Xac's adventures with Cassy (and friends + wife)

davetherave · Unread post by **davetherave** » 08 Feb 2010, 17:12

Having had two xantias, one an s1 and the other s2,i much prefer the mk2 light units, I found the Mk1 comparable to my XM before i installed HIDs (which has improved it but when driving it still feels like the drivers side bulb might as well not be there) which was just plain dangerous at night!

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 08 Feb 2010, 18:29

davetherave wrote:Having had two xantias, one an s1 and the other s2,i much prefer the mk2 light units, I found the Mk1 comparable to my XM before i installed HIDs (which has improved it but when driving it still feels like the drivers side bulb might as well not be there) which was just plain dangerous at night!

So on your MK1, the passenger side headlight was brighter?
That's what it's like on Juliet, apart from a dark section up to about 8feet in front of the passenger wing.

Cassy's however are more like flood lights, giving a pretty uniform spread of light where I want it.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 08 Feb 2010, 19:26

I too find this odd. My experience of Mk2 lights are that they are a little better than MK1s generally although my Activa lights with the relay mod are brilliant. Which again reminds me I MUST do the relay mod on my V6...

xac, if you remain unhappy despite fitting better bulbs than the Halfrauds glowworms, you can give the spare set of Mk2 headlamps I have a try to prove one way or another.

Pop into Motorserv and pick up a decent set from them. They have a great choice and not too expensive either. I got some good un's from them for the V6... Dashed if I can recall what they were now.

XantiaMan · Unread post by **XantiaMan** » 08 Feb 2010, 20:19

I just got some Osram Nightbreakers for the Transit, left one old one in so you can tell the difference -

Mondeo has got an HID kit waiting to go in...

KP · Unread post by KP » 09 Feb 2010, 08:59

My S2's i have had also seemed much better lighting wise than my mk1's

Maybe i should convert my mk1 front end to a mk2 front end

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 14 Feb 2010, 00:51

I've continued adjusting Juliet's headlights and they're getting better, still have darker patches though.

Took her over to Luton this morning and had two P7's fitted, moving the good rear Michelins to the front to wear down.
Kwik Fit are doing aircon regas for £25 as it's winter, so when it's time for new tyres on the front (another month or so with my driving) if KF are doing P7s for the same price, I'll be replacing the dryer and getting them to regas as they did a good job with Cassy.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 20 Feb 2010, 22:29

Aaaaargh!! Why are some people so stupid and dangerous?
I thought when it comes to batteries, everyone knew the two simplist safety rules:
1. Never recharge alkaline batteries
2. Don't mix batteries

Now what am I ranting on about?
Well, we have cordless phones in the house, one pair run on rechargable AAA batteries.
Since Netta moved out (a friend's daughter who stayed with me for free, left food to rot, left the lights on all the time, until I kicked her out) the handset has been in the back of a cupboard.
I found it tonight and checked the batteries.
Two were the rechargables that I'd fitted when I got the phones, inbetween however was an energizer with plenty of crystals at each end!
God knows what she did with the other rechargable, but she'd been charging the phone and using it. It would explain why it didn't hold its charge for long and sometimes felt quite hot.

Sorry, rant over.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 06 Mar 2010, 21:50

Had a good day today, managed to replace Juliet's A/C dryer.
She'll be getting a re-gas tomorrow.
Also took off Cassy's front wheels to have new tyres fitted.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 06 Mar 2010, 23:23

How's Juliet's blowing exhaust manifold Xac?

Any worse?

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 07 Mar 2010, 11:14

Yes, it's sounding a bit worse.
Do you have the part numbers I'll need to hand?
I can get them ordered next time I have a job in MK then

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 08 Mar 2010, 10:57

Well Cassy's front wheels have new tyres on them, and Juliet eventually had her aircon regassed.
The chap at Luton's KF had called in sick, they'd phoned around Dunstable and Harpenden but neither had trained staff in to do the job.
Thankfully Wolverton did, so after dropping Danielle off home, I popped along.
Their machine tripped it's breaker half way through, but they got it done in the end, and for only £25 as it's still winter.
He did try telling me I'd broken the law by relacing the dryer myself and releasing R134a into the atmosphere, so either IT techs across the land are hardened criminals for using duster gas, or he's talking out his backside.
Danielle took my mum and dad out for a meal last night and then off to the Stables to see Acker Bilk play, which was great, although the audience were like left overs from Night of the Nearly Dead

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 08 Mar 2010, 11:07

Xac wrote:so either IT techs across the land are hardened criminals for using duster gas, or he's talking out his backside.

A lot of IT is criminal in my experience...

That makes asthmatics rather criminal then; I believe R134 is used as an inhaler propellant

R134 is pretty safe. It's non-toxic and non ozone depleting. It can hurt you badly though by suffocation (oxygen displacement) or by causing severe frostbite; the latter being the most dangerous.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 08 Mar 2010, 20:16

Xac wrote:Danielle took my mum and dad out for a meal last night and then off to the Stables to see Acker Bilk play, which was great, although the audience were like left overs from Night of the Nearly Dead

May well have included me had I known he was still touring. Presumed that he was long retired.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 08 Mar 2010, 20:35

myglaren wrote:
Xac wrote:Danielle took my mum and dad out for a meal last night and then off to the Stables to see Acker Bilk play, which was great, although the audience were like left overs from Night of the Nearly Dead
May well have included me had I known he was still touring. Presumed that he was long retired.

Nah, he's only 81

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 21 Mar 2010, 19:22

Took a look a Juliet's hydraulic pump today, it looked a little wet around where the domed end joins, so I wiped it up and noticed the feed pipe could be turned freely despite having the original clip on it.
Replaced the clip with a jubilee and the initial feeling is things have improved.
Really I need to get all the spheres off and have them tested to replace any which are flat/dead.