What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[The Panda Nut]

I should have added, in relation to monitoring the cracks in the blockwork, that civil engineer daughter told me to regularly monitor the outside brick walls for cracks and report back if any start developing. Glad to say, now some 40 years? after first noticing the cracks there is still not the slightest trace of a crack in the brickwork. We had quite a chat about cracks in houses and she told me it's not unusual to find small cracks running from the top of windows and outside doors at the corners and they are nothing to worry about, but that if cracks appear at the bottom corners, especially if they extend downwards, that's more serious. If I look very closely I do have some very small cracks, say extending for one to two courses, from the top corner of some of the windows but none from the bottom corners. Apparently this is of no consequence.

Great. Same situation we have. Im going to deal with all the internal wall cracks. I wikll maybe replace a few blocks and use both cement and epoxy and brick stiching and then re render with similarly strong render. Im pretty sure this will substantially improve the situation and last longer than her time in the house. Adding wall board will cover the places that may recur. I can always prop the internal blocks and rebuild the lower areas adjacent to load bearing lintels with engineering brick but from what you have relayed I think this would be over kill and so I shall leave it. I may insert some strategic pipes through the wall to allow for inspection of the cavities in the future by camera should it ever be required. If we ever change the massive front window I will build a brick support at each side and narrow the window. Its big enough to take it. Being a bugalow while it its annoying its less worrying than were it two storeys. No work has taken place to cover up the issues other than poor use of poly filler so at least i can see the worst of 58 years of decline.

 

[portland_bill]

Why not just buy concentrated and give £5 to charity and do someone that needs it some good, rather than feeding crooks! I couldnt agree with you more.

That's a bit strong, calling them crooks, althogh I understand the sentiment. I think the reason there's always more 'ready to use' available, is that most drivers have no idea how to dilute the stuff. Telling them 50% is often too difficult, and in summer, when the stuff may call for 10% or 20%, that'd give them a meltdown.

 

[bugsymike]

That's a bit strong, calling them crooks, althogh I understand the sentiment. I think the reason there's always more 'ready to use' available, is that most drivers have no idea how to dilute the stuff. Telling them 50% is often too difficult, and in summer, when the stuff may call for 10% or 20%, that'd give them a meltdown.

I think the problem is where, if you have undiluted then with a small amount say .5 litre there might be enough space in coolant tank to bring the strength up and allow it to circulate, to put it in diluted form is going to make little improvement, without draining part at least of the system and introducing air possibly.
As in many cases this is at Fuel stations or Supermarkets so mainly less informed motorists than those at a Motor factors etc.?
Also regarding screenwash additive unless the bottle is totally empty then even at it 's best, the diluted will be not strong enough to prevent freezing in cold conditions.
I would like to think Forum Members are aware of the correct % required for the cars protection , but people in Supermarkets picking it up along with the shopping may not be and simply tipping a few drops into their tanks will be enough.
Even "dan saff" as I am, I always put in 50% antifreeze, I recall many years ago we had to replace an engine due to a cracked block and said to the customer "you will want antifreeze this time!" to which the silly man said "Oh no, lightening doesn't strike twice". so there is no helping some drivers.

 

[StevenRB45]

Well at the opposite end of the scale...(I.e. as far away from people who buy 10w-40w at Tesco and put it in a modern engine).

This is the current situation..this car uses Toyota Pink (long life) coolant...that's it's name...to differentiate it from Toyota Red (short life) coolant obviously.

Taking the cap off gave the impression no one has opened the system in a long time it was very stiff indeed..it's 10 year life coolant so this may be it's first top up, given the coolant itself looks perfect I want exactly what should be in there in and nowt else.

Of course...no one sells this anything other than pre-mix..so it may be it's a type of waterless coolant given the lifespan.

 

[portland_bill]

Even "dan saff" as I am, I always put in 50% antifreeze, I recall many years ago we had to replace an engine due to a cracked block and said to the customer "you will want antifreeze this time!" to which the silly man said "Oh no, lightening doesn't strike twice". so there is no helping some drivers.

It took a lot of years to rename it 'coolant', and the name 'anti-freeze' has stuck, maybe for a few more generations. An important job, unknown to many owners is its anti-corrosion properties, and it is these that wear out.
Selling coolant to the middle east was almost impossible. I remember a radiator returned as 'warranty' from out there, under a year old, and empty, weighed 3 times what it should. Full of aluminium deposits, clogging up the tubes. I guess the cylinder head was lighter by a similar amount.
While living in Dorset, a colleague was running an old MGB, and whilst spending a lot on cigarettes, could't afford coolant. So through a winter, each night, before bed, he'd open the radiator and block drain taps, and let the water out. Next morning, close the taps, and refill with water. Living on a hill, the water drained away, but after about three weeks, he slipped on his own ice patch, and broke a leg.

