Stormy Weather II

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  • oddoneout
    Full Member
    • Nov 2015
    • 9308

    Originally posted by gurnemanz View Post
    We had just that problem on Saturday. Fairly clearly the battery. We're signed up to Green Flag and they came round pretty promptly. Friendly chap confirmed battery was knackered and was able to flog us us a new one and install it on the spot which saved going to a workshop. We've only been going on short shopping trips lately and did take the car for a decent spin to give the engine a workout.
    I would have been annoyed if the battery had failed as it was new less than 18 months ago, but I know that cold isn't good for them, and with so much more in the way of gizmos to provide power to they have more work to do. It did start, I got most of the shopping done and the sun has now come out, so things are looking less dreary than they did this morning. Really warm feeling in the sun, quite a strange sensation after the bitter cold . The car does need to stretch its legs but I have no reason to go anywhere and driving is an uncomfortable and often quite painful activity now so it tends to get put off repeatedly. Assuming that they are still an option(given the state of local government finances) if I get a bus pass later this year there will be even less incentive to use the car, except that it's the only way to get to work, and even if I decide to retire I wouldn't want to stop the voluntary work I do there.

    Comment

    • BBMmk2
      Late Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 20908

      A rather uninspiring day.
      Don’t cry for me
      I go where music was born

      J S Bach 1685-1750

      Comment

      • Pulcinella
        Host
        • Feb 2014
        • 11113

        Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
        I would have been annoyed if the battery had failed as it was new less than 18 months ago, but I know that cold isn't good for them, and with so much more in the way of gizmos to provide power to they have more work to do. It did start, I got most of the shopping done and the sun has now come out, so things are looking less dreary than they did this morning. Really warm feeling in the sun, quite a strange sensation after the bitter cold . The car does need to stretch its legs but I have no reason to go anywhere and driving is an uncomfortable and often quite painful activity now so it tends to get put off repeatedly. Assuming that they are still an option(given the state of local government finances) if I get a bus pass later this year there will be even less incentive to use the car, except that it's the only way to get to work, and even if I decide to retire I wouldn't want to stop the voluntary work I do there.
        Get yourself a trickle charger (but make sure it's appropriate for the type of battery you have).
        Our car didn't start recently (we've done less than 150 miles in it since we went into lockdown last March) but the trusty AA man (we have cover including HomeStart through our Halifax bank account) got it going for us and said that it looked like the battery would recover, and recommended using a trickle charger (we got a 1.5A one, cost about £25). Ours is a so-called 'stop-go' battery though, which apparently needs to be taken into consideration when you are buying a charger. A worthwhile investment, we thought.

        Comment

        • cloughie
          Full Member
          • Dec 2011
          • 22205

          Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
          Get yourself a trickle charger (but make sure it's appropriate for the type of battery you have).
          Our car didn't start recently (we've done less than 150 miles in it since we went into lockdown last March) but the trusty AA man (we have cover including HomeStart through our Halifax bank account) got it going for us and said that it looked like the battery would recover, and recommended using a trickle charger (we got a 1.5A one, cost about £25). Ours is a so-called 'stop-go' battery though, which apparently needs to be taken into consideration when you are buying a charger. A worthwhile investment, we thought.
          Batteries in cars these days are very small and if cars not used much with heaters, screen clearing, lights used and short distances driven will not get charged up greatly - add to that any immobiliser when parked up for many days will quickly flatten the battery.
          ,

          Comment

          • oddoneout
            Full Member
            • Nov 2015
            • 9308

            Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post
            Get yourself a trickle charger (but make sure it's appropriate for the type of battery you have).
            Our car didn't start recently (we've done less than 150 miles in it since we went into lockdown last March) but the trusty AA man (we have cover including HomeStart through our Halifax bank account) got it going for us and said that it looked like the battery would recover, and recommended using a trickle charger (we got a 1.5A one, cost about £25). Ours is a so-called 'stop-go' battery though, which apparently needs to be taken into consideration when you are buying a charger. A worthwhile investment, we thought.
            Not an option with on-street parking unfortunately. My next door neighbour was helpful in getting me mobile enough to get down to the garage when the old battery gave up, and would help out again if necessary. I don't know about the immobiliser, will get out the handbook, but it's an older car. I reduce load by not driving at night, and avoiding using the heater as much as possible. For the journeys I do it isn't really that necessary, warm clothes are adequate. Dispersing internal condensation is the big user, but doesn't happen every journey. Since the code was lost when the battery was changed I can't use the radio etc and I don't have other devices to plug in.

