting design. Looks like a bit of a trip hazard.

Its beeeeg battleships LOL

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Oh dear, I despair even more! Youngest boy just off the phone asking advice. Wife has just returned from the shops - couple of miles away - with a flat front tyre. He thinks, from what she's saying, that she drove all the way with the tyre flat. Obviously it's ruined and he thinks there's a small amount of rim damage to the wheel (2014 Mazda 2). I had to really hold back with possible comment.

Anyway, luckily I bought a spacesaver spare for her when she got the car a few years ago and my boy has had a couple of punctures over the years so is perfectly able to change it. It's got "silly" plastic sill trim which has access ports for the jacking hard points, but he should cope with that. However the flat is on the front and that's not ideal for a spacesaver. So I was telling him he'd be better with it on the back and swap out a rear to the front. He couldn't compute how to do that - jack up rear and remove good wheel, replace with spacesaver spare, tighten bolts and check wheel spins freely. This means releasing the handbrake so chock the diagonally opposite front wheel with a couple of bricks and put the car in 1st gear. Let the rear wheel back onto the ground. Now jack the flat front up and replace it with the good rear you've just taken off. Simples!

He tells me there is slight damage to the wheel so I hope it's still serviceable as it's an alloy. Anyway, he's going to take it to his friend's garage and get his opinion and have him fit a new tyre if possible. I just thought, want to take bets on the spare being flat?

 

[StevenRB45]

Has he still got the repair kit on board or did it go in a cupboard?

Should have an electric compressor for the spare (most tyre repair kits comprise goo and a compressor).

The spare is always flat...or at least soft given they have a 50/60psi operating pressure.

If I'm honest the times I've used them blowing them up when needed rather than looking at them weekly was preferable... although my cars always have half a hundred weight of crap in the boot. But one of the items is a pump.

At least those wheels are common so I'd bet you can pick up a scrap one for less than 100 quid off eBay if she's hammered it.

Edit..you can indeed. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14703293...jsJA-bd5tPHRqf-kYTTdI6jBQQ93GWNBoC2IoQAvD_BwE

 

[PuntoHowTo]

First thing this morning and the house is cold, boiler locked out and when reset just immediately locked out again.

It’s been a year since it’s last service and I wondered if it was as a bit clogged up with soot again, something I was told could happen as the airflow was a touch down on what it should be.

Whipped the service panel off the front and it was pretty clean inside. Then I thought maybe it was the light sensors nope that was clean also.

So took the burner out and it was a bit grotty, meanwhile I’m freezing cold and pretty unhappy.
Meanwhile my wife had asked a local company to deliver some wood and they’d had a cancellation because of the snow and so they said they would come straight away, queue me spending about an hour and a half in the snow moving 2 tons of wood to the wood store, then what wouldn’t fit went in the back of the garage, before finally getting back in the garage to finish putting the boiler back together. The house is lovely and I warm now and the boiler is working really nicely again after servicing the grotty looking injector.


But still, it’s been a bloody cold and unpleasant few hours today

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Has he still got the repair kit on board or did it go in a cupboard?

Should have an electric compressor for the spare (most tyre repair kits comprise goo and a compressor).

The spare is always flat...or at least soft given they have a 50/60psi operating pressure.

If I'm honest the times I've used them blowing them up when needed rather than looking at them weekly was preferable... although my cars always have half a hundred weight of crap in the boot. But one of the items is a pump.

At least those wheels are common so I'd bet you can pick up a scrap one for less than 100 quid off eBay if she's hammered it.

Edit..you can indeed. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14703293...jsJA-bd5tPHRqf-kYTTdI6jBQQ93GWNBoC2IoQAvD_BwE

That's a good thought. Even if she doesn't have the compressor then he'll have one in the Audi - I've seen it. From his description sounds like the existing tyre is toast though. I've never tried blowing up a spacesaver with one of those wee compressors, are they up to it?

That wheel certainly looks the part but I think they are 15" rims on hers? I could well be wrong though, it's been at least 18 months since I did any work on it.

