OT: tires

don't worry about it brian plucks figures out of the air and he is usually wrong by a factor of ten ...tee hee

Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...
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You have to know why you wanted TPMS.

It was optional on the wife's astra, but it only cost about £30 and you got a nice graphical display for all the computer stuff instead of the stupid warning lights in the dials. Well worth it as it told you what was happening rather than flashing a light and expecting you to find it in the manual. You got extra sensors too, like it would tell you when the washer fluid was low, the oil was low, petrol cap open and all sorts of useful things.

It can even tell what load is on the car and what the steering angle is so it can use the brakes to stabilise the car should you start to slide even though you aren't touching the brake pedal. It means my wife can out corner stupid cars like BMWs with ease.

I have actually seen a couple of cars go off on corners because they are stupid enough to think they could just follow the wife around it because they had faster cars. I had a jag spin on an island while following me around it. I could feel that it was slippy but not enough to worry about.

The latest transit based car I have been driving can do similar things so don't think its safe to follow a transit van around a corner, you may find they are better than you think.

Reply to
dennis
<snip>

I think that is part of an evolution of the motor car from a horse frightening oddity, a rich persons toy, an expensive form of transport, an enthusiasts form of transport to a box that get's you from a to b and for some, a penis extension (I've never had nor needed one of those <weg>). ;-)

I overheard a conversation between two ladies on the train a few years back that highlights a couple of those categories. One was talking to her friend about the new (to her) car she got over the weekend. She covered all the details from make / model / spec, engine size, to the good bits like A/C, PAS, CL, practicality for load carrying etc etc. Feeling she had gone on enough she asked her traveling companion what car she had ... 'I'm not sure but it's red ...'. ;-)

The other day we were going though some old toy cars and my mate held up one only showing me the profile and asked me what it was. I answered and he went though all was there and I probably got the makes at least of 95% of them (and model of a few less). The point is that I have been interested / involved in cars, mostly everyday cars since I was a kid (including running an PEV from 30 years ago and building and driving a kitcar) and still look after all our (close family) vehicles where practical.

What amazes me is that walking round this not-particularly-affluent neighbourhood with the dogs, just how many households have big and pretty new SUV's, BM's, Audis and Mercs parked on their fronts and in the road. In fact our car is probably the oldest as far as you can see cars.

But being as it's often me who has to fix these things and as you say I'm one who takes an interest in what I'm driving (listening out for new / strange noises, considering the engineering etc), I prefer these things to be KISS.

More has gone wrong on our 2004 Meriva in the 7 years we have had it than the 23 years I had the Sierra Estate. The things that have gone wrong on the Meriva are things that weren't even fitted to the Sierra and the only thing I thing I'd put down as a *want* now is A/C [1]. Not 'climate control' where the driver can have a different temperature to the person sitting next to them (FFS), just something that cools the cabin down when it's very hot. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] Especially because the world is heating up etc.
Reply to
T i m

The tyre has a load rating for a specific pressure. The load index is a number you look up and it tells you the load.

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The pressure it relates to is on the tyre.

Reply to
Brian Reay

I have one (Lithium powered and think they are brilliant) but generally just carry some decent jump leads.

Essential (if you have a decent car with a spare wheel). ;-)

I know most cars come with *some* spares, often parked in the fuseholder itself, spare fuses aren't expensive, don't take up much and you never know ... (as you say, if only to help someone else who wasn't as well prepared).

Again, even if not for you ... and I've even use a drop of that oil when I've been out and I've needed some oil for other things ... like oiling house door hinges, a wheelbarrow axle or some shears. ;-)

I have both as the electric one came later and there may be times where I can't get the 12V near to the wheel (like a trailer stored off road).

I know many of us have them on our phones these days, and they work pretty well, there are times when you might not want to put the extra battery drain on yer phone or want to use both simultaneously. Like if you are talking someone though some faultfinding in the dark.

Good idea. I generally throw a jacket in the car, even if it's hot / sunny at that point as you never know (in England) what the weather will be like in an hours time. ;-)

I also carry something I can lay on if I have to work on the car and it's been raining, like a small tarp or for some reason in the boot at the moment, a Hi-Viz horse blanket / jacket! ;-)

Another good idea. We have tried to carry some wet-wipes (general hand cleaning) but they never seem to be wet when you go to use them. So I currently carry a partial roll of that blue hand-wipe type tissue paper.

Yup, got one of those in the glove compartment.

Hmm, because?

Because I suffer from Tinnitus, I do find that after a long journey and depending on the speed and road surface, it can be aggravated and become more impacting. I wasn't sure about wearing plugs whilst driving though (although I always do when motorcycling)?

