Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Zelandeth]

I've always just stuck with that screen wash as it seems to work well for me, plus if it decides to leak under the car it's nice and obviously not coolant (especially useful given it's right next to the coolant expansion bottle).

With the knowledge that the Activa has a 300-ish mile trip tomorrow I wanted to give it a once over. Also wanted to finish the service I started the other day.

Okay...first off drain the oil, five minute job with no mess because I'm lazy and use a pump. Oil filter required 15 minutes of faffing around to get off simply because it's a royal pain to get at, even when you've already done it twice.

It would be easy if there wasn't a boost pipe in the way to the left and a million high pressure hydraulic lines to the right.

Once I convinced it to move it was a simple matter of spin it off, spill oil all over the front of the engine because it's mounted the wrong way up, and stick the new one on. Then fresh oil in, start up and check the level. Having measured what came out, this was where we were first try.

While I was in there I checked that the crankshaft pulley bolt hadn't unscrewed itself, it looked fine. So put the wheel arch liner back in.

Managed to snap one of the clips getting it out. I'll sort that shortly - liner ain't going anywhere as it is.

While giving things a wipe down (having managed to flick oil all over the place from the dipstick) I spotted something that obviously wasn't as it should be...

So *that* would be why a little while ago I suddenly started to be able to hear the turbo wastegate going *pssschooo* on every gearchange.

Nothing for it with a trip halfway up the country the following day, pulled it off, got some good quality duct tape in there and wrapped some cable ties around it so the tape can't unravel.

Better solution would have been self amalgamating tape, but I couldn't find it. So duct tape it is. The hose has gone very hard, so replacement is probably the only long term solution. It's basically just a glorified elbow though, so I'm sure a silicone replacement could be sorted easily enough (as knowing PSA the original hose will be long since NLA).

Last task for the day was to clear the detritus out of the boot and to give the leather a quick skim over with the leather conditioner.

Looks better.

Really need to get some new floor mats for the front.

If I've got to spend several hours stuck in a queue on the M6, I may as well do it in a clean car interior that smells nice.

[Zelandeth]

Just over 5 hours driving, 368 miles, and we're safely at the hotel.

Lumpy twisty back road...suffice to say the Activa was rather more at home than the Audi A5 that was the second car in the convoy. I could see it in the mirrors, best description I can come up with in terms of the handling would be a drunken hippo on a space hopper.

Just a shame I didn't have time to get the cruise control fitted as the Activa is far too happy to cruise at very illegal speeds and the boosty nature of the engine means that increasing throttle by 0.1% tends to result in about 30% more power.

[CitroJim]

Good work Zel and pleased the Activa was good on the trip

Those intake pipes splitting is now a very common problem and I believe they are like rocking gorse poo now... I may have one here...

Enjoy your time away

[Zelandeth]

Was sure I'd read on here about them splitting before.

Given it's essentially just an elbow with a stretchy bit in, hopefully it shouldn't be too massive a headache to find something off the shelf that will do the job given the tendency for the Motorsport enthusiasts to replace anything and everything made of rubber under their bonnets with silicone. Obviously I'd stick with black so it wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

[CitroJim]

A custom Silicone one would be a lasting and attractive replacement Zel... It's what I'd now go for...

[Michel]

Get a silicone one Zel, anything else is simply a false economy. They're all going to be nearly 20 years old and brittle. Both of my Activas had split ones. I found silver duct tape to be an effective fix.

[Zelandeth]

To be honest, if I spent a bit more time on it I could do a tape repair that would be far less conspicuous - it really needs replacing long term though.

Interesting that it's the bit right next to the LHM pipes that has gone, wonder if that's got anything to do with it. Probably not...just 20+ years of flexing.

Forgot to mention, was officially spotted by someone on Twitter the other day. The following was linked to by someone over on UKSaabs.

Nice that it seems to make people happy... that's at least half the reason for driving cars beyond your bland every day stuff.

[CitroJim]

Forgot to mention, was officially spotted by someone on Twitter the other day. The following was linked to by someone over on UKSaabs.

Screenshot_20181102_144039.jpg

Nice that it seems to make people happy... that's at least half the reason for driving cars beyond your bland every day stuff.

Excellent! I once got spotted in Nottingham in the Activa and made it onto a group on Facebook I had utterly no connection with...

