JeffR

My Golf ate its temp sender unit (which also works the signal for the ECU to energise the glow plugs) so "tries" to get a new one....... VW "what colour is it" Me "don't know its buried in the engine bay, performs super human feats of contortion to establish its probably a green one" VW "what engine" Me "PD130" VW" "Year of manufacture" Me "2002" VW "OH" Me "What do mean OH" VW "err there's like 6 possibilities" Me "WTF" VW " three green ones, a black one and a grey one" Me " I make that three types..." VW "well no cos you've got a green one with a red spot, a green one with white spot and a green one" Me "OK so what are the part numbers ?" VW "all the same" ME "F@£K it just give me the commonest and Ill take the risk,....." VW "We sell equal numbers of the green ones..." ME "pick one at random, I won't hold you responsible, it only costs a tenner" VW "can't do that, click as he hangs up" So Golf is still belching smoke on startup cos the ECU thinks its at running temp and doesn't need the glow plugs, which will now soot up and cease to function... Gonna buy a bloody horse instead of a motor vehicle, at least the waste products are good for the garden and you can eat the damn thing when it dies ,if push comes to shove. By the way I think I'm gonna have that R Tech Mig over the Kemppi, can get a new helmet and spool gun for the same price. I really miss my Lincoln Viking 3350.....

I am in full agreement with you on that point. But again it illustrates the dearth of "joined up thinking" that has beset the Governments actions/inactions on this crisis

The engineer was brilliant ! He did what he could through the window (whilst juggling with our 2 new kittens!) and got us to the point where we can receive incoming calls, just can't make outgoing (phone lines were installed by GPO!). Not complaining about the service just the fact that there appear to be different guidelines in different trades and that they are interpreted differently by employers.

Yet BT will not allow engineers to enter my house to sort out a landline fault! I'm afraid the mixed messages from the Government (definition of Government - a collection of politicians usually un-governed) are at best misguided, at worst, lethal.

I'll slow down the day they fit me for a pine overcoat! Was back a t work a week after my MI last year (my real job as a biologist) though I have effectively given up field work, plodging around in ponds and river is a young mans job.

I'm bored, seriously bored. So started looking round for something to do. 110 V8 could do with some (bit of an understatement) work, but needs welding and well, my welding kit got cremated last October, so thats a non starter. 200Tdi needs shed loads of electrics sorted, doable if the Aldi multimeter (my decent one , yeah you got it , got cremated along with the welding kit, metal folders, engine crane etc last October) does what it says on the tin. It also needs moved, that's gonna be a bit more problematical, cos like I sorta left the handbrake on for a year or so (actually last summer when one of my coronary arteries decided to cease to function as a pipe and kill off a wee bit of heart muscle....) and the rest of the brakes have seized in sympathy with the handbrake... Oh and the tyres only have air at the top, the dinky compressor that plugs into the coffin nail lighter (note to ones self, haven't had a cigarette in 3 years now) can't cope with Landrover tyres and the big compressor , well that got cremated along with my trolley /bottle jacks. So Thats working on the LRs stuffed. Tried to give myself a hernia moving an autobox and transfer box thats going in the V8 at some point into its new garden store residence. Mind you, can't find the torque converter or flex plate anywhere, but did find a GKN overdrive in a filing cabinet (well where do you keep yours...) that was also full of air tools and recycled rat food. Could finish stripping out the family VW that the wife parked under a car Transporter, but thats got a whole new fungal ecosystem going on inside it (leather and Aspergillus sp are made for each other , it would seem). Could try and fix the other family car that ate its timing belt last week in Sainsburys carpark, but well, thats still in Sainsburys carpark cos the recovery company will only recover it to a garage ( telling them that "I've got a garage" doesn't count, evidently). So over the weekend I built a new fishing rod rack (why have I got 32 fishing rods and 75 reels?), started sorting out the garage - forgot we had a mini in there! And about a cwt of recycled rat food (think about it....), found that I appear to own at least 2 1/2 dismantle passats and way too many knackered landrover brake calipers. Oh and a Disco 1 front axle. Also found a pillar drill I can't remember buying... Warning on one of the medication boxes states "may impaire memory", yeah well they aint telling fibs there. So set about the tools... Now a lot went up in flames during the October conflagration, but plenty survived. When I say survived, theys on life support (never realised how damp the garage was), so been playing around with electrolysis to remove rust. Quite entertaining and sorta works. Just don't leave ally bits in too long (like overnight) cos well they disappear. Gonna experiment with different electrolytes, sodium bicarbonate (washing soda) is best so far, but dishwater tabs also seem to work quite well. DON'T use salt, honest its a bad idea. Saw a video of someone using molasses to remove rust so may give that a go. Also stripped out a lovely heated Recaro from a Vauxhall Pininfarina coupe to see if I could get the seat heaters to work cos they (the seats) will fit in one of the 110's, bolt spacing is almost identical. Found the problem, wiring to both pressure sensors was snapped - nice easy fix , just need to completely remove the airbags and wiring before they take up residence in a landrover. Also need to make a drivers side floorpan for the 200tdi, cos i'm b£$%erd if I can find the old one. Still bored though....

