Would you be able to jump start a car or change a tyre?

Associate
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GT86 eats through batteries (getting about 2-3 years out of each one) so I've had to jump start it/trickle charge it and even bump start it by myself in a supermarket carpark at 3am with no one else around.

Started doing track days so I thought I'd learn some of the basics including basic servicing, wheel changes and brake pads, bulbs and other consumables I'd learned on older cars when they failed. Not had brakedown cover on any car for the last 12 years so figured if I do need it in the future I'll just pay the roadside price.

My old Civic Type-R used to munch through batteries with a similar rate to that. On a bit of a whim after one dying, I stuck a Yuasa battery in from Halfords (of all places) and it was rock solid, solved all my issues. Comes with 5 yr warranty usually as well, so if it doesn't work you can always claim.
 
Soldato
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bodywork was a challange back in the day also ,remember chucking big blobs of filler on my capri wing ,luckily i was working with the mot tester at the ford garage i worked at ,and loads of guys doing welding as a side line ,
 

A2Z

A2Z

Soldato
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I've never done either, probably because I've never had a car as I have not ever needed to have one.




Next year though I will probably need to get my first car so will learn how to do these things. After seeing it done one time I'm sure I could then do it myself.
 
Soldato
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GT86 eats through batteries (getting about 2-3 years out of each one) so I've had to jump start it/trickle charge it and even bump start it by myself in a supermarket carpark at 3am with no one else around.

Started doing track days so I thought I'd learn some of the basics including basic servicing, wheel changes and brake pads, bulbs and other consumables I'd learned on older cars when they failed. Not had brakedown cover on any car for the last 12 years so figured if I do need it in the future I'll just pay the roadside price.


Aye, I had to jump mine just last week :(

What battery you using now?

Had this one for 13 months now. Wondering if I accidentally left the electronics over the weekend to cause it to die, on as it seems to be fine now.
 
Man of Honour
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Jump start?

Is that the one where you put the crank handle in the front where the engine bit is and give it a turn to get it started?

Got to admit being an old un I thought a jump start was when you put it in second gear and get your mates give you a push or roll down a bank.
Battery to battery is just a charge.
Of course Google just shows a jump start being battery to battery.
 
Caporegime
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I suspect there is a large element of people tend to be driving newer cars and know less about them these days as the days of virtually every car owner having to use the skills on a semi regular basis is long gone.

Also there are IIRC warnings in the manuals for some cars about jumpstarting.

I know how to do it, have had to do it, but only about twice in twenty years.

You shouldn't jump start a hybrid car. There is a specific way to do it.

Changing a tyre is easy. Jack up from jack point. Undo bolts. Remove wheel and put new wheel on and tighten bolts.

Jump start again is easy so long as you have leads and don't have a hybrid car.

Any modern car will tell you if you leave something on these days. If you use car every other day its not an issue. Its cars that tend to sit for a while you have issues with.

Top up washer fluid, check oil, changing wipers and bulbs should also be known to every car driver too.
 
Caporegime
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GT86 eats through batteries (getting about 2-3 years out of each one) so I've had to jump start it/trickle charge it and even bump start it by myself in a supermarket carpark at 3am with no one else around.

Started doing track days so I thought I'd learn some of the basics including basic servicing, wheel changes and brake pads, bulbs and other consumables I'd learned on older cars when they failed. Not had brakedown cover on any car for the last 12 years so figured if I do need it in the future I'll just pay the roadside price.

Sounds like alternator or wiring issue. No car should use more than 1 battery every 10 years if used daily
 
Soldato
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I suspect there is a large element of people tend to be driving newer cars and know less about them these days as the days of virtually every car owner having to use the skills on a semi regular basis is long gone.

Also there are IIRC warnings in the manuals for some cars about jumpstarting.

I know how to do it, have had to do it, but only about twice in twenty years.

Exactly this, i wouldn't try to jump start a car without checking the manual now, as the starter points are very rarely on the battery itself now.
Changing a tyre, wee buns, as long as the 'driver' hasn't lost their alloy key.
 
Soldato
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My old Civic Type-R used to munch through batteries with a similar rate to that. On a bit of a whim after one dying, I stuck a Yuasa battery in from Halfords (of all places) and it was rock solid, solved all my issues. Comes with 5 yr warranty usually as well, so if it doesn't work you can always claim.

Might give that one a shot next time, we use Yuasa in our UPS systems and I know our local garages use them too.

Aye, I had to jump mine just last week :(

What battery you using now?

Had this one for 13 months now. Wondering if I accidentally left the electronics over the weekend to cause it to die, on as it seems to be fine now.

I've got another 65ah Toyota unit, the first Panasonic 47ah died in the 2nd winter of owning the car and was replaced with a 65ah Toyota unit, that one died under 3 years later. Both replaced free under warranty (2nd was a struggle as they wanted to claim only 1 year warranty on batteries but the sticker on the car said 5 year Toyota warranty)

Sounds like alternator or wiring issue. No car should use more than 1 battery every 10 years if used daily

The GT86 alarm/keyless system is known to keep on drinking power, higher capacity batteries allows it to last longer between drives but the first one died while the car was still a daily on a 30 mile commute. Now I only do 4k/pa I have to make sure the car gets a good run every 2 weeks.
 
Soldato
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Yes for both, although couldn't bump start my current car.

The other week, guy's car died in front of me leaving work. Only person who came to help us push - uphill - and it was a guy I work with in a car five back. The women all sat puzzled at why I was waving at them in the road. Not saying they're all ignorant, but the ******** in that office are. And ugly. :p
 
Soldato
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Inverness
Yes to both. Also used to do the brakes on my last car and other simple jobs like replace gauges in the dash etc. Now I’m too lazy to do the work myself :p
 
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