The Joy of Running an Old Shed (Vol 2)
Discussion
mickythefish said:
Well not a good start. Went to start shed up, battery dead. It is a brand new battery but been stood for a bit, just hoping not an electric drain issue. Bought a jump starter and stuck it on charge, and doing what any shedist should do, a 800 mile trip Tomorrow.
That sounds annoying if it's drained it overnight. What will you do at the other end?I know it's going to be a bit of an expensive idea but you might need one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintena...
If you can get this delivered same day or next day, Amazon is cheaper: https://amzn.to/3VV0DP3
Hoofy said:
That sounds annoying if it's drained it overnight. What will you do at the other end?
I know it's going to be a bit of an expensive idea but you might need one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintena...
If you can get this delivered same day or next day, Amazon is cheaper: https://amzn.to/3VV0DP3
Has anyone got one of these? The first I had delivered didn’t appear to hold any charge after being plugged in overnight. I know it's going to be a bit of an expensive idea but you might need one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintena...
If you can get this delivered same day or next day, Amazon is cheaper: https://amzn.to/3VV0DP3
Its replacement never seems to register anything other than these lights when plugged in, regardless of how long it’s left attached to the car. Is this faulty too?
Shnozz said:
Hoofy said:
That sounds annoying if it's drained it overnight. What will you do at the other end?
I know it's going to be a bit of an expensive idea but you might need one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintena...
If you can get this delivered same day or next day, Amazon is cheaper: https://amzn.to/3VV0DP3
Has anyone got one of these? The first I had delivered didn’t appear to hold any charge after being plugged in overnight. I know it's going to be a bit of an expensive idea but you might need one of these:
https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintena...
If you can get this delivered same day or next day, Amazon is cheaper: https://amzn.to/3VV0DP3
Its replacement never seems to register anything other than these lights when plugged in, regardless of how long it’s left attached to the car. Is this faulty too?
You might want to speak to CTEK if yours is not playing ball. The lights on mine are all lit. Out of interest, does it work as expected? It might just be the lights that are the issue?
If you have a multimeter, check the battery on a car that's been sitting for a week. Then connect the CTEK and let it charge up the battery. Then check the car battery voltage. Has it gone up as it should? If so, then I'd ignore the lights.
bearman68 said:
7 5 7 said:
Yes, Bearmann brings me back down to reality, much appreciated 
last one Bearman, Passat 1.6tdi (2012+).....these are sneaking in also below £2k, are these a safer bet than a leggy Insignia 2.0 CDTI lumps?
NO. last one Bearman, Passat 1.6tdi (2012+).....these are sneaking in also below £2k, are these a safer bet than a leggy Insignia 2.0 CDTI lumps? Dreadful engines, a leggy Insignia is a much better bet.
I f
ing loved my caddy with the 1.6tdi, pulled well enough even being the 75bhp version and just ticked all the boxes... just lets not talk about injectors, the only thing that let it down for me in the 60k miles i put on in 2/3 years;) itd still be with me and not replaced by the insignia if it hadnt of got written off
I keep looking on ebay but i know i just need to bite the bullet and pay the premium for the 2.0, but the frugal side of me will more than likely just stick to sheds
Ryyy said:
bearman68 said:
7 5 7 said:
and just ticked all the boxes... just lets not talk about injectors, the only thing that let it down for me in the 60k miles i put on in 2/3 years;) itd still be with me and not replaced by the insignia if it hadnt of got written off
Ticks all the boxes usually means ticking all those.
Not to mention the water cooling thing that I can't quite remember - but I remember it being difficult and expensive.
The trouble is I can't stand the German stuff - needy, complex and poorly built - and I often wonder if this is confirmation bias, but I see so many examples that it's hard to imagine I can be wrong on so many counts.
I know it's nothing to do with the engine, but I had a blocked scuttle drain in a Saab the other day. About 6 inches of water had flooded into the cabin, and sat there most of the winter. I removed the carpets, dried them, and put them back in, and everything worked (except for the seized blower fan). If that had been an Audi, the electrical problems would have written it off due to the electronic units in the floor. It's just not sensible design.
bearman68 said:
You didn't replace the HP pump, the EGR, or the turbo then? Lucky.
Ticks all the boxes usually means ticking all those.
Not to mention the water cooling thing that I can't quite remember - but I remember it being difficult and expensive.
The trouble is I can't stand the German stuff - needy, complex and poorly built - and I often wonder if this is confirmation bias, but I see so many examples that it's hard to imagine I can be wrong on so many counts.
I know it's nothing to do with the engine, but I had a blocked scuttle drain in a Saab the other day. About 6 inches of water had flooded into the cabin, and sat there most of the winter. I removed the carpets, dried them, and put them back in, and everything worked (except for the seized blower fan). If that had been an Audi, the electrical problems would have written it off due to the electronic units in the floor. It's just not sensible design.
