Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

[MattBLancs]

What a wonderful thread Matt, I have really enjoyed reading it from start to the current day. Not only is your writing style very enjoyable to read; but I envy your mechanical abilities!

Keep up the great work!

Thanks very much! I'm made up that you're enjoying my ramblings

[MattBLancs]

Think car washing is on the cards for this weekend then!

C5 sunroof with extra shading

[MattBLancs]

https://www.lep.co.uk/news/people/sahar ... hy-4284434

[MattBLancs]

Don't think the home brewed version was too much of a downgrade really, but new plate £7-something worth it anyway

Spot the difference!

[CitroJim]

New plates always look good Matt

[MattBLancs]

Apologies about the Americanish,

Trying without the heat (or salt for first attempt)

Before

Dipped

[CitroJim]

Be good to see the result Matt, old Citroen wiring can be hard to solder when like that... Those could be quite brittle too...

[MattBLancs]

Experiment 1: a failure, as I foolishly left it hanging by the duct tape sticking the neck of the bottle to the cable further up and gravity had other ideas.
Now reinstated at ground level. Very slightly more copper coloured I think, but no idea how long it actually remained in the vinegar!

As obviously:

I've been off to the tip! :)

[bobins]

Edd China shows a short similar copper wire cleaning process but without the heat involved. He says it should only take minutes. There should be a 'Part 2' to this where you neutralize the process with a solution of Bicarbonate of Soda and water in similar proportions to the vinegar / salt, but you only need to swill the wires around in the bicarb to neutralize it.

[MattBLancs]

I'm calling that a success! Just vinegar no salt good few hours. Quick rinse in water and I'll call that right!

Ta da!

Pressure washer out (for that Sahara sand mess clean up) = rain drops before I've even coupled up the hose!

[CitroJim]

That looks excellent Matt

[MattBLancs]

Finished work early for a bonus mid-week tip run!

Familiar sight!

Yesterday's pressure washer marathon meant I missed the silly 5pm tip closure yesterday

[CitroJim]

Excellent! Always good to see a car earning its living

I have a lot of dead kitchen to take to the tip today and found a great use for my now redundant blue glass recycling box - it makes a great rubble skip!

Redundant because the council have recently introduced a new wheeliebin regime...

[MattBLancs]

157,777 miles covered in the Coupe on the way to work this morning. On my own so no chance of a picture unfortunately. Weather miserable. First go with the "new" Coupe's auto wipers, a couple of instances of "quick, flick to hummingbird mode despite no actual change in rainfall rate" or basically same as every instance of auto wipers I've ever come across!

[c16rkc]

What were the stripped wires from, I seem to have missed that part?

Just in case you don't know - If you do need to solder, make sure you don't buy the "lead free" solder as it's a pain (due to the higher melting point). The solder you want is often known as "60/40" because it has 60% tin, and 40% lead.

I bought the lead free solder off the shelf in Maplin without thinking about it, and it puzzled me for weeks why I was struggling more than I usually do.