It seems they've done more than just blast the underside with Waxoyl...
That should hold it for a while..
That should hold it for a while..
What's made you smile today?
- Thread starter angel
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What's made you smile today?
Looks very like Lanoguard doesn't it?
It does seems to have come up very nice, I'm informed the gentleman who did it was sick of his life having wire brushed it down.
Will say car has a thread now...
If would like to see the top rather than the underside
Oscar the Auris
StevenRB45 submitted a new vehicle: Oscar the Auris So after 3 years I've finally replaced the Mazda. Leisure lounge regulars will probably be aware of all the malice and forethought that went into buying a Toyota. Short version...I've got another baby on the way, the C3 isn't big enough, the...
www.fiatforum.com
spidermania
Banned
Yup, good for another 8 years at least. Good Japanese metal.
We can but hope main thing was to stop the rot that was clearly starting in it tracks so it had a chance.
That is nice, I've always fancied an X1/9 but never got round to owning one especially as it's getting a lot harder now to find a good one plus I've already a got a Mini as well as the Seicento, I'm considering a set of the original X1/9 steel wheels for the Seicento, my dad once told me a story that in the late 80's he needed a car & he was in the local scrappy one day where there was an immaculate silver X1/9 which wasn't that old so he asked the bloke how much & the scrap mans reply was I hate Fiat's it's getting crushed, my dad offered him a decent amount for it at the time which didn't work & the scrap man crushed it
I mentioned a few days ago that, a few weeks ago my ctek Multi XS 7000 lost interest in charging batteries. It's strange in that it switches on and allows you to toggle between modes but won't go any further. I've had a look at it but there is nothing obvious so either I need to get it looked at or just cut my losses and buy a new charger.
I've had the ctek for a number of years and it's seen a fair amount of use so, on balance, I decided to buy a new one. But wow! it's direct replacement is now over £100. I spent some time researching likely replacements and eventually decided on the Ring RSC 906. https://www.ringautomotive.com/en/product/RSC906 Claims to do pretty much what the ctec did except it doesn't have a dedicated selectable reconditioning function. Thinking back I realized I've only used that once and it did "wake up" the battery concerned but I'd hardly say it "reconditioned" it as a new one had to be bought soon afterwards.
Time will tell, but as it's quite a bit cheaper than the ctek (£40 vs over £100) and gets good reviews I decided to take a chance on it. Ordered from the manufacturer as this is a very new version (the older one is the 806) Took 2 days to reach me up here via DPD which is slightly better than average and it arrived undamaged - in fact well packaged and not a mark even on the outer boxing, well done DPD!
There are several versions in this 900 series - (901, 904, 906 and 908) with varying voltages and amperages available. The one I chose does 6 and 12 volts with a max 6 amp output and is likely to best suit the Cars, horticultural machines and motor cycles I mess about with. Connection and use is very simple indeed although it did take me a few minutes to understand the graphic instructions. I've been thinking it might have been easier and clearer in written form, but after you get your head round the graphics it's all very simple. Connect the battery leads first - red to pos and black to neg as usual - then plug in and turn on the mains supply. The very clear backlit screen illuminates and displays existing battery voltage. You can then toggle through 8 menu options by pressing the mode button under the screen. There are no other controls! When you see the option you want you simply leave it alone and within a few seconds it defaults to that program and starts charging. You can see how it's progressing on the right of the screen where there's a voltage indication and vertical "Bar" display indicating state of charge. When it's completed it indicates FUL (fully charged I guess?) and automatically defaults to a "maintenance mode" which you can leave permanently connected if you wish - So the battery cannot be overcharged and perhaps damaged. What you can't see is the 9 stage, including a "desulphation mode", charging process which is automatically taking place at the discretion of the incorporated controller, You can make an educated guess though from the voltage figure displayed, but I don't know why you'd want to or what you'd do if you could. I feel it's somewhat future proofed as it's able to charge pretty much every type of car battery, including Lithium, up to 50 Ah for 6 volt batteries and 110 Ah for 12 volt The 908 can do 24 volt batteries and ups the max amperage to 8, but it drops the 6 volt facility so, although you gain a couple of amps at peak output, so it'll charge batteries a wee bit quicker, I couldn't do the 6 volt batteries some of the bikes and machinery uses.
