CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Deanxm]

Churchill's 'Black Dog' still comes to visit occasionally

You need to block that dog flap up thats in your back door Jim, told you about that before, shove the spare HP20 in it that will stop the blighter

D

[Xaccers]

so if we could tether enough pigeons to you you would feel comfrtable traveling like that.............
I remember the my second flight to ireland on my own, i was about 6 i think, i was in an isle seat next to some guy who had a window seat, i must have been chewing the poor sods ear as i remember him telling me on the runway that he hates flying and asked if i would like to swap seats so i had the window, i jumped at the chance and proceeded to give this guy a running comentary for the whole takeoff about the great view was and how much the wings bend and isnt it weird how they dont break, it must of been the worst flight he had ever been on, i bet he was relieved when i went into he cockpit after takeoff for the rest of the flight.

The above is a very good reason why children should not be sent on planes alone!

D

Sounds like my first flight, to Jeddah, with mum and my sister heading out to visit dad and to see if we'd be happy living there with him. I was about 4, and I asked mum "What do we do if the wings fall off? What do we do if we crash?" and other mundane questions like that which I thought it was important to know the answers to, I definitely wasn't afraid of anything like that happening. She handed me the safety card and got some peace and quiet while she squeezed dents into the armrests as we took off
She's never got the hang of opening little milk cartons without them exploding all over her though...

[CitroJim]

Churchill's 'Black Dog' still comes to visit occasionally

You need to block that dog flap up thats in your back door Jim, told you about that before, shove the spare HP20 in it that will stop the blighter

D

His visits are very rare these day Dean and it's all the spannering that keeps him away... Not done any for far too long now so this weekend come rain or shine I MUST get the spanners out...

It'll be on a 206 and a Pixo rather than anything green-blooded though..

Happy days. I've just done my finances for the month and I can afford a set of Vredensteins for the Activa

[Xaccers]

I could always bring Cassy over to have a go at changing her aircon bearing....

[Citroenmad]

I have to say im not the biggest fan of flying. My first flight was in a plane the size of a Mini Metro and had only 4 seats. I really didn't enjoy that at all much, but my second flight was in a real plan going to Canada, which was a decent flight, I didn't mind that too much but wouldn't say I enjoyed it.

Equally I dislike boats, they make me quite ill. I don't mind trains too much but the car is the only real way to travel for me. However, if im a passenger on some rough and twisting roads then the interior will be redecorated, so im usually always the driver

Its why I like going to France so much, the car is the main transport, cross into France on a train and your away, into Europe and free to drive. Its love to do a few months holidaying touring around Spain, France, Germany and Italy. Must do that.

[CitroJim]

For the past few weeks, due to work and daughter commitments I've been a stranger to the spanners In fact I did not venture into my workshop for a whole two weeks. A bit like an alcoholic not going down the pub...

Yesterday I had a real day off and after 'detailing' the house from top to bottom and doing some essential garden (jungle) work, I gave Rattiva a check-over and an interior clean. As Rattiva is, everything was tickitty-boo as is usual...

Then I turned to the Activa. Not moved in three weeks, not touched. Started on the button. Gave her a clean as she was very dusty and rain splattered and gave her a good polish.

It was a lovely afternoon so I took her for a spin. Lovely Got home to find a massive pool of LHM under her, in the vicinity of the front ram

She's been listening or perhaps lonely and wanted some attention.

She got it this morning and I was s delighted, nay shocked, to see the fault was simple. I was expecting the worst and was prepared to do a full ram overhaul but in the event it was just a simple case of the leakage return pipe had popped out of the ram spigot

It's not a simple job to pop it back as the spigot is out of sight so it's a ram off job. I learned just how good copper grease is. Last time the ram was off was about two years ago and when I reassembled it I was generous with the old Coppaslip. Today the nuts came off a perfect treat - no need even to counterhold the threads

I'll be taking her out for another spin later this afternoon. I've missed her...

I shall go and check on Chris570's XM progress...

[Citroenmad]

A fairly simple fix Jim, I do like those

[CitroJim]

A fairly simple fix Jim, I do like those

Me too Shame is, I don't get to experience them very often

[CitroJim]

Another week of relentless work and not of the automotive kind

Still yesterday was a blessedly short work day. It was our current apprentice’s last day. He's been so good we took him out for a slap-up lunch and I took the afternoon off

He will be sadly missed. In his time with us he's built us countless servers and spoken to the nice lady at Microsoft to activate them so many times he's now dating her...