            Comment

            • oddoneout
              Full Member
              • Nov 2015
              • 9308

              Not the best augury for the day's weather perhaps but the sunrise this morning was a glorious thing - more like a sunset spread across the eastern sky. It looks as if it will be a case of dodging the showers for getting out today, and accepting that may not be entirely successful. Possibly not as mild as yesterday due to more wind, which will also make any rain spells wetter.

              Comment

              • BBMmk2
                Late Member
                • Nov 2010
                • 20908

                Raining!
                Don’t cry for me
                I go where music was born

                J S Bach 1685-1750

                Comment

                • BBMmk2
                  Late Member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 20908

                  Originally posted by BBMmk2 View Post
                  Raining!
                  Another wet day!!!
                  Don’t cry for me
                  I go where music was born

                  J S Bach 1685-1750

                  Comment

                  • cloughie
                    Full Member
                    • Dec 2011
                    • 22205

                    Lovely bright spring morning here.

                    Comment

                    • gurnemanz
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 7415

                      Originally posted by cloughie View Post
                      Lovely bright spring morning here.
                      Coming our way, I hope. Heavy rain has just stopped.

                      Comment

                      • DracoM
                        Host
                        • Mar 2007
                        • 12993

                        Big, bold westerly, ominous rain forecast.
                        Giveaway = fleeing sea birds miles inland already feeding off insects in inland fields!!


                        .........and, a tad later...oh, yes, do we have RAIN or what!!
                        Last edited by DracoM; 18-02-21, 14:43.

                        Comment

                        • oddoneout
                          Full Member
                          • Nov 2015
                          • 9308

                          Not a bad beginning to the day, with glimpses of sun, not too much wind and no rain. I was able to do a brief bit of garden pottering (main task to cover the rhubarb for forcing). At midday the wind started to get up and heavy rain arrived, a bit later than expected. It should clear through by the end of the afternoon, but it really is that last thing anyone needs just now, given the water everywhere from melted snow and ice joining what didn't drain away before the cold weather arrived. The large pond on the nearby common has overflowed and is already causing problems of access for the adjacent houses. The mallard are happy as it gives them more room to engage in their unseemly mating activities; the population is very unbalanced (about 6 drakes to one duck, there have been casualties in previous years)and too large for the space, but proximity to not only houses but also the playground means any attempts at control are shouted down and blocked.

                          Comment

                          • Serial_Apologist
                            Full Member
                            • Dec 2010
                            • 37851

                            Originally posted by gurnemanz View Post
                            Coming our way, I hope. Heavy rain has just stopped.
                            By the time that crossed London it had become light, and only lasted around 20 minutes, barely causing puddles, so if there were still heavy bursts they must have been to either side of us. You could have drawn the back edge of that system with a ruler, so straight was that system in its N-S alignment. Looking forward to those "springlike" temperatures predicted for Sunday through to Tuesday, though they have rather been rolling back on how long this little May lasts. Might be my first chance of a decent long cycle ride of 2021. Temperature reached 11 C earlier - now down to 9 C.

                            We just had a brief moderate shower - nice illuminated anvil-shaped back view of the cumulonimbus as it heads off towards the Estuary.

                            Comment

                            • oddoneout
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2015
                              • 9308

                              Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                              By the time that crossed London it had become light, and only lasted around 20 minutes, barely causing puddles, so if there were still heavy bursts they must have been to either side of us. You could have drawn the back edge of that system with a ruler, so straight was that system in its N-S alignment. Looking forward to those "springlike" temperatures predicted for Sunday through to Tuesday, though they have rather been rolling back on how long this little May lasts. Might be my first chance of a decent long cycle ride of 2021. Temperature reached 11 C earlier - now down to 9 C.

                              We just had a brief moderate shower - nice illuminated anvil-shaped back view of the cumulonimbus as it heads off towards the Estuary.
                              When I looked at the blue patches on the map I thought at first that the image hadn't loaded properly, it was so straight up and down slap bang in the middle of the region. The very wet spell cleared away to a lovely sunny late afternoon, which looks as if it might bring a chilly night. Never mind, so long as it stays dry!

                              Comment

                              • cloughie
                                Full Member
                                • Dec 2011
                                • 22205

                                Overall not a bad day here today - a few showers - some hale-laden but a fair amount of sun. Now about tomorrow - beaucoup de pluie et du vent! Well it is from the south and I fear it will not be gentle!

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