The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I spent the morning avoiding the wedding... I rewired the headlights on my "new" 4x4. There were some interesting issues we encountered first time we drove it in the dark. On full beam (everything on) you can see for miles, literally. But the centre spot lights are not functioning and more importantly when you dropped down to headlights, you couldn't see anything. They were unbelievably poor. So I got hubby to buy me some new bulbs. The plan was easy. Change the old bulbs for the new ones. What could possibly go wrong?

When instructions for replacing a bulb stay with the ominous instructions of "remove the radiator reservoir" you know life is going to be difficult. Actually that wasn't the problem and was relatively easy, the problem was the style of lights I had, note the past tense, had. They had lock rings on them. And it would not lock back into place once I had removed the headlights to confirm hubby had the wrong ones. And of course the bulb failed the moment it was removed from the assembly.

Fast forward a week, now have the correct headlights bulbs but can't fit them. The lock ring won't lock into place and now can't drive with anything other than side lights on without showing I have a bulb out (infact 3 of my 4 lights were not working at one point with both side lights not functional either...) fast forward another week and new headlight assemblies have been ordered, posted and delivered...

So this morning was spent trying hard to replace the entire lights, rather than just the bulb. Trying is the key here. In theory it was 5 screws to remove the radiator grill, plus a screwdriver operated clip, then 3 screws per light pair, and finally 4 screws for each of the 2 lights in each pair.
What no one who wrote the instructions took into account is that most 4x4s come with bull bars, extra spot lights, CB radios (hence aerials) etc which means that every single screw of that radiator grill is behind something you can't remove and even our shortest stubby Phillips screwdriver is too long. You need a screw driver that operates at 90 degrees to the screw and we didn't have one...

3 hours later and we've finally managed to replace the headlight assembly (only the outer pair, so normal running lights not main bream) and work out why the spotlights didn't work...

The rest of the morning was spent removing the heavy duty kitchen from the boot space. We didn't need it, won't use it and would really much prefer the boot space to be, well a space! It was a crowbar job because all of the screws were given under carpet which had been well glued into place, then a case of tracing wiring to see what it connected to (the non existent leisure battery), then removing the wiring because it just wasn't necessary (connected to a water pump on an on off switch) and finally tidying up the back of my "car".

I've also sorted out the mess someone made installing a new bulb into the rear lights. It's the old dual filament style bulb where there's s bump at 12 and another at 5 so you can only put it in one way. The previous owner actually managed to put it in the wrong way which meant some of the electrics weren't working and strange things happened when I braked (rather than the brake light coming on that is...). I'll have to replace both of those lights bulbs as well. Installing it the wrong way had resulted in tearing one of the bumps away from the base of the bulb which isn't really very good news.

Next weekends project is either tracing the plumbing system and working out why there's no water getting to the rear windscreen or is tracing the myriad of additional wires around my feet to find and locate a switch for the second of the additional led light strips installed on the vehicle. I've only found one of them so far!
Or I could try to work out why cruise control doesn't appear to work.
Or I could uninstall the extra 60L water tank from the roof rack.
Or I could fix the interior courtesy light which either doesn't come on, or doesn't go off depending on if we are using the front doors or the tail gate. It's not the light bulb...

I have a feeling this vehicle is going to occupy my time quite a bit!
And if you've kept up with all of this, type done really well and deserve a good star when I get back from my holiday. (and no my new car isn't going until it's been serviced... It needs it badly and that's something I can't do passed air filters and spark plugs anymore.)
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Blimey!
 
morning glory said:
Blimey!
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20180521_042945.png Yep. I now have every light on the car working. I don't have every light in the car working yet but it isn't until you live in the middle of nowhere that you appreciate those dim little interior door lights especially on moonless nights.
 
I have been spending a fair amount of time in the front garden lately, there is always someone who says 'you can do mine when your done' if I had £1 every time someone said it I could have retired years ago :facepalm:
 
Lullabelle said:
I have been spending a fair amount of time in the front garden lately, there is always someone who says 'you can do mine when your done' if I had £1 every time someone said it I could have retired years ago :facepalm:
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I used to get the same when I was doing my parents garden in Alsager.
Mind you, I found 2*$1 coins and a $2 coin in my "new" 4x4 yesterday!
 
I've always been amazed when Americans show interest in British royals.
It's difficult to put into words, but it seems unnatural; against the very things that make us a different country.
Of course, hipocrasy reigns in every aspect of this, but we naturally buck at the idea of a monarchy, and all therein.

Why anyone here in the states cares about rich folks in England getting married on the government's dime not only is beyond me, but puts a burr under my saddle a bit.

I should add that I completely understand why English folk are invested in it: that's just rootin' for the home team.
 
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buckytom said:
I should add that I completely understand why English folk are invested in it: that's just rootin' for the home team.
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Less folk than you might think... there is a lot of media hype that might make it seem that way. Going by the Brits on this forum it seems as if the majority of us (not all, @sidevalve :laugh: are not much interested or are even anti-royalist but perhaps I'm wrong. The majority of my friends and family are all anti royalists.

Gossip: I note, BTW, that Meghan Markle had a nose job a few years back to slim down her 'ethnic' nose.
 
I put my hand up. I am not anti-royalist and support the Queen and her immediate family. However, I did not watch the wedding. Nor the FA cup final.
 
At least the new series of 'elementary' starts tonight so there is something to watch :happy:
As for being a royalist - well maybe but in comparison to the 650 MP's we have to support at a minimum salary of £70.000 a year + expenses/allowances for everything I do wonder which institution we need to trim down
 
This evening we went for a walk to ALDI for salad and veg, we also picked up a hanging basket liner for £1.99, bargain :thumbsup:
 
morning glory said:
My current window boxes are stocked thanks to Aldi! Good value gardening...
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I've got basil, parsley, and mint on my window ledge, thanks to Tesco and Sainsbury's growing herbs, and some carrot tops sprouting nicely (thanks to Riverford). My pepper plants which I planted from seed last year aren't doing too well - I think the fluctuations in the weather and lack of central heating may have done for them - but I did plant some garlic outside which is now growing OK in spite of being dug up a couple of times by one of the cats.
 
sidevalve said:
At least the new series of 'elementary' starts tonight so there is something to watch :happy:
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Thanks for reminding me. It must have started in The States a few weeks ago as there are episodes 01, 02 and 03 available for download.
 
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