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

[CitroJim]

I once had a 'proper' Ka and really loved it. I was given it, the only car I've ever got like that... It had a bit of MoT on it and I made the most of it before finding it was like a colander underneath and stood no chance of another MoT.

Shame really as they were a tremendous little car...

On to happier subjects, yesterday I ran in a 5 mile race and did my best time over that distance in many years and by some considerable margin

Here's me looking very delighted

[Huskyxantia]

I took a long time going through this, here's that story (true) I mentioned a yr ago , sorry it took me so long , it was a hard job to do..
(5) Do you believe in ghosts ? - Page 9 - French Car Forum https://share.google/e4VqAB5KK0ziJjE9P

[CitroJim]

Thanks Husky

It's been a bit quiet on the car front recently. I've been thoroughly enjoying my return to good health and making the most of it...

The only remotely automotive thing I've done is give my little booster pack a proper test and was delighted to find it did a perfect job of starting a car with a very flat battery Not bad for a little thing that's smaller than a paperback book!

Ove the past couple of weeks I'd worked up plans to sell the old diesel dinosaur van I currently have and get that yellow electric R5 I lust after...

That was well scuppered yesterday after a visit to the dentist I need several teeth out to resolve an issue that's been getting worse over the last year or so. Implants will replace them. No way am I having dentures

And I'm worth it

[CitroJim]

Yesterday we celebrated the 500th Milton Keynes Junior parkrun event in fine style It was a biggie with over 350 participants (a very large number for a junior event) and it took a lot of planning and organisation to make it the overwhelming success that it was...

Much of it kept me very busy during the days and weeks leading up to the event

I was the Run Director and this picture was taken of me in action:

Is there anything more dangerous than me with a microphone in one hand and a clipboard in the other?

[Huskyxantia]

Filmed from the waist up ... as he was doing an Elvis......

[Skull]

Is there anything more dangerous than me with a microphone in one hand and a clipboard in the other?

Karaoke Night

Well Done Jim and all the

[CitroJim]

Filmed from the waist up ... as he was doing an Elvis......

Nah, just being me Husky

Karaoke Night

Well Done Jim and all the

You don't want to hear me singing Gary, trust me!

Yesterday saw me doing a bit of work on an Activa It was good...

[CitroJim]

Our recent stormy weather exposed a bit of a domestic problem on Saturday...

Sitting chatting in my living room, Steph observed that my downstairs loo light had turned itself on all by itself

Investigation found water dripping off the end of the light switch pull-cord! Furter investigation up in the attic found rainwater pouring down the side of the soil pipe due to a failed seal where it pokes up through the roof. A lot of the electrics runs in the same void as the soil pipe from top to bottom of the house and water had managed to move from the side of the pipe to the lighting wiring to the loo. Modern LED bulbs need very little leakage (no pun intended) in their switching to illuminate them... Even capacitive coupling along long parallel cable runs can provide enough leakage to dimly light some...

Lots of absorbent material in the form of puppy training pads wrapped around the soil pipe in the attic staunched the flow. Those puppy pads have thousands of uses around the house, in my darkroom and in the workshop; I'd never be without a pack. What they are never used for and will never be is for their intended purpose!

Happily, we have a great local roofer and he was happy to pop round yesterday morning and do a temporary repair before returning to do the job properly... And that was in very strong winds too. Not really an ideal time to go working at height on exposed rooves...

Hopefully the amount of rain that did get in has caused no permanent damage...

[Huskyxantia]

​Had an electric fault two years ago—every winter, same time each year. I was using a log splitter in a polytunnel, and as soon as it rained hard enough, off the electric would go.
​I replaced the roof on the small outbuilding that houses the power boards and so on, as the roof was old (the boards themselves had been updated three years prior). It wasn't that. Even the small fuse box in the tunnel was checked several times. This went on for three seasons.
​Then two years ago, we—and by we, I mean me and my wife—found it. It was raining. I was resetting the main breaker that trips when there’s a problem. I was wearing rubber gloves and my boots were thick rubber. As I pushed the tripped breaker back to reset it, my wife called out, "Oh my God!" A bright flash had come from over the back of the midfield.
​I went to see where under her guidance, and I found it. Three years before, Powergen had been on the land and repaired three poles. In the process of doing this, they had ripped an old cable that had once supplied power to an old bird-breeding shed. It was fully exposed to the elements. When the winter set in... well, you know the rest.
​I traced the cable back, and with the power safely off, did away with the line. I've had no problems since.
​It's the only time I was pleased I got soaked!

[CitroJim]

That was a great bit of fault-finding Husky

[CitroJim]

I finally had a bit of free time that I could devote to a bit of car work. Life has been very busy and rather hectic these past few weeks. Happily, my health remains good and I'm once again thriving

First up was routine checks on the posh van and Strawberry - all good there

Both have been quite busy recently so it was good to find all was in order... Strawberry is looking very grimy and dusty but with a hosepipe ban still in force, that's how she'll stay... I have better things to do than faff about with buckets of water washing cars. Anyway, eventually the rain will do the necessary

I then turned my attention to Bluebell's fusebox intermittency; a problem that was getting progressively worse during the last times I drove her...

The fusebox was easy to remove for a close look on the bench...

The fusebox is all plastic welded together and not intended to be dismantled. A bit of careful dremel, drill and scalpel work soon had it in pieces...

The problem was immediately obvious... A very dry joint on one of the connector spades:

And signs of overheating around it.

I now need to procure some small nylon screws to properly reassemble it and do a proper job but for now it will hold together well enough to prove all is now good.

Reassembly today and a test run. I'll be good to take Bluebell out for a drive again without her electrics dying on a regular basis!

[RichardW]

Citroen: repair by replacement
CitroJim: Hold my beer....