It arrived two days ago and seems to be reasonably robust and well made - about the same size as the ctek but a bit more "brick" shaped. I've had it on both the slave batteries I keep for jump starting and powering up "stuff" in the workshop. I charged the smaller - ex Punto - 50 AH one first as I'd recently used it, and pretty much flattened it, when trying to start my friend, the fireman's KIA and as the charger arrived just before 8pm I left it on all night. When I checked it in the morning the display was reading FUL and voltage on my multimeter was around 13volts. I'll check it later to see what it's now settled to after it's rested. The bigger 77 AH battery - ex Cordoba diesel - hadn't been charged for a while but was showing 12.6 volts and didn't take long, I think about an hour, to display "FUL".
So, for £40, I'm pretty pleased with my latest purchase. And, I've just had a thought! The old Ctek seems to power up and lets me select different modes. However it won't then subsequently go on to start a charge. I bet it has to "see" the battery before it can initiate a charge? Half way down the lead from the charger to the battery crocodile clips is a connector - lets you switch between leads quickly - and I've checked that for continuity. however it may not be connected right back into the body of the charger. The bottom of the charger unit unscrews so I think I'll take the bottom off and check continuity from there to the end of the croc clips and see if anything has obviously become "deceased". If nothing obvious then it's had it's chips!
I'm very pleased with the Ring but slightly suspicious because it's that much cheaper than similar offerings from the likes of ctek and noco. If it starts to play up, or merits some more praise, I'll be sure to get back on here to let you all know.
I've had the ctek for a number of years and it's seen a fair amount of use so, on balance, I decided to buy a new one. But wow! it's direct replacement is now over £100. I spent some time researching likely replacements and eventually decided on the Ring RSC 906. https://www.ringautomotive.com/en/product/RSC906 Claims to do pretty much what the ctec did except it doesn't have a dedicated selectable reconditioning function. Thinking back I realized I've only used that once and it did "wake up" the battery concerned but I'd hardly say it "reconditioned" it as a new one had to be bought soon afterwards.
Time will tell, but as it's quite a bit cheaper than the ctek (£40 vs over £100) and gets good reviews I decided to take a chance on it. Ordered from the manufacturer as this is a very new version (the older one is the 806) Took 2 days to reach me up here via DPD which is slightly better than average and it arrived undamaged - in fact well packaged and not a mark even on the outer boxing, well done DPD!
There are several versions in this 900 series - (901, 904, 906 and 908) with varying voltages and amperages available. The one I chose does 6 and 12 volts with a max 6 amp output and is likely to best suit the Cars, horticultural machines and motor cycles I mess about with. Connection and use is very simple indeed although it did take me a few minutes to understand the graphic instructions. I've been thinking it might have been easier and clearer in written form, but after you get your head round the graphics it's all very simple. Connect the battery leads first - red to pos and black to neg as usual - then plug in and turn on the mains supply. The very clear backlit screen illuminates and displays existing battery voltage. You can then toggle through 8 menu options by pressing the mode button under the screen. There are no other controls! When you see the option you want you simply leave it alone and within a few seconds it defaults to that program and starts charging. You can see how it's progressing on the right of the screen where there's a voltage indication and vertical "Bar" display indicating state of charge. When it's completed it indicates FUL (fully charged I guess?) and automatically defaults to a "maintenance mode" which you can leave permanently connected if you wish - So the battery cannot be overcharged and perhaps damaged. What you can't see is the 9 stage, including a "desulphation mode", charging process which is automatically taking place at the discretion of the incorporated controller, You can make an educated guess though from the voltage figure displayed, but I don't know why you'd want to or what you'd do if you could. I feel it's somewhat future proofed as it's able to charge pretty much every type of car battery, including Lithium, up to 50 Ah for 6 volt batteries and 110 Ah for 12 volt The 908 can do 24 volt batteries and ups the max amperage to 8, but it drops the 6 volt facility so, although you gain a couple of amps at peak output, so it'll charge batteries a wee bit quicker, I couldn't do the 6 volt batteries some of the bikes and machinery uses.
