The grumpy thread

[D Spares & Tyres]

  On 20/10/2018 at 14:36, yellowperil said:

I came home from work just over a month ago and parked my car, that night I was taken into hospital and I have been off work since.

I haven't driven the car since, i have been too unwell, it has just sat on the drive.

Today I had reason to use it, but now it is smoking from under the bonnet and rattling like a machine gun.

I did put a post in Modern Shite, but there isn't a lot of traffic in that forum.

Has anybody got any idea of the cause?

Car is a Ford Grand C Max 1.6 diesel.

Alternator semi seized? They like to seize up when stood, then crack the casing

[artdjones]

  On 20/10/2018 at 14:36, yellowperil said:

I came home from work just over a month ago and parked my car, that night I was taken into hospital and I have been off work since.

 

I haven't driven the car since, i have been too unwell, it has just sat on the drive.

 

Today I had reason to use it, but now it is smoking from under the bonnet and rattling like a machine gun.

 

I did put a post in Modern Shite, but there isn't a lot of traffic in that forum.

 

 

Has anybody got any idea of the cause?

Car is a Ford Grand C Max 1.6 diesel.

I hate to say this,but someone is going to have to lift that bonnet and see what's actually happening.Maybe not you,if you're in poor health,but someone.

[dome]

  On 20/10/2018 at 15:37, omegod said:

, in desperation went for a run and the little fucker only started blowing toasty hot

 

Grump because I don't know why it suddenly started working, answers on a postcard

I've had this before when trying to bleed cooling systems. I reckon taking it a run has got any airlocks out of the system

[vulgalour]

Thanks for looking anyway GG!  I appreciate the thought.

[wuvvum]

  On 20/10/2018 at 11:16, pandamonium said:

Why the fuck can I not buy a car without wanting to change it within 5 minutes? 19 years since I passed my test, and closing on the 100 cars mark.

If it's any consolation, I've only been driving three years longer than you, and the C-Class I got off Skattrd the other week was #546.

[The Moog]

  On 20/10/2018 at 17:09, MikeR said:

the Royal is up for sale , only pub in Formby with Dart boards and pool table .......

 

 

what will I do when I retire ?

Have you bought it yet?

[Shirley Knott]

  On 20/10/2018 at 15:29, tooSavvy said:

Yup.. I have a 100% reliable auld nail (breezed MOT 'again') for washers + just spent a months PCP on a years insurance

 

^I feel much the same but you do have to take into account the time and emotional cost too.

 

Over the last 3 years I recon I've saved the best part of £8K by running millennium era VAG SDI's as an alternative to having two cars on hire purchase deals, but both initially involved a few months of lost weekends sorting out timing belts/cooling systems/tyres service parts and a host of other bits to bring them up to a standard that reliable daily use was achievable.

 

ATOTD I've knocked another 8k off the mortgage as a result but the time/work and frazzled nerves involved needs to be taken into account, also that's time I could have been spending with my family and enjoying with my little boy that I'll never get back. A good used PAS pump for a Lupo is just £20 but that only tells half the story of what's actually involved in doing things/living life that way.

[Mally]

Took the 75 on a 300 mile trip today.

Son was driving, said it's perfect except for very slight clutch slippage when you are doing 70 and boot it.

Not sure why he wants to boot it at 70 though?

So, new clutch £200 plus a lot of work for me?  I'm getting past it but It's a nice car and worth it.

Pay £600 to have it done? Feared of the "sorry sir you also need a new DMF".

Drive it sensibly for a while? Probably get 12 months at the mileage I do If I don't tow.

Buy an Auto?

Decisions decisions.

[Timewaster]

  On 20/10/2018 at 19:24, artdjones said:

I hate to say this,but someone is going to have to lift that bonnet and see what's actually happening.Maybe not you,if you're in poor health,but someone.

Borked alternator could explain the smoke if the belt is dragging across a seized pulley.

[yellowperil]

  On 20/10/2018 at 19:24, artdjones said:

I hate to say this,but someone is going to have to lift that bonnet and see what's actually happening.Maybe not you,if you're in poor health,but someone.

Yes, you are right, it's a job for a garage.

 

What a pisser!

[DodgeRover]

Went to put the spare onto the van tonight as the outer rear tyre was looking ready, crap the 10k old Chinese inner is bald in the centre, outer becomes inner and the spare is on.

Need to hurry up and get the replacements fitted all round!

 

I did get my valve extender air tubes fitted though so I can check/ inflate the tyres without requiring mild double jointedness from myself and the compressor.

[Ghosty]

I wouldn't mind one of those armrest consoles if it was cheap.

[New POD]

  On 20/10/2018 at 17:09, MikeR said:

the Royal is up for sale , only pub in Formby with Dart boards and pool table .......

 

 

what will I do when I retire ?

Die. How much do they want for it ? Can you brew beer? We could turn it into a retro 80's Early Doors type pub......oh wait..