 

[StevenRB45]

That's a good thought. Even if she doesn't have the compressor then he'll have one in the Audi - I've seen it. From his description sounds like the existing tyre is toast though. I've never tried blowing up a spacesaver with one of those wee compressors, are they up to it?

That wheel certainly looks the part but I think they are 15" rims on hers? I could well be wrong though, it's been at least 18 months since I did any work on it.

From what I remember I think the car has the "sport" kit on it.

Which is 16s.. although being 2014 they are probably in gun metal.

Never used a compressor I'm afraid..I remember getting a puncture in a car with no spare that didn't belong to me looking in the boot and thinking "**** this" ringing the garage who's car it was and getting their permission to fix their car before launching it my local indy for a puncture repair before it had gone down far enough to damage a tyre.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

From what I remember I think the car has the "sport" kit on it.

View attachment 478874

Which is 16s.. although being 2014 they are probably in gun metal.

Right enough! I think that's it. I remember the tyres are quite low profile and took a couple of days to get from my wee mobile tyre man as they were not a common size (or at least not a size he had previously been asked to supply). Let's just hope the wheel damage is cosmetic! By the way, the picture is exactly what hers looks like, right down to those plastic sill covers. - It's even white, pearlescent white to be precise, hope it never needs touched up!

 

[StevenRB45]

If it's like the Mazda 3 they don't actually cover the jacking points.

If you look under they have a "window" moulded around the pressed seam set back a bit so it's only visible when you stick your head in.

Also my 3 was that colour...can confirm terrible to paint and I remember you finding it and we discussed it at length when it arrived.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

If it's like the Mazda 3 they don't actually cover the jacking points.

If you look under they have a "window" moulded around the pressed seam set back a bit so it's only visible when you stick your head in.

Also my 3 was that colour...can confirm terrible to paint and I remember you finding it and we discussed it at length when it arrived.

You're right. I remember the spacesaver kit we bought for it had a very "generic" looking jack with it and I tried it out which was when I found the cut outs you describe. My boy is quite a practical type, more so than the other two, and I doubt if he'll find it a problem. I've been warning him about how easy it is to knock a car off one of these jacks and he's going to look for a couple of bricks, or similar, to chock the diagonal opposite wheel when lifting the car. My memory is terrible and I can't remember if I actually tried the spare for fit. I remember trying the first one they sent, which didn't fit, but not the second. Anyway, he's going to be sure to spin the wheel once fitted to be sure the bolts aren't protruding into the drum too far, and yes, I've warned him that with the handbrake released this is the most likely time to knock it off the jack. He's no fool though, he'll be just fine?

It's awful I know, and an indication of my age I suppose, but I only very vaguely remember that conversation.

Another thing I remember being disappointed in was that the rear number plate light seemed to be missing a lens cover. The bulb and fitting sits in a hole but is completely exposed to the elements. Then, a few weeks later there was one parked on our street so I took a good look at it and, to my surprise, it was the same. Looks like that's just the way they are?

 

[StevenRB45]

Dunno what you mean...I never dropped a Suzuki Swift off a widow maker and bent the sill. It was a younger guy..my height admittedly, same hair colour but fewer greys also lived at my house.

Lessons you learn..

I remember the rear light as well, again same as the 3 the lamp units themselves are watertight but just sit in one of 3 brackets on the back bumper. UK cars use the outer 2, Japanese cars with a small plate only use centre one. Due to it's "universal" nature it's all just one big hole.

 

[The Panda Nut]

That's a good thought. Even if she doesn't have the compressor then he'll have one in the Audi - I've seen it. From his description sounds like the existing tyre is toast though. I've never tried blowing up a spacesaver with one of those wee compressors, are they up to it?

That wheel certainly looks the part but I think they are 15" rims on hers? I could well be wrong though, it's been at least 18 months since I did any work on it.

The compressors are good for inflating tyres from flat. I used to use mine all the time. I kept the one from my Bravo as it was a bit bigger than the average. Now have a cordess Ryobi inflator. Great idea the cordless inflater. You should allow inflators to cool right down alter 15 minutes use.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The compressors are good for inflating tyres from flat. I used to use mine all the time. I kept the one from my Bravo as it was a bit bigger than the average. Now have a cordess Ryobi inflator. Great idea the cordless inflater. You should allow inflators to cool right down alter 15 minutes use.