On the car front, I've just insured Sian on her Pixo and again Admiral came out brilliantly. yet another car on my multi-car policy. That's five now I was delighted that I was able to cover Sian for less than £600...

Robyn's 206 is playing up. It's refusing to idle now. I have it around here so will be sorting it today.

First I have to make it look less of a skip inside and more like a car. What is it with girls and treating the insides of their cars like a rubbish dump? Honestly...

[Xaccers]

[CitroJim]

That'll be spot on Xac, except...

Robyn's room looks like a tip too....

[Xaccers]

That'll be spot on Xac, except...

Robyn's room looks like a tip too....

Tomboy?

[Citroenmad]

All work and little play is not much fun Jim!

That isvery cheap insurance for a new driver/learner, I might have to check Admiral out again.

My insurance renewal for my C5 came through today, £956 My does my insurance increase as I get holder, just shopping for better quotes now

That picture suits me, my room is not exactly tidy, however my cars are spotless. The C5 is as clean as a new pin after today and rarely has any more clutter than a bottle of water, some Cds in the glovebox, mints in the door cubby and a satnav which lives under the boot floor with a map book. Xantia is the same, I hate clutter in cars.

I parked next to a Saab 9-3 the other day and happened to glance inside, there was only the drivers seat free from stuff. On the passenger seat, on top of many papers and bits and bobs was a pack of butter, half a loaf of bread and used coffee cups. The back seats were burried, I just couldn't drive that!

[CitroJim]

I parked next to a Saab 9-3 the other day and happened to glance inside, there was only the drivers seat free from stuff. On the passenger seat, on top of many papers and bits and bobs was a pack of butter, half a loaf of bread and used coffee cups. The back seats were burried, I just couldn't drive that!

Definitely a girl's car then Chris I found life-forms in Robyn's this morning unknown to science...

Seems I have her car sorted. I noted that if it did idle at all then it would almost die and then pick up. It did this consistently and watching the idle stepper motor on Peugeot Planet (Pug Lexia). it was going very, very low and then slowly rising.

I had the throttle body off and it was a bit gunged up, as was the idle valve. Gave it a good clean. Better but not perfect. Then I re-initialised and retrained the ECU and that seems to have cracked it. Now as you release your foot off the accelerator the revs fall to idle but never dip below idle as if it's going to die. It was rattling like a bag of spanners because the back-box was loose. The last time a back-box was fitted they used too-big an exhaust clamp. Wandered up to the exhaust/tyre place at the end of the road and they gave me one for free

Been running around in the 206 all today and initially it feels horrible and alien compared to the Xantia. Slowly though it grows on you and it becomes a real little fun to chuck around and rev the nuts off sort of car. Gosh it's fun. The little TU is a revvy little engine and thrives on it. The car handles nicely and it's a hoot in a go-kart sort of a way. There's a ghost of a 205 in it but the 205 remains for me, the very superior car.

There's still a couple of majors to sort. The bonnet has a broken hinge, the pivot pin has broken but I'm sure I can make a new one but worse, is the long travel on the brake pedal. The brakes work well but the travel, to my mind, being used to spring-less Xantia brakes, is about a mile too long. The handbrake comes up a long way too so I suspect the rear brake self-adjusters are no longer. It'll be off with the rear drums tomorrow for a look and see.

Siany is coming around in the Pixo tomorrow for a pre-MOT check. I'm conscious of three year old cars failing so this one, despite its very low miles, is having a full pre-test...

[Northern_Mike]

All work and little play is not much fun Jim!

That isvery cheap insurance for a new driver/learner, I might have to check Admiral out again.

My insurance renewal for my C5 came through today, £956

Mine for the Berlingo came through yesterday. £268 Fully comp, with legal and windscreen, MX5 write-off 4 years ago declared, Focus damage last November declared, and I told them about my ban 10 years ago. That's with E-Sure, missus as a named driver and she's only been driving 5 years in the UK. I'm "only" 38, I was quite surprised by that, I was expecting it to be over £400 as it was £340 last year.