[vulgalour]

Ghosty:  the price is one not-cubby centre console in dark grey.  No point me selling it if I don't have one to replace it with.

[Guest Hooli]

Guess which idiot got a new bank card, cut up the wrong old one and now only has a card he doesn't know the PIN for so can't login to online banking to get a new PIN sent? That'll be the same idiot who has never used telephone banking so hasn't set up a passcode for that to contact them that way either...

 

Fucksticks. I shall try again later when the phone banking is open.

[Mally]

  On 20/10/2018 at 21:07, Nyphur said:

Don't boot it from 70.... it'll probably plod on for years. 

ISTR the clutch is a fucker on those manual 75s. Hence why I bought a diesel auto..... and had injector and emissions issues instead.

 

Realise that, but I use it mainly to tow the stock car and trailer up a very steep drive!

I will stop doing this and use my wife's car instead. Actually we don't even have a stock car, but a new one is in the pipeline.

I wanted an auto, but this turned up at £600, I've had it 2-1/2 years and spent very little, hence the reluctance to get my wallet out as I know something else will then break.

Shall plod on and keep my eyes open for a diesel auto tourer,

[155V6]

  On 20/10/2018 at 22:57, Ghosty said:

I wouldn't mind one of those armrest consoles if it was cheap.

They come from the Coupes I think.They were quite sought after a while ago,as they fit into MG ZRs.

[320touring]

Ideal for hiding weed then..

[BorniteIdentity]

  On 21/10/2018 at 07:47, Mally said:

Realise that, but I use it mainly to tow the stock car and trailer up a very steep drive!

I will stop doing this and use my wife's car instead. Actually we don't even have a stock car, but a new one is in the pipeline.

I wanted an auto, but this turned up at £600, I've had it 2-1/2 years and spent very little, hence the reluctance to get my wallet out as I know something else will then break.

Shall plod on and keep my eyes open for a diesel auto tourer,

They are vastly under appreciated cars the 75. The auto diesels aren’t very frugal but, with a clutch north of £600 to have it done for you, make better man maths sense.

[DodgeRover]

How much do they cost if the DMF isn't knackered, that doesn't seem too bad if it's including a new one.

We had a turbo auto diesel ZT which shat the solenoids in the box with no warning giving us a £500 bill

[vulgalour]

In trying to reseat the telltale bulb for the hazards on the Princess I've somehow managed to burn out the hazard relay.  Or it was just an unfortunate coincidence that me putting a bulb in a holder was timed with the relay going kaput.  I've opened up the relay, it's literally burned the little wire inside, same thing happened with the old indicator relay too.  I should just avoid anything electrical I think.

[richardmorris]

Is anyone else plagued with harlequin ladybirds?

[Fumbler]

Yes, sash windows were. Never saw any aphids again.

[richardmorris]

  On 21/10/2018 at 15:44, Fumbler said:

Yes, sash windows were. Never saw any aphids again.

No aphids either, but one of the damn things bit me yesterday when I was trying to usher a pile back outside!

[vulgalour]

Invasive species those too, unfortunately.  They look ace but they're pushing native ladybirds out which is probably not a good thing.

[pandamonium]

And they have syphilis or something too, apparently. 

[richardmorris]

  On 21/10/2018 at 16:59, pandamonium said:

And they have syphilis or something too, apparently.

 

Yes, I read up after the one bit me. The saliva can carry lots of bugs. Happily my leg hasn’t gone black yet!

[Lord Sterling]

  On 21/10/2018 at 15:42, richardmorris said:

Is anyone else plagued with harlequin ladybirds?

Yep. What I do is simply tape up any gaps in the windows. The occasional one gets in, a simple dustpan and brush and dashing them outside the window usually sees them gone for a while.

 

a couple of years ago, I hadn't realised how many there were, it wasn't until I looked behind the curtains to see how many there were how bad it was. A good couple of dustpans full and they were gone thankfully.

[Mr Lobster]

  On 20/10/2018 at 15:29, greengartside said:

 as I have some project ideas of building a realistic PC / X-Box car gaming setup which would involve using the dashboard and side trims and centre console (have a look on YouTube for car gaming setups). 

 

Yes I know I could use another Fiesta dashboard as they are ten a penny but I really want to use this one for the colour scheme.

 

 

Yum, caramel colour. Am I mad in doing that?

 

 

 

 

Yes. But you must do it.  Also, I'm kinda wishing I had the space etc to do it myself. Looks good in a wife-will-never-approve-of-this way.

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

  On 21/10/2018 at 06:12, Hooli said:

Guess which idiot got a new bank card, cut up the wrong old one and now only has a card he doesn't know the PIN for so can't login to online banking to get a new PIN sent? That'll be the same idiot who has never used telephone banking so hasn't set up a passcode for that to contact them that way either...

 

Fucksticks. I shall try again later when the phone banking is open.

 

if you cut up the wrong one i.e. your old one why should yhe PIN be different?

in fact why would the PIN change for a new card anyway? mine doesn't