My local Esso near work have adblue on draught for the truck drivers. I used it in my previous car ( Mercedes C200 ). Assume it's the same stuff that's used in cars?

Didn't seem to cause any problems and half the price of the bottled variety.

4 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

Mine doesn't have the adblu, so that's an expense saved, and VED has dropped from £185 to just £35 a year, "winner winner chicken dinner" 😃

 

5 litres of adblue is only about a tenner (ish). 

 

I'm also going to gloat about me only paying £20 VED despite having a more powerful motor 😁

So, some time last summer I bought a set of mud flaps but ended up being too busy to actually fit them. Then came autumn and the great kitchen/utility room refit and they got moved somewhere safe, so safe that I wasn't able to locate them. TBH, I was also too busy to have a proper look in the sheds that a lot of stuff had been moved to.

 

I've actually had this weekend off (a real novelty!) and only managed to locate them. Fitting was a breeze.

57 minutes ago, Gammyleg said:

My local Esso near work have adblue on draught for the truck drivers. I used it in my previous car ( Mercedes C200 ). Assume it's the same stuff that's used in cars?

Didn't seem to cause any problems and half the price of the bottled variety.

Exactly the same, I always use a pump, no idea why people buy it in bottles when you can fill it at the pump.

On 13/05/2023 at 21:00, numskull said:

He connected it to a cylinder initially, after he’d drained the system and after 10 mins he said there wasn’t a leak. Then he refilled it. If it is leaking, then he’ll be called back. 

UPDATE

 

OK, so over the past couple of weeks, the hissing sound on startup has returned FFS. 😖

On Saturday I went to my trusted indy, Wheelbase in Hersham, for an oil and filter change. As I was chewing the cud with Colin, the owner, I recounted the AC recharge story, the noise etc. He said hang on, walked toward the workshop and said he’d get his tech to check the system for leaks right now using UV. Less than a minute later he came back and confirmed there is a leak, right at the joint where the AC pipe goes into the top of the condenser and judging by the gunge on the joint, it’d been leaking for “sometime”; I asked if that meant more than a couple of weeks and he said “yeah, much longer than that”. 
He said it wasn’t a problem, it’d take less than an hour to replace the seals, which he’d order today and I’m going back on Saturday to have them replaced. 

I contacted the Aircon “expert” via WA and informed him what had been discovered. He called me immediately. Although he thought my comment that I felt “ripped off” was a “bit harsh” he reluctantly accepted that he’d “missed” the leak (so by that he meant he’d clearly not tested the system) and he said he refund me, which he did within an hour. In reality he probably decided it was worth doing that to avoid a big negative review. 
So I stand corrected guys and a big lesson has been learned.
And I apologise to Pete, Graham and Colin for not listening, but TBH, I’m even more pi$$ed at myself for being taken-in. 

Well done for getting the refund, and good news that the leak has been found.

The only further caution I would offer is that the first leak found isn't necessary the only leak. Did Colin continue looking around after that condenser o-ring leak discovery?

19 minutes ago, numskull said:

UPDATE

 

OK, so over the past couple of weeks, the hissing sound on startup has returned FFS. 😖

On Saturday I went to my trusted indy, Wheelbase in Hersham, for an oil and filter change. As I was chewing the cud with Colin, the owner, I recounted the AC recharge story, the noise etc. He said hang on, walked toward the workshop and said he’d get his tech to check the system for leaks right now using UV. Less than a minute later he came back and confirmed there is a leak, right at the joint where the AC pipe goes into the top of the condenser and judging by the gunge on the joint, it’d been leaking for “sometime”; I asked if that meant more than a couple of weeks and he said “yeah, much longer than that”. 
He said it wasn’t a problem, it’d take less than an hour to replace the seals, which he’d order today and I’m going back on Saturday to have them replaced. 

I contacted the Aircon “expert” via WA and informed him what had been discovered. He called me immediately. Although he thought my comment that I felt “ripped off” was a “bit harsh” he reluctantly accepted that he’d “missed” the leak (so by that he meant he’d clearly not tested the system) and he said he refund me, which he did within an hour. In reality he probably decided it was worth doing that to avoid a big negative review. 
So I stand corrected guys and a big lesson has been learned.
And I apologise to Pete, Graham and Colin for not listening, but TBH, I’m even more pi$$ed at myself for being taken-in. 