It arrived two days ago and seems to be reasonably robust and well made - about the same size as the ctek but a bit more "brick" shaped. I've had it on both the slave batteries I keep for jump starting and powering up "stuff" in the workshop. I charged the smaller - ex Punto - 50 AH one first as I'd recently used it, and pretty much flattened it, when trying to start my friend, the fireman's KIA and as the charger arrived just before 8pm I left it on all night. When I checked it in the morning the display was reading FUL and voltage on my multimeter was around 13volts. I'll check it later to see what it's now settled to after it's rested. The bigger 77 AH battery - ex Cordoba diesel - hadn't been charged for a while but was showing 12.6 volts and didn't take long, I think about an hour, to display "FUL".
So, for £40, I'm pretty pleased with my latest purchase. And, I've just had a thought! The old Ctek seems to power up and lets me select different modes. However it won't then subsequently go on to start a charge. I bet it has to "see" the battery before it can initiate a charge? Half way down the lead from the charger to the battery crocodile clips is a connector - lets you switch between leads quickly - and I've checked that for continuity. however it may not be connected right back into the body of the charger. The bottom of the charger unit unscrews so I think I'll take the bottom off and check continuity from there to the end of the croc clips and see if anything has obviously become "deceased". If nothing obvious then it's had it's chips!
I'm very pleased with the Ring but slightly suspicious because it's that much cheaper than similar offerings from the likes of ctek and noco. If it starts to play up, or merits some more praise, I'll be sure to get back on here to let you all know.
Hi Jock
The "comfort connector" on mine started sulking and gave the same effects. Started only working when slightly twisted, and just sat dumbly when pressure released.
It was the clip side on mine, so I swapped it with another set and was fine again. Not bothered fixing the originals yet as had a spare set.
Now that's very interesting. Can you be more specific as to what is meant by "the comfort connector"? Is that the two pin plug half way down the wires from charger to battery? To be honest, i can't see myself ever using anything other than the croc clips so, if that's what you're talking about I might kick off by just stripping the wires back and permanently soldering them. It seems very logical to me that the processor in the charger would need to "see" the battery before deciding what charging regime to apply? and maybe that's why it's not getting beyond mode indication?
Yep, there's a range of ends you can get for fixed connections (eyelets for direct battery connection etc.).
If you don't use them, a quick splice should fix it, but try twisting or flexing it first to be sure that's the problem.
Good luck.
If you don't use them, a quick splice should fix it, but try twisting or flexing it first to be sure that's the problem.
Good luck.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
My charger camefrom Aldi or Lidl. Doesmuch the same. It was a couple of years or so back and was then c£15 so in the same price beacket. Its Ok. No complaints. So yours sounds a sensible price. The one I inherited from Dad 12 years ago lives in Manchester and still lives on. No digital screens there. It must be around 40 yrs old now.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Well they seem to have got rid of a lot of surface rust first so a reasonable and worthwhile effort
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Panda 4 came home yesterday. Sorted the handbrake cable that was put on by a one armed Gibbon, done stone chips, washed and part done clay bar and auto glym gold. Repainted front wiper arms and given it a check. Cleaned and Applied Bilt Hamber UB50. Removed bumper screws and lubed them up. It looks and sounds fine. Family photo tomorrow! May be 2more mini guides here. To those who recommended Bilt Hamber, my thanks, Im converted.