Well I live in rural Northumberland, the road outside my house is a cracking ride if you are into motorbikes, judging by the 30-40 who went past over the weekend.... This virus terrifies me, (and not just because I'm in a very high risk group) RNA viruses mutate at a significantly greater rate than DNA viruses (damn, It looks like I remembered some of the Virology lectures from my degree after all), each time it moves between hosts the opportunity to mutate arises.... Whilst lockdown will bankrupt me financially, at the end of the day I'll still be alive.

Semi-functional more than alive ! Just as stupid but without the stamina (my new cardiologists description, not mine).

R Tech looks nice.....

They do eurotorch conversion kit for it, an extra £100 .... which would allow me to run my spool gun (only bit of welding kit that survived the fire - was in the boot of the car), but as mainly welding thin stuff and very occasionally ally , kinda liked the portability of the kemppi. Seriously hope plod gets to the little scores before I do...

Keep your eyes open at Aldi, I bought a few of their battery work lamps last year, were great till the workshops got torched. And cheap as chips

Well, I'm sort of back, ill health took me out for somewhat longer than expected (Myocardial Infarction is natures way of telling you to slow down!) . Then disaster struck last October. Some little person of doubtful parentage torched the garage I was working in. The week after I moved all my welding and fabrication kit into the workshop. No the insurance didn't cover it (on a 28 day probation period....) so lost the lot. Should have seen what was left of the Alfa twinspark that was on the ramp for a clutch - engine clock melted! Anyway I now need a new mig. Been looking at this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kemppi-MinarcMIG-Evo-200-200amp-Portable-MIG-Welder-Package-with-3m-Torch/132098208323?epid=19026966915&hash=item1ec1aab243:g:~X4AAOSwPedajvSq Anyone got any views/recomendations

Well the shiny red box would make a good nest box for my hamster, probably...

Where did you get Vag com for free?

You learn something new every day!

Just noticed the lack of red/lhd! MOT man pretty cool dude , but that would upset him a bit

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-INCH-4LED-ROUND-HEADLIGHTS-E9-DOT-HI-LO-BEAM-HEADLAMP-FOR-LAND-ROVER-DEFENDER/263703770310?hash=item3d65f834c6:g:PjUAAOSwDktbA4-C:rk:48:pf:0 Need some new headlamps so found these, worth the risk?

Got the Aldi equivalent, can't fault it for the pennies it cost, even worked after it got left out in the rain (don't ask, was having a blonde moment).

Had my cars brought up from Devon to Northumberland by Sclaro vehicle transport (sclaro@hotmail.co.uk) , good price and excellent service

Bought some stainless braided brake hoses which were solid....Never bought Britpart bits since and never will.

They have cocked things up 4 times in the past 3 years for me. Been with them since mid 90's, they do not give a tinkers cuss these days.

The most amusing thing is that the car transporter driver (fully loaded with new Transits and parked in a lay bye) is claiming whiplash..... Car submarined under the rear chassis...

Cheers folks, just avoid the AA their incompetence is simply staggering, they tried talking to my wife whilst she was in hospital after the crash and off her head on painkillers and shock. As a consequence I ended up having to drive from Northumberland to Nottingham to get her, then shell out a small fortune to have the car recovered, I really wouldn't p£@s on them if they were on fire (sorry mods).

OK so fell out big time with the AA after wife crashed the car (well used a car transporter as a brake would be more accurate) so now need recommendations for an ethical, competent, affordable (none of which apply to the AA these days) breakdown/recovery company.

There's one just driven past my house this morning!