What have you done to your car today?

Don
Joined
19 May 2012
Posts
17,062
Location
Spalding, Lincolnshire
Flooded engine on a Zafira is a simple fuse pull on the fuel pump and crank the engine till the petrol is burnt off.
Even simpler than that on a Zafira - floor the throttle whilst cranking it (ECU anti-flood mode), which the RAC man told me and more importantly explained why the flooding had likely occurred in the first place (i.e. because he noticed I had cut the grass and asked if I had just moved the car out the way and back again)

Checking oil on a car is something I do at least monthly if not more.
Which I had the week before, however the in-dash low oil reminder had also not triggered, and within a week I had a low-oil pressure warning upon starting the car. As it was a Audi approved used vehicle, it came with breakdown cover, and so I called them they came out checked it out, topped up with 1.5 litres of the correct oil, and reported the fault back to the Audi dealer to investigate.

A lot of these issues are nothing a quick bit of Google and some modest mechanical understanding cannot solve.
Fortunately I haven't yet had to, but I would rather call a breakdown company on the way back from the middle of no-where in whatever weather conditions, as opposed to sit in a broken down car with kids, and try and google my way out of a breakdown.
 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Oct 2002
Posts
26,812
Location
Boston, Lincolnshire
Hardly anyone cares though, i agree with your sentiment but why learn when you can pay someone else? I've had a stater motor fail, a clutch cylinder go and a split water pipe in the past, well worth the fee. None of these issues gave warning signs. Of course it's to do with sample size, none of your cars have needed it, lots of others have...

I had a coolant hose go on a track day. I had the spare parts with me as I was prepared. I have also had an ignition switch go as well. Nothing a friendly person couldn't help with a bump start to get me home. Carrying a small kit around with the basics like oil, some water, duct tape etc and you are covered for a lot minus some catastrophic failure which then is only a cost of a low loader compared to the years you have saved from not paying premiums. In the end as you said taking insurance is always a calculated risk. If it was of benefit to everyone insurance companies would be out of business!
 
Associate
Joined
9 Nov 2018
Posts
161
Location
Poole
My Dad, in 1961, had a master cylinder seal fail on his 1957 Hillman Minx de luxe. In traffic. Used handbrake to stop but still gently touched the car in front. Having just come back to UK from 7years in Middle East he had all the parts and tools to fix it at the roadside. Along came Plod who wrote stuff in his little book. Dad was prosecuted for permitting an unsafe vehicle to be used on the road, because, having the spares and tools onboard meant that he knew a failure was imminent! Fined £12:10s:6d.
Almost (then) a weeks pay.

MoT on the Panda this morning. Nothing needed. No advisories. Not even a washer-bottle top-up.
 
Caporegime
Joined
25 Jul 2005
Posts
28,851
Location
Canada
Apparently cracked the windscreen. Just noticed it so I must be recent.

I didn't crack it last year so I guess that's a positive. Now do I replace it or just leave it? It's about four foot long but under the windscreen wipers so doesn't impede visibility.
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Jun 2005
Posts
23,976
Location
In the middle
Apparently cracked the windscreen. Just noticed it so I must be recent.

I didn't crack it last year so I guess that's a positive. Now do I replace it or just leave it? It's about four foot long but under the windscreen wipers so doesn't impede visibility.
What are the rules over there about windscreens?
 
Caporegime
Joined
25 Jul 2005
Posts
28,851
Location
Canada
Technically it’s illegal, but it’s so common that unless it’s impeding vision police don’t really care.

I’ll wait until May when they sweep the roads and get it replaced then probably. Cracking more than one a winter will be annoying!

Unfortunately it’s idiots cutting in too close when overtaking and spraying the car with rocks that’s the problem. I’ve probably got half a dozen or more paint chips I’ll have to sort out in spring too.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2007
Posts
15,660
Location
Limbo
very expensive for what it is.

plenty of cheaper options around to be fair! :)

It came as part of a bigger Autofinesse pack when Halfrauds were doing 50% off last year some time so didn't actually pay that, had never used it before.

What are the cheaper options as I think it'll be something I do more often.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Mar 2008
Posts
22,862
Location
West sussex
It came as part of a bigger Autofinesse pack when Halfrauds were doing 50% off last year some time so didn't actually pay that, had never used it before.

What are the cheaper options as I think it'll be something I do more often.

super cheap, not something I've tried but they're all much of the muchness bar different smell.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5L-Fal...h=item44034207a0:g:P~MAAOSwySZb2krC:rk:3:pf:0

or something from a more "detailing" focused brand -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fallout-...Qr2PmGqnuco2QJCTSmtTwcUY0Nm0qiNWOQfSXZbl5dYg6
 
Associate
Joined
25 Dec 2008
Posts
918
Location
Norwich
Changed the cabin filter on my mk2 focus. It was rocking a ford oem filter still given that was 12 years old thought it might need changing even though my car has only done 45k ( 15k two years ago when i bought it) on a side note think the engineer that designed the focus needs a slap for making it such a faff to get at the cabin filter. I had to remove the glove box, the internal fuse box and the fuse box mount and then the cover for the filter and then replace it all.
 
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