 

[bugsymike]

It took a lot of years to rename it 'coolant', and the name 'anti-freeze' has stuck, maybe for a few more generations. An important job, unknown to many owners is its anti-corrosion properties, and it is these that wear out.
Selling coolant to the middle east was almost impossible. I remember a radiator returned as 'warranty' from out there, under a year old, and empty, weighed 3 times what it should. Full of aluminium deposits, clogging up the tubes. I guess the cylinder head was lighter by a similar amount.
While living in Dorset, a colleague was running an old MGB, and whilst spending a lot on cigarettes, could't afford coolant. So through a winter, each night, before bed, he'd open the radiator and block drain taps, and let the water out. Next morning, close the taps, and refill with water. Living on a hill, the water drained away, but after about three weeks, he slipped on his own ice patch, and broke a leg.

Ha,ha! Till the day he forgets and blows his engine up, some are too mean for their own good, we had a saying, "tighter than a fishes r**g.
Yes Corrosion inhibitor, the car that froze was a fastback Sunbeam Rapier with aluminum cylinder head, but in those days most of the cars we worked on were Fords or Austins with cast iron heads.
I have mentioned to many over the years about the need for the corrosion inhibitor.
Also although in the past heater matrix were copper and brass, nowadays it is all alloy and plastic so may account for some heater failures also.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

View attachment 455098

Taking the cap off gave the impression no one has opened the system in a long time it was very stiff indeed..it's 10 year life coolant so this may be it's first top up, given the coolant itself looks perfect I want exactly what should be in there in and nowt else.

Of course...no one sells this anything other than pre-mix..so it may be it's a type of waterless coolant given the lifespan.

I don’t think I have ever had to top up the coolant on my golf, it’s had coolant
Replacement as part of its servicing but between services it never seems to go down at all, maybe this is just a fact of modern engines, they just don’t use any coolant, and so no one is opening or topping up the system. L

Waterless coolants are generally very expensive, I’d doubt something standard from the dealership would be waterless

 

[StevenRB45]

I don’t think I have ever had to top up the coolant on my golf, it’s had coolant
Replacement as part of its servicing but between services it never seems to go down at all, maybe this is just a fact of modern engines, they just don’t use any coolant, and so no one is opening or topping up the system. L

Waterless coolants are generally very expensive, I’d doubt something standard from the dealership would be waterless

Coolant would be the only thing I've ever topped up in vehicles of late other than tyres and screen wash.

Citroën a few times when the mileage was higher but expect that to go back to never. Fairly sure that boils it's coolant given after a run in the summer you can hear bubbling at first switch off from the location of the expansion tank.

Judging by how stuck on the cap was...this may be the first time the Toyota cap has been off since 2016..but it's sitting on the low line..it may have slowly worked it's way down through out it's entire life but i'd prefer it not to be.

It's not moved since I got it so the rate of loss certainly isn't concerning but..at the same time spending a tenner to add a bit of wiggle room in the system doesn't seem like a tenner in the bin.

Given most OAT is 5 year life...I'd suspect if it's not waterless to be 10 year life it's not a standard mixture..but in many ways not entirely concerned as long as cooling system works.

 

[bugsymike]

Re "boiling on switch off", it may be worth checking the Coolant pressure cap is holding it stated pressure as I have tested many rad caps in the past and they are not working 100% , so if losing pressure it will boil at a lower temp.
So in old school measurements 1psi = 1.5 Centigrade.
A 10 lb cap water boils at 115 Centigrade if I remember correctly at sea level.

 

[StevenRB45]

It's probably just when you switch it off at the key... whatever coolant is in the water cooled turbo is trapped there as while it has an electric pump for stop start operation it does not stay active once the key is off.

So if the turbo is warm....well that coolant is in for a hard time and it burps back into the tank.

 

[The Panda Nut]

That's a bit strong, calling them crooks, althogh I understand the sentiment. I think the reason there's always more 'ready to use' available, is that most drivers have no idea how to dilute the stuff. Telling them 50% is often too difficult, and in summer, when the stuff may call for 10% or 20%, that'd give them a meltdown.

Ok you may be right, but I resent having to search out the proper stuff. £5 a allon for water is not good. I suppose its logistics that build the cost.

 

[portland_bill]

Judging by how stuck on the cap was...this may be the first time the Toyota cap has been off since 2016..but it's sitting on the low line..it may have slowly worked it's way down through out it's entire life but i'd prefer it not to be.