The egr did go tbf Ticks all the boxes usually means ticking all those.
Not to mention the water cooling thing that I can't quite remember - but I remember it being difficult and expensive.
The trouble is I can't stand the German stuff - needy, complex and poorly built - and I often wonder if this is confirmation bias, but I see so many examples that it's hard to imagine I can be wrong on so many counts.
I know it's nothing to do with the engine, but I had a blocked scuttle drain in a Saab the other day. About 6 inches of water had flooded into the cabin, and sat there most of the winter. I removed the carpets, dried them, and put them back in, and everything worked (except for the seized blower fan). If that had been an Audi, the electrical problems would have written it off due to the electronic units in the floor. It's just not sensible design.
but i dont put that down to a bad engine or build from VW, injectors are very common problems for that engine, an F up from VW and i had 2 go on me I do know what youre saying, ive heard lots of horror stories across the vag range and their over complexity. I do love a lot of their cars though, bit of a fan boy if im honest. Im just not a true die hard has to be vw/ german only fan boy
Me too. I was just reading this thread:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's about the trials and tribulations of owning and fixing a broken 2016 Jaguar F Pace.
It's now on page 85 and the damned thing has broken again.
I feel the only way he can come out of it with any cash now is to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood.
Owning three heaps of relatively reliable junk myself, I can just ditch any one of them if anything serious goes wrong.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's about the trials and tribulations of owning and fixing a broken 2016 Jaguar F Pace.
It's now on page 85 and the damned thing has broken again.
I feel the only way he can come out of it with any cash now is to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood.
Owning three heaps of relatively reliable junk myself, I can just ditch any one of them if anything serious goes wrong.
Hoofy said:
Yes, I bought one at about £270 from Halfords. It's brilliant. Has saved me several times since I ruined the Porsche battery. (I still eventually had to replace it.) It's a lot better than having a cable sticking out of the window (especially as it was playing up in winter).
You might want to speak to CTEK if yours is not playing ball. The lights on mine are all lit. Out of interest, does it work as expected? It might just be the lights that are the issue?
If you have a multimeter, check the battery on a car that's been sitting for a week. Then connect the CTEK and let it charge up the battery. Then check the car battery voltage. Has it gone up as it should? If so, then I'd ignore the lights.
Thanks pal. Refitted this last night and fingers crossed it seems to be working now. First proper test for it for a few weeks as I’m away. You might want to speak to CTEK if yours is not playing ball. The lights on mine are all lit. Out of interest, does it work as expected? It might just be the lights that are the issue?
If you have a multimeter, check the battery on a car that's been sitting for a week. Then connect the CTEK and let it charge up the battery. Then check the car battery voltage. Has it gone up as it should? If so, then I'd ignore the lights.
QBee said:
Me too. I was just reading this thread:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's about the trials and tribulations of owning and fixing a broken 2016 Jaguar F Pace.
It's now on page 85 and the damned thing has broken again.
I feel the only way he can come out of it with any cash now is to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood.
Owning three heaps of relatively reliable junk myself, I can just ditch any one of them if anything serious goes wrong.
Another car with the dreadful JLR Ingenium diesel engine. My mechanic tells me to avoid these like the plague, he says they are awful unreliable pieces of s**** one of the worse engines of all time.https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's about the trials and tribulations of owning and fixing a broken 2016 Jaguar F Pace.
It's now on page 85 and the damned thing has broken again.
I feel the only way he can come out of it with any cash now is to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood.
Owning three heaps of relatively reliable junk myself, I can just ditch any one of them if anything serious goes wrong.
Shnozz said:
Hoofy said:
Yes, I bought one at about £270 from Halfords. It's brilliant. Has saved me several times since I ruined the Porsche battery. (I still eventually had to replace it.) It's a lot better than having a cable sticking out of the window (especially as it was playing up in winter).
You might want to speak to CTEK if yours is not playing ball. The lights on mine are all lit. Out of interest, does it work as expected? It might just be the lights that are the issue?
If you have a multimeter, check the battery on a car that's been sitting for a week. Then connect the CTEK and let it charge up the battery. Then check the car battery voltage. Has it gone up as it should? If so, then I'd ignore the lights.
Thanks pal. Refitted this last night and fingers crossed it seems to be working now. First proper test for it for a few weeks as I’m away. You might want to speak to CTEK if yours is not playing ball. The lights on mine are all lit. Out of interest, does it work as expected? It might just be the lights that are the issue?
If you have a multimeter, check the battery on a car that's been sitting for a week. Then connect the CTEK and let it charge up the battery. Then check the car battery voltage. Has it gone up as it should? If so, then I'd ignore the lights.
Mind you, if your car is on full charge, and both battery and car are healthy, it will help extend the battery somewhat.
