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Mrs SiC is currently on the hard shoulder in the Aldi waiting for recovery. 

<snip>Highways agency patrol cars have just given her a blanket.</snip>

 

Hmpfh. :?

Hence why there's always a "warm clothes bag" and/or a sleeping bag in my car at this time of year.

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Hence why there's always a "warm clothes bag" and/or a sleeping bag in my car at this time of year.

My dad has always told me to bring a coat with me, despite how short or long the journey was. Luckily my wife does now too. She does feel the cold a lot though and was wearing two thick coats as well as the silver emergency blankets!
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@SiC - I sold an Astra H years ago because it was so uncomfortable and bought a nearly new Laguna II!

 

I still see said Astra kicking about East Kilbride fairly regularly. I think it must be base models and 'non sporty' models which have uncomfortable seats because when I drove them at work, Club, Energy, Life, Breeze etc. they were uncomfortable but I always found the seats in my Design which were half leather sports seats to be very comfortable. 

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The C4 failed its MOT on Saturday.  Not too badly though - three bulbs (sidelights are working but too dim, pulled one of the bulbs out and it is pretty black to be fair, and one of the brakelights has blown since I last checked), headlight aim, leaky offside rear shock and fast idle CO emissions slightly over.  Bulbs are easy enough to do on a C4, headlight aim I'll have a bash at but if it's still slightly out the place where I take my cars is happy to tweak it on the ramp, I've ordered a new shock off eBay for less than 17 quid including delivery (and without wanting to tempt fate, it doesn't look like a difficult job to change it) and the tester reckoned the CO emissions could be sorted with an Italian tuneup.  So not too bad overall.  As an added bonus when I dropped the car off there was a Bentley S1 which had been brought in to sort a non-functioning horn.  It was lovely - definitely got my horn functioning.

 

Today I have mostly been swapping batteries around.  I tried a decent 063 battery on the 205 but it would barely turn it over, so I think the battery being knackered is only part of the problem, the other part being the XUD being a twat to crank.  This was backed up when I lobbed the 205's original battery onto the Getz and it started it straight up.  So for now I've shoehorned a bigger battery into the Peugeot - it's too big really, the earth terminal is touching the underside of the bonnet, but it works.

 

I also swapped the Stilo's battery onto the silver Rover.  The Rover has been refusing to start from cold if left overnight, and I know the Stilo's battery is a good 'un as it will start the car even after standing for weeks in the freezing cold.  It's also slightly bigger with a slightly higher CCA rating.  I attempted to keep the Fiat's electrics alive with my little jump pack as I know from experience that old Fiats can be temperamental about losing their batteries - the attempt was a failure, I must have picked a poor earth, but the car started straight back up again anyway - although I now have to reset all the trip computer which is a bit of an annoyance.

 

On the subject of swapping, I changed the Audi's front and rear tyres around - the fronts were rather tired budget ditchfinders with zero wet weather grip (the car would light up the front tyres on the throttle on a damp road, which shouldn't happen in a big automatic saloon with only 90bhp), the rears were slightly older but less worn Goodyears.  So the Goodyears are now on the front - I'll have to wait until it next rains to see if they're any improvement (shouldn't have to wait too long at this time of year).  If not I'll have to fork out for a pair of tyres I suppose.

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By the end of the week I hope to be driving the Princess on a daily basis again.   There's not much time to try and double the annual mileage (of 196 miles) before the next MoT so I'm hoping that this clutch problem can be resolved.  I've managed to acquire the clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder, and clutch hose from OKK which should fit since it's the same age and engine and were working when removed very recently.  I've also got the clutch hose arriving by the end of the week that I found on eBay.  All being well, some combination of these parts and what's on the car will get to the bottom of whatever this clutch problem actually is and I'll be able to drive the car.

 

The intention is to have the Rover for the really rotten days and very cold night time runs and use the Princess for literally everything else until I move house at some point this year.  I've had my Princess as my daily before so I see no reason why I can't do it again, and it is a lot of fun to chug about in.