One more for the list although that might be covered by you re your jump-start-pack, a portable USB battery pack?

I gave a basic one to BIL the other day and he told me how it helped them greatly recently when there was an incident and my sisters phone went flat (away from power and the car).

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

Same here, though so far I've always used them to start other people's cars, rather than my own ..

Reply to
Andy Burns

that is because of PFI ...I try always to buy the basic model cash ....best without all those fripperies..the more gadgets you have the more trouble you get as you say...give me lecy front windows and central locking and I am happy ....the only time I needed air con was summer

2018 when I was stuck in a jam 35 dec heat and had to turn on the heater and blower to cool the engine....waste of time ...I have the basic just pre TPMS dacia duster and a basic suzuki and just sold a basic mustang which had TPMS and I was always waiting for the cr2032 battery to go flat ....
Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

It still doesn't mean that pressure is the correct one for a car/wheel/tyre.

Reply to
dennis
<snip>

My Sierra had those in 1982. ;-) 'Clean hands indicators' I think they called them?

Not being used to such, I walked past the open one in a petrol station on the Meriva soon after being given it by Mum and wiped it off with my hip. ;-(

As long as they are intuitive, rather some symbol that could mean pretty well anything?

;-)

I had that but because of the tyres. M&S tyres on the kitcar and driving about in the snow 'quite normally' (well nearly). Jumped in the normally shod car and had difficulty getting up the camber, suddenly realising why everyone else was going so slowly!

So is that like the Focus > Connect relationship but the other way round?

The most frightened I've ever been in a car and with corners was when a kid and pestered a family friend to take me out in his Lotus 7. The first corner we approached at speed had me getting ready for my demise but we went round it like we were on rails. Our family car was an Austin A40 Countryman so the difference was probably not surprising. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

you tell him...tee hee

Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

So, when trying to help start someone else's car, should I connect my leads to the battery with 12V on it or the one with 700V on it?

Reply to
Tim Streater

Yes, I think I've probably used more of the stuff I carry for other people and often non-car related issues than I have for my own cars. ;-)

One instance was daughters Ex and his van. Broke down in the middle of nowhere with no power. 'Dad, could you help ...' so we dive over there and I found the main output wire from the alternator had snapped off where it joined the bolt on lug. 'Luckily' I had some stranded wire, tape, pliers and adjustable spanner in my toolbag, the repair was a bit 'Heath Robinson' but got him home and back to us the next day so I could conduct a proper repair, after a jumpstart had got him going again. ;-)

A mate phoned early on a Sunday morning to say the rear door had just fallen off the back of his mini Shogun thing ... and they needed to get to the airport later that day and could I help.

I needed the lathe that time to turn two new hinge pins, after taking the hinges off and knocking the old (sheared) ones out. Man that door was heavy and all it had needed was them to realise that it 'getting stiff' might have been a clue to putting some oil on ... ? ;-(

Cheers, T i m

Reply to
T i m

700v an have a nice EV fire ....
Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

they just don't have the grasp these days ....

Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

wait until you have to fix this stoopid pulley arrangement....give me my '63 mini any day

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Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

Got your wife's panties on again Jim? You're normally a happy troll when you're in lady clothes.

Reply to
mm0fmf

only when you are pleasing me...tee hee

Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

I had a Toyota Yaris hire car that gave a tyre alarm after it had been sat in a car park at the end of a lava road on Lanzarote. I wasn't sure if it was the road or the heat as it had been in the sun for hours. After a lot of f****ng about it to get a manual online, turns out the warning comes on when the pressure is below the saved limit. Checking the others at a garage a few km away showed they were at 3Bar and one at

1.2Bar. I pumped it up to 2.5Bar and lowered the others and it was fine. I don't know if there was a slow and the hire company blew them up hard or the last customer did. I'd had the car 4 days so I reckoned blowing it up hard would mean there wouldn't be a light on when it was collected the next morning as it had taken some time to go soft. The hire company didn't chase me for a tyre so that was job done. The alarm went away once the pressure was correct.

The point being the light came on because the tyre pressure was abnormal. The tyre looked normal. No difference in profile to the others. I didn't ignore the alarm because the tyre looked OK, I did something about it, because, you know, it might be dangerous to ignore.

Reply to
mm0fmf

shame that ...we could have be rid of you ....

Reply to
Jim GM4DHJ ...

Climate control isn't driver/passenger having separate settings. It is automated management of heating and cooling.

There can be good reasons for separate controls. My partner has a disorder which results in burning feet. This is very painful. She can have cooling air and I don't have to suffer frozen feet. Also, minimises the cooling required - as against have to cool both sides to her preferred level.

Reply to
polygonum_on_google

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