Might have been on the min mark all its life.
Ford are very good at filling exactly to the min on new vehicles, rare to find one over. Look after the pennies. Up to owners to pay if they want a few more millilitres. Toyota might have the same skillset.

 

[bugsymike]

Might have been on the min mark all its life.
Ford are very good at filling exactly to the min on new vehicles, rare to find one over. Look after the pennies. Up to owners to pay if they want a few more millilitres. Toyota might have the same skillset.

We used to find it with gear oil levels in axles and gearboxes on new cars when doing the PDI inspection, nearly always about 1/2inch below level plug.

 

[StevenRB45]

Fun and or games dropping C3 off...

Wife assured me she knew where she was going so left her to it to follow me down.

Driving down absolutely freezing as only way of keeping windscreen clear was to crack a sidewindow, engage the AC and set the vents to demist given lack of fan. Anywho get there drop it off looking forward to a car with heating and heated seats.

Standing out of the front of the garage..for 5 minutes..well she needed to strap the lad in maybe he struggled a bit. 10 minutes...ok this is more concerning on a 17 minute drive. 15 minutes I'm scanning the traffic...since I've been standing out I know 3 Toyota Auris estates have passed...2 of them were taxis one wasn't but none were ours. I ring her...rings twice immediately hangs up. Don't ring again as she's clearly lost and concentrating..or possibly upside down.

25 minutes later...the black Toyota Auris with my wife and son appears from the opposite direction and pulls in. Never been happier to see the damn thing. Apparently she took a wrong turn and ended up in traffic in the town centre...worst Uber ever one star.

 

[StevenRB45]

Well it wouldn't be a new season without a phone call about a telephone number price for a repair on the C3...

So heater motor has collapsed internally...this stopped the fan spinning which has burnt out the resistor.

The parts...700 quid...the labour 200 (actually doesn't look like a bad job, glovebox out then heater box sits in the centre and comes out via the hole).

Will it be under warranty?

Place bets...NOW!

(Side note...when this car is out of warranty it will be absolutely uneconomic to run but not because of the engine surprisingly).

 

[The Panda Nut]

Well it wouldn't be a new season without a phone call about a telephone number price for a repair on the C3...

So heater motor has collapsed internally...this stopped the fan spinning which has burnt out the resistor.

The parts...700 quid...the labour 200 (actually doesn't look like a bad job, glovebox out then heater box sits in the centre and comes out via the hole).

Will it be under warranty?

Place bets...NOW!

(Side note...when this car is out of warranty it will be absolutely uneconomic to run).

No kinchance. But I hope so.

 

[StevenRB45]

No kinchance. But I hope so.

I don't know, if they are decline this on wear and tear it's an odd one given September they covered an ARB and a CV boot...which are arguably a lot more subject to wear and tear.

They can't exactly argue it's a serviceable part..

I'm just glad they didn't find a dead mouse in it..

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I don't know, if they are decline this on wear and tear it's an odd one given September they covered an ARB and a CV boot...which are arguably a lot more subject to wear and tear.

They can't exactly argue it's a serviceable part..

I'm just glad they didn't find a dead mouse in it..

I’m intrigued to know how it collapsed inside? Did they make the heater out of wet toilet roll tubes…..

Actually it’s Citroen that might not be too far from the mark, I remember the original Citroen Zara (not the Picasso) had a pressed cardboard dash covered with vinyl.

 

[StevenRB45]

I’m intrigued to know how it collapsed inside? Did they make the heater out of wet toilet roll tubes…..

Actually it’s Citroen that might not be too far from the mark, I remember the original Citroen Zara (not the Picasso) had a pressed cardboard dash covered with vinyl.

Fan bearing failed so the fan fell into the side.

 

[FiatMatt94]

I don't know what it is nowadays but you can't seem to buy anything that's good quality that lasts, so I put in a new driveshaft a few weeks ago & all has been fine until yesterday when a slight sleep started to emerge, I had a genuine Fiat inner CV clamp to go on when I put the shaft in but strangely it didn't fit I thought it's probably because it's a pattern boot & I had a spare new original birth CV clamp which fitted no problem, I noticed that this clamp was absolutely pants as it wouldn't stay clamped & started to work it's way lose so I've tightened it a couple of times since yesterday to which point I got p*ssed off with it, took it off & replaced with a suitable pair of cable ties which is fine as the boot stays in place & doesn't rotate with the shaft, went for a longish drive & it's doing a much better job than the useless crappy clamp that's actually designed (supposedly) to do the job, I can see why some people use cable ties for this instead of the metal clamps as they are just s*it & some aftermarket boots come with cable ties anyway so I thought that'll do, it's all coming back out in March to do the clutch anyway so I'll see if I can get something better but for now it's all good, dry & not seeping which is the main thing .