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Way way back in my youth, must have been late 60s, I bought quite a "fancy" Crypton transformer type charger which gave many years trusty service and still works to this day. Even back then it could do 6 and 12 volts - in fact that wasn't then unusual even with quite cheap chargers. Back then it wasn't risky to charge a battery still connected to the vehicle but, with the advent of electronics, it's decidedly risky to put a transformer type charger onto a still connected battery. (current spikes etc) Then, quite some years ago I bought one of Lidl/Aldi's "best" electronic chargers which worked very well although I continued to only charge disconnected batteries with it. Shortly after that I read a review of the ctek and it specifically mentioned that it was fine to charge batteries on the vehicle without isolating them. I rang ctek technical and was reassured that it was fine to use in this way. So I sweet talked Mrs J and managed to get funding to buy the Multi XS 7000. I can confirm it's been on many vehicles from quite humble stuff like the Fiats, Jazz and Astra to my friend's Jaguar and a neighbour's BMW also my Ibiza and now the Scala and has worked fine with no damage to electronics. Shortly after I bought the ctek my oldest boy was having problems with his Punto battery so he borrowed the Aldi/Lidl "Tronic" charger and used that on the Punto without disconnecting it's leads. He's subsequently also used it on their 2017 Kia Rio without any problems when they returned from holiday to find it's battery wouldn't start the car.
So my conclusion is that modern electronic "smart" chargers are able to control their supply side accurately enough as to eliminate the sort of damaging current spikes the old transformer type chargers were unable to.
Here's a picture of the chargers, just in case anyone is wondering:
I've still never got the Tronic back from my boy!
I also have an even older transformer type charger which was Mrs J's father's which I inherited on his passing. Here it is sitting on top of the Crypton:
Believe it or not, it still works and I used it to charge a ride on mower battery a couple of years ago. I do tend to default to the "smart" chargers though mainly because you don't need to monitor them as they go into Maintenance mode once the battery is charged so don't risk causing damage by "boiling" the battery fluid..
Note to self, Get the tronic back from my boy before I forget altogether that he's got it!
Edit. I saw one in Lidl last week for around the £20 mark!
CTEKs were supplied with certain upmarket cars of the type likely to go unused for log periods (Bentleys, Astons etc. I think) as a trickle charger, together with a Magcode magnetic connector.
Not sure if they still are, but I do remember replacement kits being seriously marked up compared to the same model without the posh carry case.
Not sure if they still are, but I do remember replacement kits being seriously marked up compared to the same model without the posh carry case.
Went to centre parcs a few weeks back, it was something my in-laws wanted to do with their grandson and for a change rather than renting their bikes as ‘grandad’ would be bringing his van we opted to bring our own bikes. Normally I would get a trailer to transport the toddler but we opted to get him a cheap balance bike from the local “tip shop”
Here in Norfolk the council dump/tip has an attached shop which sells things to good to bin such as bikes lawn mowers and a lot of other stuff. I picked up a cheap balance bike for just £3
Que our 2 year old hurtling around centre parcs like a lunatic all week and completely loving every minute.
However there was an issue, he did struggle to stop sometimes especially with his only way of stopping being his feet, also there was an incident where he found the only hill in the place and couldn’t stop. So I wanted to get him a bike with a brake he could use.
I also wanted to get him something a bit better, a lot of balance bikes are very cheap they don’t have proper bearings so are not smooth and in the case of the bike we. Got him it didn’t even have pneumatic tires.
When we got back I kept an eye out at the tip shop for something with brakes, I’d actually intended to buy an adult bike and cut off the mounting lugs for brakes and fit them to his balance bike. However a stroke of luck would see me find one of these
This is a stompee balance bike which came with a rear V-brake and propper pneumatic tires with spoked wheels with proper wheel bearings. The one I found was in a poor state but I opted to restore it and as the little-un is rather obsessed with bikes in general especially my hard tail mountain bike I opted to make this “stompee” look like ‘daddy’s’ bike for him.
I forgot to take before pictures, but I gave it a coat of paint
I service all the wheel bearings, cleaned up the wheels and tires.
I painted all the other bits such as the handle bars and the scratched brakes.
New handle bar grips and new brake cable added, new gold quick release for the seat as he’s growing fast.
I even splashed for some “Boardman” stickers on eBay and here is the finished result
He absolutely loves it, I suspect we’ll need to find some trails where he can push himself about at speed over some longer distances to keep him happy and I can ride along beside him. He has found a new love of going to the bike shop to get the bits and it’s far better for him to be doing stuff like this than playing on computers or with screens.
