Mundane facts about your day...

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Carole

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Anyhows, I drove through Eccleshall, and you'd never know we were on lockdown.
The high street was full of people, the seats outside the cafe were packed.
I suppose if the PMs guru can do it, so can everyone else.

Saw the same today when driving past Milford Common this afternoon. Swarms of people in groups.
Ok, I know that the rules have relaxed and we can go out but I didn't observe much social distancing. People very close together, I'm sure that some were the same family but almost certainly not those of different ethnicity.

Some people obviously have written themselves an exemption certificate.
 

EasMid

Well-Known Forumite
Thanks for the kind offer @Thehooperman . Battery completely flat but when tested is ok and just lack of use
Could be lack of use but it's also a really common problem with "modern" car batteries, especially vehicles with "stop/start". The battery loses charge but when jump started &tested it shows as ok. If the battery is much more than about 3 year old I consider replacing it. The battery will probably be ok for a while but it will fail again & the time between failures will get shorter. You could even find I'll start in he morning, drive a couple of miles & then it won't start when left for half an hour or so. Although modern batteries aren't cheap it's probably worth the cost having it replaced just for peace of mind. (Use a "proper" garage, Halfords are notorious for fitting the wrong spec batteries. ). If your car has stop/start make sure they fit he correct spec battery, stop/start batteries are quite a bit more expensive & require a bit more care when fitting & resetting.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Saw the same today when driving past Milford Common this afternoon. Swarms of people in groups.
Ok, I know that the rules have relaxed and we can go out but I didn't observe much social distancing. People very close together, I'm sure that some were the same family but almost certainly not those of different ethnicity.

Some people obviously have written themselves an exemption certificate.

We went to Church Stretton, 15k walk around the hills. Car park was quiet in the morning but busy when we returned, can hardly blame people though when the government are not just letting off but aggressively defending their own for doing it.

Makes you wonder if they are hoping we do all get infected TBH, herd immunity was Cummings plan after all. Didn't realise he wanted to start out with his own parents though.
 

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
We used to have a battery charger for years, which came in very useful for the older batteries which seemed to keep going a lot before these more modern cars. Then we lent it to a neighbour a few years ago just before they moved house. The bloke offered to put it back on the high shelf in our garage for me once he'd finished to save me climbing up..... next time we came to use it we found he'd broken the leads and clips off :mad:

Worth noting that what I mentioned isn’t a charger (except for phones, it doubles as a very bulky phone charger), it is specifically for jumpstarting a flat battery without trickle charging. No plug required, so you can use it half way down the M6 if for some reason you somehow got a flat battery there...
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Worth noting that what I mentioned isn’t a charger (except for phones, it doubles as a very bulky phone charger), it is specifically for jumpstarting a flat battery without trickle charging. No plug required, so you can use it half way down the M6 if for some reason you somehow got a flat battery there...
Aaah right thanks @Cue will look into that as son is always worried going to work in the early hours whether his battery will be ok as well . (He's just ordered some jump leads , after our battery died yesterday, so that he could get one of his mates to drive and get him started if Green flag weren't able to be there in time for work . )

Also worth a mention.....Green flag sent a text message after it was sorted yesterday, 'reminding' me that they now don't cover the same problem within the following 28 days. So if it goes again before then they won't come out . Used to be they wouldn't attend the same problem within 24 hrs when I first took the policy out years ago. Sneaked that in without mentioning it at renewal , as I have no mention of changes on the renewal letters received each year or when I ring to get the rate online honoured at the time instead of inflated renewal price as ' a loyal customer' . Going to ring around a few other breakdown companies to check their policy on that one , as this policy is due for renewal in June.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Could be lack of use but it's also a really common problem with "modern" car batteries, especially vehicles with "stop/start". The battery loses charge but when jump started &tested it shows as ok. If the battery is much more than about 3 year old I consider replacing it. The battery will probably be ok for a while but it will fail again & the time between failures will get shorter. You could even find I'll start in he morning, drive a couple of miles & then it won't start when left for half an hour or so. Although modern batteries aren't cheap it's probably worth the cost having it replaced just for peace of mind. (Use a "proper" garage, Halfords are notorious for fitting the wrong spec batteries. ). If your car has stop/start make sure they fit he correct spec battery, stop/start batteries are quite a bit more expensive & require a bit more care when fitting & resetting.
We haven't got a stop/start car. First thing I make sure of when buying new cars is that it isn't one of them . Had one on hire , when someone pranged our car a few years ago , and hated it. Kept worrying it wouldn't start again at junctions and in traffic jams.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Worth noting that what I mentioned isn’t a charger (except for phones, it doubles as a very bulky phone charger), it is specifically for jumpstarting a flat battery without trickle charging. No plug required, so you can use it half way down the M6 if for some reason you somehow got a flat battery there...
He means something like this.