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I changed the Audi's front and rear tyres around - the fronts were rather tired budget ditchfinders with zero wet weather grip (the car would light up the front tyres on the throttle on a damp road, which shouldn't happen in a big automatic saloon with only 90bhp), the rears were slightly older but less worn Goodyears.  So the Goodyears are now on the front - I'll have to wait until it next rains to see if they're any improvement.

Patiently waits for the update:

 

"Oh my fucking god the back end now has zero grip and I've nearly stuck it in several ditches."

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On the subject of swapping, I changed the Audi's front and rear tyres around - the fronts were rather tired budget ditchfinders with zero wet weather grip (the car would light up the front tyres on the throttle on a damp road, which shouldn't happen in a big automatic saloon with only 90bhp), the rears were slightly older but less worn Goodyears.  So the Goodyears are now on the front - I'll have to wait until it next rains to see if they're any improvement (shouldn't have to wait too long at this time of year).  If not I'll have to fork out for a pair of tyres I suppose.

 

Just out of interest, what size of tyres is your Audi on?

 

My old 80 (B3 1.8 petrol) was on 175/70 14 and was pretty sure footed on Michelins

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Mrs SiC is currently on the hard shoulder in the Aldi waiting for recovery. Hit debris on the road between Bath and Bristol M4 junction. Thinks it was a bumper or mudflap. Shes fine but at least one tyre flat. No idea if any other damage. Apparently 7 or so other cars on the hard shoulder too. Police did a rolling road block and the Highways agency patrol cars have just given her a blanket.

 

I'm hoping no more damage than a tyre. However that's still £120 per corner (Goodyear) for something recognisable and probably at least 2 to give a matched axle! Budgets are £65 each but I don't think I can be doing with cheap rubber on it.

 

Hmpfh. :?

Nasty old gash. The rim looks slightly not as round anymore. Going to take it to a tyre place for them to have a look. I bet it'll end up needing a new rim. FFS :(

6c146b5c89da6f9327917a4402b9d4ec.jpg

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Nasty old gash. The rim looks slightly not as round anymore.

That looks very close to whether it can be recovered or not. Some places would immediately say no. Some might try to balance it out as long as a tyre seals on it, and other places might put a block of wood on it and attempt to hammer it a bit to make it round again.

 

As long as it's not cracked, it's worth a shot at hammering it round again.

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That looks very close to whether it can be recovered or not. Some places would immediately say no. Some might try to balance it out as long as a tyre seals on it, and other places might put a block of wood on it and attempt to hammer it a bit to make it round again.

 

As long as it's not cracked, it's worth a shot at hammering it round again.

A tyre place managed to get a tyre on there and it seems to be holding pressure at the moment. They said they've seen much worse.

 

Bought a cheaper Kuhmo (still £98) as that's all they had in stock for that size and speed rating. Had Kuhmo before and they've been alright - just noisy.

 

The other side has 4mm of tread still. So once that wears down another 1mm or so, I'll get them both changed together. Providing the wheel holds a pressure and doesn't vibrate.

 

It's also going in for a service on Wednesday. Looking like it's going to be a rather expensive month for that car.

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Patiently waits for the update:

 

"Oh my fucking god the back end now has zero grip and I've nearly stuck it in several ditches."

Well this morning the roads were a little damp but the Audi decided to go into some sort of limp mode and took half the journey to work to wind up to 50mph, so there were few opportunities to test the grip.  It had miraculously sorted itself by this evening, but then the roads were bone dry.

 

Just out of interest, what size of tyres is your Audi on?

 

My old 80 (B3 1.8 petrol) was on 175/70 14 and was pretty sure footed on Michelins

195/65 15, because posh*.

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Well this morning the roads were a little damp but the Audi decided to go into some sort of limp mode and took half the journey to work to wind up to 50mph, so there were few opportunities to test the grip.  It had miraculously sorted itself by this evening, but then the roads were bone dry.

 

 

195/65 15, because posh*.

 

I’ve just ordered a pair of Goodyear efficient grip performance in that size ( v rated ) at £56 each fitted. Tyresothedrive.co.uk

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