Hi mrgf. Passed my drivers test with BSM learning around Ilford in 1983. Take my hat off to you if you're teaching around the same areas now, hate driving around there now, way busier .

Do you use your Greenline for teaching with maybe dpf problems due to London traffic?

Will the extension of the ulez to the north circular affect you? 

J.R. I did google autarcie. Are we talking The Good life style of self sufficiency or something deeper? Just curious , apologies in advance if the question's a bit offensive.

i do indeed use the Greenie for teaching. From Bethnal Green, to Leyton/Walthamstow, etc often then doing tests at aforementioned centres. I bought there Greenline as I was told at the time, diesels are saving the planet! I now get told I am a kiddy-killing smoke-monster, despite having  DPF and quite low NOX emissions.

 

The super-sneaky politosspots-sorry, politicians researched the average NOX emissions of the era and then made the new regs JUST SLIGHTLY TOO TOUGH for the normal, DPF fitted diesel to pass. Literally micrograms of stuff but thats the deal we get when we let non-drivers make policies! Red Ken wanted everyone on tubes and bussses and he was the original instigator of bus lanes/ congestion charging, etc.

 

So, my reliable, already manufactured  vehicle needs to make way for a later model very soon, despite the cost to the environment caused in building a new car. 

 

As for the DPF, I have known of people having them removed after they start to become an issue. On the Fabia, it can be emptied with no cutting of the outer structure, so no tell tall weld signs for Mr MOT man. A bit of electronic coding out etc and the engine then becomes extra reliable, with ten more horses, to boot!  (So I have heard).

OH, F1 also have a £5 discount code, until the end of may! 10% off too, for key workers.

That's annoying, much to the amusement of my wife I count as a key worker at the mo. 

Funny enough Ken had a small,spot on LBC radio on a Saturday a couple of years back, only time he seemed to make some sense. Maybe the years have mellowed him.......

If your involved in any sort of business that involves vehicles around London seems every Mayor has it in for you.

I have no soil that isnt covered in concrete to grow vegetables, I mean being self sufficient in most things where everybody here resorts to so called "professionals" getting the knowledge and experience to do it yourself, it becomes self perpetuating, a goal and a reward in itself.

 

There are limits of course, I spent the night and most of the day at les urgences ophtalmogie but even there I have invested time and effort to nurture a relationship with the previously very frosty retinal surgeon and she now actually talks with and discusses things with me.

 

During the confinement I did my own temporary filling and it lasted longer than any that my previous dentist had put in, I have a new one now who is really good, by comparison the old one did fillings like I would fill a wall after removing a rawlplug.

5 hours ago, Cheapas said:

 Funny enough Ken had a small,spot on LBC radio on a Saturday a couple of years back, only time he seemed to make some sense. Maybe the years have mellowed him...

Yeah. I remember one time, he was late back from a pleasure trip to France, I believe, got delayed a bit coming in to city airport and caught a cab from there, to the LBC studios...

 

So the likes of me should be on tubes and buses, no cars but he can swan it up on aircraft and private hire taxis!

 

I bet LBC, hence the service user ended up paying that, too. That or a nice reduction in his tax bill!  Just speculating, he may well have stumped up for it out of principle. I'll not hold my breath waiting for the evidence to prove it, though!  I hate the ****'er!

5 hours ago, Cheapas said:

 

 

Regarding self sufficiency I'd love to have the skills , but long ago realised my limitations ( cak handed as my dad regularly told me). Unfortunately where I live the professionals turn up , make all the right noises and never turn up to do the job . Or as our previously trusted plumber did ,  hung radiators on plasterboard which subsequently fell off 6 months later.

Hanging a rad, even with the plasterboard screw-in plugs that then take screws, is NOT a good idea. You will always be waiting for it to fall off! You need proper wooden battens/studs behind the board, to fix through to. (I did dry-lining for 20 years, prior to becoming a driving instructor). I would not even rely on metal studs, unless they were infilled with a wooden baton. Was that plumber a certain Mr John Wayne?

 

So, around a week in, is the a/c still blowing out nice frosty air?

Edited 28 May, 20206 yr by mrgf

That's an insult to the Duke, grew up on his films! 

Was very very lucky. Plumber fitted 7, 2 fell off six months later. At the time my youngest was 4 ish, shudder to think of one of them falling on her. Ended up rehanging them myself direct to brick wall.

On my hol at home at mo, car dumped around corner so won't know till Tuesday if air con still good. Like you drive for a living so try to avoid it when off. Although leave house 3.30am ish for work  so probably won't notice it then . 

Did you get yours fixed ? 

 

I am about to bite the bullet, as they say! I didn't want to do it whilst I had very little money, (Self employed payment was not great and very late in coming). I also have to replace the clutch soon, as it slips somewhat. Not a massive issue if you drive like a learner, around town but then, if going up a steep hill and in high gear, a different story. An experienced driver will instinctively drop a gear but a learner, when hearing/feeling the slip will press the gas even more, trying to get the car moving!

So update, drove car home Friday evening air con still blowing cold so all good. Not so good is that garage have not put dust caps back on recharge ports, should have checked at garage, but wife was waiting to be picked up. Also has really musty smell when in use, but it's working, so happy.

Ps Even saw 80mpg on the guage on way home so even happier, if only it was true!

 

...It CAN be, for certain parts of any given journey! The thing to bear in mind though, is average miles per gallon, over time. 

 

The mustiness could well be due to needing the system to be sanitised.

 

F1 offered this for £19 or just an extra tenner, if done with the re-gas.  You could try one of the cheap air bomb items as they can help. You can get them fairly cheap on eBay or around a tenner from Halfords. You simply run the a/c at full fan speed, with all vents open and on recirc mode, pop the bomb in the back foot well, behind a seat with the seat forward, depress and lock the bombs tab and get out and close the doors. 

 

When the bomb has emptied and the resulting mist has cleared, the car should smell a lot cleaner. Best to also change the pollen filter, if not already done. 

 

I actually use a more professional version of bomb, based on a smoke/fog machine, with the cleaning/sanitising fluid. I run it and fill the car with the fumes. Let it clear, do it again and its great! Might be worth doing two bombs to be sure but one might suffice. Will help kill bacteria as well as remove stale smells.

Hi mrgf. Yes normally get 60+mpg every tank, fill up every month around the 480 mile mark. Read somewhere car needs quarter of a tank to do dpf regen so try to not go past this. Considering the boot is full with  tools and spare wheel quite happy with figures. Only do 62 mph on m/way so maybe this helps. 

I'll try the cheap air bomb you suggested. 

Hope things get back to normal for you, presume there will be a considerable backlog of driving tests to do and frustrated young learners.

Just out of curiosity is the Car Drome still in Romford? Remember teaching a few family members the basics there years ago!