Glad you got to the bottom of it. The refund was a bonus & an honourable gesture. 

And today I dropped the bumper off again to try and work out why the front “360 vision” camera is not working, and I could not find out why.

2 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Well done for getting the refund, and good news that the leak has been found.

The only further caution I would offer is that the first leak found isn't necessary the only leak. Did Colin continue looking around after that condenser o-ring leak discovery?

Yep, he said the tech had checked all the visible pipework and there was no sign of any other leaks. 

2 hours ago, numskull said:

UPDATE

 

OK, so over the past couple of weeks, the hissing sound on startup has returned FFS. 😖

On Saturday I went to my trusted indy, Wheelbase in Hersham, for an oil and filter change. As I was chewing the cud with Colin, the owner, I recounted the AC recharge story, the noise etc. He said hang on, walked toward the workshop and said he’d get his tech to check the system for leaks right now using UV. Less than a minute later he came back and confirmed there is a leak, right at the joint where the AC pipe goes into the top of the condenser and judging by the gunge on the joint, it’d been leaking for “sometime”; I asked if that meant more than a couple of weeks and he said “yeah, much longer than that”. 
He said it wasn’t a problem, it’d take less than an hour to replace the seals, which he’d order today and I’m going back on Saturday to have them replaced. 

I contacted the Aircon “expert” via WA and informed him what had been discovered. He called me immediately. Although he thought my comment that I felt “ripped off” was a “bit harsh” he reluctantly accepted that he’d “missed” the leak (so by that he meant he’d clearly not tested the system) and he said he refund me, which he did within an hour. In reality he probably decided it was worth doing that to avoid a big negative review. 
So I stand corrected guys and a big lesson has been learned.
And I apologise to Pete, Graham and Colin for not listening, but TBH, I’m even more pi$$ed at myself for being taken-in. 

Just glad you got it finally resolved.

I got an "Electric Parking Brake Fault" message last week, which also caused the ACC to refuse to work.

 

Using Carista I got the fault code for the ABS section as 32833, and the internet provided the suggestion that the parking brake switch had gone faulty.

Since the brake still went on with shutting the engine off and released when moving the car, it seemed like the only way it wouldn't work was from the switch.

 

Skoda wanted £135 for a new switch assembly (includes the auto-hold and the central locking button) so I found and ordered a used one at £42 from the well-known auction site.

Arrived today in excellent condition, was fitted to the disassembled centre console in minutes, and did the trick!

 

Carista cleared the fault codes, which did not return, so I am a happy punter. Take that, Skoda, and your overpriced spares!

 

25 minutes ago, cardo said:

I got an "Electric Parking Brake Fault" message last week, which also caused the ACC to refuse to work.

 

Using Carista I got the fault code for the ABS section as 32833, and the internet provided the suggestion that the parking brake switch had gone faulty.

Since the brake still went on with shutting the engine off and released when moving the car, it seemed like the only way it wouldn't work was from the switch.

 

Skoda wanted £135 for a new switch assembly (includes the auto-hold and the central locking button) so I found and ordered a used one at £42 from the well-known auction site.

Arrived today in excellent condition, was fitted to the disassembled centre console in minutes, and did the trick!

 

Carista cleared the fault codes, which did not return, so I am a happy punter. Take that, Skoda, and your overpriced spares!

 

Is it just me or does anyone get the feeling that we are really suffering big time with price inflation as a result of the dreaded B word?

The word being Boris?! It still astounds me, that one overweight, blonde, lying, multi-millionaire buffoon, actually persuaded the majority of the U.K. population of this little island, which has no manufacturing industries to speak of, no oil, no gas, old and completely dilapidated infrastructures of every type, which relies on a few foreign-owned financial and service businesses, private banks and its mortgaged housing stock to prop-up its economy, that they’d all be better-off being outside one of the the worlds largest trading economies. Where is that £300m a week for the NHS then, triple B? 