Ok for space savers though? Bearing in mind they need around twice the pressure of a standard tyre? I was thinking it might strain it a bit?

 

[The Panda Nut]

Ok for space savers though? Bearing in mind they need around twice the pressure of a standard tyre? I was thinking it might strain it a bit?

Yes they will do 60psieasy, and again Ive done this many times with several different compressors on different cars. They will do more for bucycles. The Panda space saver on Ruby (2014) requires only 38 PSI so do check the required pressure on tyre and in the handbook. I would reiterate the dire warnings on lack of grip (and tread) of these tyres 50mph is definitely an absolute maximum. Only on a straight road in a straight line. I think the rubber is harder which further aggravates the lack of grip. Use for the shortest possible time.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Found a thing I dont like on the Panda 4x4. You cant loose the ABS for snowy road driving. I set off today and went half a mile at 20mph. While icy it was OK. I rounded the bendy section and noticed an older couple walking towards me. Easy peasy I think, Ill stop and let them pass. I reckon it took 90 yards
to stop. The ABS totally removed any braking. Its a very long time indeed since I had a slide anywhere near that bad. Fortunately I stopped but no thanks to my ABS on this occasion, The back roads round here are now seriously icy in places. We have another week of below zero temperatures ahead too. Maybe I should get some studs LOL.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Yes they will do 60psieasy, and again Ive done this many times with several different compressors on different cars. They will do more for bucycles. The Panda space saver on Ruby (2014) requires only 38 PSI so do check the required pressure on tyre and in the handbook. I would reiterate the dire warnings on lack of grip (and tread) of these tyres 50mph is definitely an absolute maximum. Only on a straight road in a straight line. I think the rubber is harder which further aggravates the lack of grip. Use for the shortest possible time.

Thanks.

 

[StevenRB45]

Found a thing I dont like on the Panda 4x4. You cant loose the ABS for snowy road driving. I set off today and went half a mile at 20mph. While icy it was OK. I rounded the bendy section and noticed an older couple walking towards me. Easy peasy I think, Ill stop and let them pass. I reckon it took 90 yards
to stop. The ABS totally removed any braking. Its a very long time indeed since I had a slide anywhere near that bad. Fortunately I stopped but no thanks to my ABS on this occasion, The back roads round here are now seriously icy in places. We have another week of below zero temperatures ahead too. Maybe I should get some studs LOL.

Not sure anything will help you stop on sheet ice, all seasons aren't really made for it, they are better than summers but unless you've got a Nordic winter which don't work in rain or dry tarmac very well you're always going to have an adventure.

Had an adventure of my own here today.

Imagine literally everything is fresh and white..then imagine how what your brain thinks is the line of the road.

Apparently I need the rally Sat nav which would include the words "left 4 into right 4, don't cut".

No harm done to be fair didn't even realise I was off the road until the car climbed back on.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Found a thing I dont like on the Panda 4x4. You cant loose the ABS for snowy road driving. I set off today and went half a mile at 20mph. While icy it was OK. I rounded the bendy section and noticed an older couple walking towards me. Easy peasy I think, Ill stop and let them pass. I reckon it took 90 yards
to stop. The ABS totally removed any braking. Its a very long time indeed since I had a slide anywhere near that bad. Fortunately I stopped but no thanks to my ABS on this occasion, The back roads round here are now seriously icy in places. We have another week of below zero temperatures ahead too. Maybe I should get some studs LOL.

You can’t turn off abs on any car.

A guy I used to work with years ago (like 2001-2002) drove through a motorway sign when the traffic in front of him came to a sudden stand still. Now he was into motor racing and at the time had a heavily modified Megane Coupé which was fitted with track tires. The car of course didn’t stop the brakes were as near as useless as you can imagine so instead of slamming into the traffic he steered and went sideways though a large motorway (I think it was probably an A road as we don’t have motorways round here) route direction/slip road sign. Obviously the car was a little bent after that, but it was his pride that took the full brunt as he was actually a very good driver and did a lot of rally driving so did no what he was doing, just didn’t expect the ABS to try and kill him