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/b...rters/noco-gb20-500a-jump-starter-721880.html

Noco is the best you can get by the way, well worth spending the extra on. Just charge it at home (any usb socket). Then chuck it in your glovebox and forget it until you need it. Has saved me on numerous occasion.

Alternatively one of these.

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/b...asafe-0.75a-smart-battery-charger-436270.html

Just attach it to your battery whenever your cars parked in the garage, even if you leave it parked for weeks.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
We haven't got a stop/start car. First thing I make sure of when buying new cars is that it isn't one of them . Had one on hire , when someone pranged our car a few years ago , and hated it. Kept worrying it wouldn't start again at junctions and in traffic jams.
You can disable them at the touch of a button.
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
You can disable them at the touch of a button.
I didn't know that....I even returned to Enterprise after picking it up and it kept cutting out at each junction :lol: Must have been around the time they first came out and I hadn't heard of stop/start before ...

Thinking (hoping) it was drained this time as we have started it up twice daily to backout of the garage a couple of car lengths and put back in again ever since hubby started working from home for over 10 weeks . As well as getting the bins and lawn mower through the garage, hubby has been walking around the garage to get exercise while he's had a few slack moments at work. So as well as using the power to start the car daily, it is also lighting up the side lights which are permanently on .

Having a drive out to Pottal Pool and back to fill up with petrol in a minute ..... fingers crossed :D (Couldn't believe the fuel price was 121.9 a litre at the Shell by us yesterday though.....Shell by sons was about 1.04 the other day when he filled up ! )
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
I didn't know that....I even returned to Enterprise after picking it up and it kept cutting out at each junction :lol: Must have been around the time they first came out and I hadn't heard of stop/start before ...

Thinking (hoping) it was drained this time as we have started it up twice daily to backout of the garage a couple of car lengths and put back in again ever since hubby started working from home for over 10 weeks . As well as getting the bins and lawn mower through the garage, hubby has been walking around the garage to get exercise while he's had a few slack moments at work. So as well as using the power to start the car daily, it is also lighting up the side lights which are permanently on .

Having a drive out to Pottal Pool and back to fill up with petrol in a minute ..... fingers crossed :D (Couldn't believe the fuel price was 121.9 a litre at the Shell by us yesterday though.....Shell by sons was about 1.04 the other day when he filled up ! )
Brocton petrol station: never knowingly underpriced.
 

EasMid

Well-Known Forumite
Brocton petrol station: never knowingly underpriced.
(Couldn't believe the fuel price was 121.9 a litre at the Shell by us yesterday though.....Shell by sons was about 1.04 the other day when he filled up ! )
Petrol was 99.7/litre at Tesco at Rugeley last Friday, even diesel was only 1-05/litre. Might be worth a run out there to charge it up next time you need fuel. Even handy for the tip which never seems to have a queue the couple of times I've passed.
 

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
Petrol was 99.7/litre at Tesco at Rugeley last Friday, even diesel was only 1-05/litre. Might be worth a run out there to charge it up next time you need fuel. Even handy for the tip which never seems to have a queue the couple of times I've passed.
Tesco in Stafford is 100.9 for UL and 105.9 for SUL and Diseasel.
 

Perrier

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tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
seems the barrel is cheap n nasty.
Some people have had success using a long screwdriver pushed through the grill .

Theres quite a few mention the problem and fix online though.

Not sure if this will help.

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/35338-guide-to-fixing-common-focus-bonnet-lock-problem/
I took it to my step brother for a socially distanced look at, he's sure the lock will need replacing but he's looking at a working one today that a coworker has before we order anything. Seems a bloody stupid design!
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
Petrol was 99.7/litre at Tesco at Rugeley last Friday, even diesel was only 1-05/litre. Might be worth a run out there to charge it up next time you need fuel. Even handy for the tip which never seems to have a queue the couple of times I've passed.
It has been those prices for several weeks now.
Tesco in Stafford is 100.9 for UL and 105.9 for SUL and Diseasel.
Explains why Brocton has been so deserted each time I've gone for milk during lockdown. I know it's normally dearer than Tesco , but not normally that much dearer :o. Pre-lockdown times I mostly filled up in Worcester, as all the Tesco, BP and Shell ones were cheaper than anywhere around here (bit spooky in the BP one late at night though, and I've never been again after a bloke tried to get me to give him a lift to his broken down car up the road and wouldn't leave me alone.No sign of a car where he said it was when I locked my doors and made a bolt for it :eek: )
He means something like this.

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/b...rters/noco-gb20-500a-jump-starter-721880.html

Noco is the best you can get by the way, well worth spending the extra on. Just charge it at home (any usb socket). Then chuck it in your glovebox and forget it until you need it. Has saved me on numerous occasion.

Alternatively one of these.

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/b...asafe-0.75a-smart-battery-charger-436270.html

Just attach it to your battery whenever your cars parked in the garage, even if you leave it parked for weeks.

Thanks, got them bookmarked for hubby to look at later :up:
 
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