He didn't persuade anyone, he just followed his nose in deciding what side would be victorious and who to align himself with.

 

If you  still need someone to hate and blame after all this time why not choose Cameron? He got away Scot free with walking away from his responsabilities.

 

Well for years and years we have had it rammed down our throats about how we could not do this or that as it was against the club rules. Turns out the rules did not prevent us from doing any of it, it was our own people who prevented it and they forgot that once we out of the "club" that they should stop their side rackets, which of course they didn't and now hopefully people can see where the blame for our situation belongs and next time we get the chance, show them the door.

Edited 6 June, 20232 yr by Graham Butcher

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

If you  still need someone to hate and blame after all this time

Errr… we only “left” 3y4m ago and my memory ain’t that short. No one individual is ultimately to “blame” but what got me was that Johnson flat out lied, and lied and lied. But it was the U.K. population that took us there, for not bothering to inform themselves of some of the realities which would prevail on leaving the EU and how that would directly affect their lives. 

6 minutes ago, numskull said:

Errr… we only “left” 3y4m ago and my memory ain’t that short. No one individual is ultimately to “blame” but what got me was that Johnson flat out lied, and lied and lied. But it was the U.K. population that took us there, for not bothering to inform themselves of some of the realities which would prevail on leaving the EU and how that would directly affect their lives. 

That's about it, there were/are still some other scumbags who also lied through their teeth, remember cheaper food, clothes, fuel, VAT reductions, we did after all hold all the cards, err yah only we didn't.😒 

Edited 6 June, 20232 yr by Graham Butcher

2 hours ago, numskull said:

what got me was that Johnson flat out lied, and lied and lied.

 

Thats like being shocked that water evaporates, unless you had been in a cave for the last couple of decades what else would you expect?

 

2 hours ago, numskull said:

But it was the U.K. population that took us there, for not bothering to inform themselves of some of the realities which would prevail on leaving the EU and how that would directly affect their lives. 

 

So it's no longer Boris that "persuaded the majority of the U.K. population of this little island, which has no manufacturing industries to speak of, no oil, no gas, old and completely dilapidated infrastructures of every type, which relies on a few foreign-owned financial and service businesses, private banks and its mortgaged housing stock to prop-up its economy, that they’d all be better-off being outside one of the the worlds largest trading economies." but those who did not bother to inform themselves then.

 

That is called democracy.

 

When will you stop counting the months and years?

Folks, this forum has a brilliant track record of keeping things on track with a really helpful community.

If you want to discuss the lunacy of Brexit please do it elsewhere.

I agree, my apologies, I would have ignored it had it not gained momentum.

Yep, apologies here too…

So today I tripped and smacked my right knee on the basement stairs which, in turn, shocked me that I shot up and smacked the back of my head on the doorframe, then to avoid the K2 bus which decided it HAD to occupy the entire right hand lane, I decided to definitely avoid that and I grazed the NSF alloy….Feeeeeck!!! 

Yeah, I managed to also kerb my nice new wheels parking outside my house, I had to come in at an acute angle due to how others had parked and I managed to kerb my OSF 🤢, only had the car a few days as well.

I’d done all four before I’d owned it for 6 months. 

My wife's Karoq goes in for a 4 wheel refurb next week. £80 per corner + VAT. She's had the car for 2 years but we are selling it soon so time to get the wheels done & two new front tyres.

On 16/05/2023 at 10:00, Colin170CR said:

Yes I did. As well as working for A/C manufacturers, distributors & an AC Consultancy firm working with Tesco amongst others. Regular visits to Europe & USA as part of my work. They were good times through the ups & downs of the economy but more relaxed these days.

My only contact with the industry these days is from afar & going to old colleague retirement do's (one this Friday) & funerals. Makes you think a bit about life & what's more important. 

Sorry to pinch this to ask, but how often should a household system need charged? Ours has stopped blowing cold and the fan on the outer unit is no longer coming on. I have assumed it’s maybe a low pressure issue that’s disabled it but I’ve no way to test it and may be wrong. 
trying to find someone local that will check it at the minute.