Doing stuff like this with him will also help me keep a bit fitter. I know it’s a bit silly but I enjoyed doing it, he really loves his new bike, and having paid £3 for the bike and maybe another £20 for paint and parts it’s still far cheaper than new, but it looks like new and has the same kit as balance bikes selling for over £100
Just for reference and comparison here is my bike.
Here in Norfolk the council dump/tip has an attached shop which sells things to good to bin such as bikes lawn mowers and a lot of other stuff. I picked up a cheap balance bike for just £3
Que our 2 year old hurtling around centre parcs like a lunatic all week and completely loving every minute.
However there was an issue, he did struggle to stop sometimes especially with his only way of stopping being his feet, also there was an incident where he found the only hill in the place and couldn’t stop. So I wanted to get him a bike with a brake he could use.
I also wanted to get him something a bit better, a lot of balance bikes are very cheap they don’t have proper bearings so are not smooth and in the case of the bike we. Got him it didn’t even have pneumatic tires.
When we got back I kept an eye out at the tip shop for something with brakes, I’d actually intended to buy an adult bike and cut off the mounting lugs for brakes and fit them to his balance bike. However a stroke of luck would see me find one of these
This is a stompee balance bike which came with a rear V-brake and propper pneumatic tires with spoked wheels with proper wheel bearings. The one I found was in a poor state but I opted to restore it and as the little-un is rather obsessed with bikes in general especially my hard tail mountain bike I opted to make this “stompee” look like ‘daddy’s’ bike for him.
I forgot to take before pictures, but I gave it a coat of paint
I service all the wheel bearings, cleaned up the wheels and tires.
I painted all the other bits such as the handle bars and the scratched brakes.
New handle bar grips and new brake cable added, new gold quick release for the seat as he’s growing fast.
I even splashed for some “Boardman” stickers on eBay and here is the finished result
He absolutely loves it, I suspect we’ll need to find some trails where he can push himself about at speed over some longer distances to keep him happy and I can ride along beside him. He has found a new love of going to the bike shop to get the bits and it’s far better for him to be doing stuff like this than playing on computers or with screens.
Doing stuff like this with him will also help me keep a bit fitter. I know it’s a bit silly but I enjoyed doing it, he really loves his new bike, and having paid £3 for the bike and maybe another £20 for paint and parts it’s still far cheaper than new, but it looks like new and has the same kit as balance bikes selling for over £100
Just for reference and comparison here is my bike.
My youngest grand daughter is still having problems with the balance bike after seeing a video of a young lad with his feet on the rear wheel frame supports when we are trying to get her feet nearer the ground for learning the balance side.
I still recall running round and round in the local park with her mother and twin sister after taking the stabilisers off from their early bikes.
I still recall running round and round in the local park with her mother and twin sister after taking the stabilisers off from their early bikes.
I have a 10A charger, about the size and shape of the crypton, bought about 50 years ago. A bit more sophisticated than the Crypton, with both a voltmeter and ammeter. Two switches, 6v/12v and Low/High. Makes a lot of noise, but still works fine.
I had an Oxford equivalent of the CTEK, for a week or so. I wrote a letter to a classic car magazine, who published it as their star letter, and sent the 'prize'. As I didn't have a use for it at the time, and another was supposed to be on the way, (Another letter, but that one never arrived) I gave it to my brother, as his charger had given up, and he had multiple batteries, always flat. That lasted a week. One day he called to complain about the free charger I'd given him, as it had exploded. Battery in bits, charger in smithereens, some parts embedded in the ceiling. After questioning, it seems he had set the charger on top of the battery being charged. Lead acid batteries give off hydrogen while charging. There's a reason chargers come with long leads, to keep them away from the hydrogen. Hydrogen very quickly combines with the oxygen in the air, as it is an element that does not like to be alone.
When most electrical devices come with the shortest cables the manufacturer can get away with, the long leads on a charger are a bit of a clue.
Can't help some people