What I like about this system is that it can either boost a battery that doesn't have enough power to jump start OR it can trickle charge a healthy battery, although I don't think it has that high a capacity to say last a week beyond the car's main battery. I think it'd keep my Porsche going for 3 weeks as the main battery probably lasts 2 weeks (both car battery and CTEk being healthy).
Your best bet is a 20W solar panel, I think.
Hoofy said:
If you're uncertain whether it will last for a couple of weeks, you could connect a spare battery to the CTEK as they are designed to use the power from a spare battery. That said, ideally you want a deep cycle (leisure) battery rather than a car battery or you could ruin the spare battery.
Mind you, if your car is on full charge, and both battery and car are healthy, it will help extend the battery somewhat.
What I like about this system is that it can either boost a battery that doesn't have enough power to jump start OR it can trickle charge a healthy battery, although I don't think it has that high a capacity to say last a week beyond the car's main battery. I think it'd keep my Porsche going for 3 weeks as the main battery probably lasts 2 weeks (both car battery and CTEk being healthy).
Your best bet is a 20W solar panel, I think.
I bought the ctek to try and avoid needing another fee cycle battery to be honest! It’s basement parking so solar is not going to cut it either. Mind you, if your car is on full charge, and both battery and car are healthy, it will help extend the battery somewhat.
What I like about this system is that it can either boost a battery that doesn't have enough power to jump start OR it can trickle charge a healthy battery, although I don't think it has that high a capacity to say last a week beyond the car's main battery. I think it'd keep my Porsche going for 3 weeks as the main battery probably lasts 2 weeks (both car battery and CTEk being healthy).
Your best bet is a 20W solar panel, I think.
We will see how well it works. Need to remember to ensure I lock the exige at the door rather than on the fob to ensure if it does go flat I can still get in the car to pop the boot to access the battery.
It’s the bane of my life!
tim jb said:
That looks too nice to be a shed. Clean MOT history apart from the usual tyres and brakes. What sort of money?
£2350 from a dealer with mainly high 5 to low 6 figure stock as a PX-to-clear... slowly revealing its reasons for being parted with by previous owner, but none that have reduced me to a quivering wreck... yet... QBee said:
Me too. I was just reading this thread:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's about the trials and tribulations of owning and fixing a broken 2016 Jaguar F Pace.
It's now on page 85 and the damned thing has broken again.
I feel the only way he can come out of it with any cash now is to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood.
Owning three heaps of relatively reliable junk myself, I can just ditch any one of them if anything serious goes wrong.
You've described the shedding ethos in a nutshell there and I think the reason that these threads were started in the first place. It's hard for a lot of forum members to understand but some of us get an immense amount of joy in running about in an older, cheap car that cost next to nothing to buy with minimal running costs. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
It's about the trials and tribulations of owning and fixing a broken 2016 Jaguar F Pace.
It's now on page 85 and the damned thing has broken again.
I feel the only way he can come out of it with any cash now is to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood.
Owning three heaps of relatively reliable junk myself, I can just ditch any one of them if anything serious goes wrong.
We've nothing much invested in them financially, not precious about body condition, not bothered about what anybody else thinks or says and no monthly payments to worry about.
Even harder to understand is why some of us do it when we can afford much newer cars. I can't go back now, the thought of spunking 30 grand plus on a car to do exactly the same thing just doesn't appeal in the slightest.
Mine's still providing sterling service.
Edited by Gordon Hill on Wednesday 17th April 20:28
Shnozz said:
Hoofy said:
If you're uncertain whether it will last for a couple of weeks, you could connect a spare battery to the CTEK as they are designed to use the power from a spare battery. That said, ideally you want a deep cycle (leisure) battery rather than a car battery or you could ruin the spare battery.
Mind you, if your car is on full charge, and both battery and car are healthy, it will help extend the battery somewhat.
What I like about this system is that it can either boost a battery that doesn't have enough power to jump start OR it can trickle charge a healthy battery, although I don't think it has that high a capacity to say last a week beyond the car's main battery. I think it'd keep my Porsche going for 3 weeks as the main battery probably lasts 2 weeks (both car battery and CTEk being healthy).
Your best bet is a 20W solar panel, I think.
I bought the ctek to try and avoid needing another fee cycle battery to be honest! It’s basement parking so solar is not going to cut it either. Mind you, if your car is on full charge, and both battery and car are healthy, it will help extend the battery somewhat.
What I like about this system is that it can either boost a battery that doesn't have enough power to jump start OR it can trickle charge a healthy battery, although I don't think it has that high a capacity to say last a week beyond the car's main battery. I think it'd keep my Porsche going for 3 weeks as the main battery probably lasts 2 weeks (both car battery and CTEk being healthy).
Your best bet is a 20W solar panel, I think.
We will see how well it works. Need to remember to ensure I lock the exige at the door rather than on the fob to ensure if it does go flat I can still get in the car to pop the boot to access the battery.
It’s the bane of my life!
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