Good feeling isn't it

My Saxo (along with Alasdair's AX) has appeared in the 'Citroenian' (the CCC magazine) after they were spotted at a Haynes Breakfast Club meeting one Sunday...

[Zelandeth]

Probably the best "...?" moment I've had today was stumbling across this in the main convention space today.

Yes, that's a front destination blind from a bus (Hanover Displays made in this case I believe).

Had the chance to pick up one of these a few years ago and passed it up because "I didn't have space for it." Still kicking myself. Flip dot displays are just cool, and ones like these are actually pretty flexible with what you can do with them so long as you have the controller. Only grumble would be having to dig out one of my few 24V power supplies for it rather than one of the sea of 12V ones.

Given that the convention chairman is also a bus mechanic, finding this shouldn't really have surprised me. To be honest, I think this one is probably the only forum I'm on that I can think of where I've not stumbled across anyone I know from this rabble.

That's probably one of the things I enjoy the most about it - the fact that over here normal divides mean nothing. Origin, income, profession, education level, language in many cases, other hobbies/interests, they mean nothing...this community has a mind bending ability to cross the metaphorical streams. It's a lot of fun - even if that does occasionally cause good moments of "Wait... aren't you <insert name here> from over such and such...?" Usually when you least expect it. Think I'm easier to track down than most folks given that I use the same username everywhere and having done so for far closer to twenty years than I want to think about.

Oh, still reckon having this on the fuel gauge of the Activa after 370 miles ain't bad going given the usual thirst I see boosting it around Milton Keynes.

Went to look for the fuel station we usually use when here today and found a huge hole in the ground...so can't give an actual figure yet.

Also seriously need to wash it...had that moment today where I realised that the side windows are covered in salt now and I now can't see out the car. Made the right turn out of the hotel car park quite interesting.

Edit:

Never mind...the French car theme has crossed over. This belongs to one of the convention staff...

They've apparently had Peugeots in the family dating back at least into the mid 90s. Hoping to get a proper chance to have a natter with them and get a photo of this lovely 207 next to the Activa. Shameless forum plug will of course happen!

[CitroJim]

Love that display Zel

That's probably one of the things I enjoy the most about it - the fact that over here normal divides mean nothing. Origin, income, profession, education level, language in many cases, other hobbies/interests, they mean nothing...

It's exactly the same in the running and cycling communities and it's both good and very refreshing One reason I'm so happy in those communities...

The fuel economy of a TCT Activa on a long run can be very good... I once got 39mpg out of one on a run from Dover to MK along a remarkably clear M2, M25 amd M1!!!

[Zelandeth]

We made just over 32mpg on the way up here. Probably would have been a bit better if we hadn't got stuck in stop/start traffic at quite a few points on the way up.

Grumbling this evening in that it's 1940, there are several things I still want to do this evening, not least just spend a bit of time running around the event with the camera, yet I've a splitting headache and just want to go to bed. Hate this perpetually being bloody tired.

[Michel]

Hate this perpetually being bloody tired.

It's s**t isn't it? I've been battling it since 2012 on and off. The last three months or so have been terrible. Absolutely drained, headaches, a lot of fibro pain, terrible brain fog and the desire to just curl up and sleep for a very long time.

Sadly with an 8 year old son, and a job 25 miles away down the M4 to Heathrow by motorbike it's not an option.

[Zelandeth]

Particularly annoying is that as it's not directly threatening my actual life, so doctors aren't really interested. Given the problems other folks at home are dealing with I'm just gritting my teeth and dealing with it really.

Did manage to get my second wind and get out for another hour or so. Have been looking forward to this weekend all year, so determined to make the best of it. Even if I wipe myself out for the next week.

[daviemck2006]

Yep the perpetually tired and sore, fibro fog, is s**t. Some days just want to give up, but just have to keep on going for the rare moments that are ok.

[Zelandeth]

Tomorrow evening I'm going to have to play a careful balancing act.

There's usually a concert and dance going on the last evening of the event, and it is fully my intention to attend that and bounce around on the dancefloor like a complete and utter loony (not something you'd see me do anywhere other than here!), hopefully until they actively start pulling the stage apart.

...I do however need to be in a fit state to drive the 368 miles back home on Monday morning. So I'll need to try to keep tabs on my energy levels carefully.

Last year I totally and utterly broke myself, and it was a couple of days before I got myself back into a functional state. Last year though I was a passenger so didn't need to worry about such things. Yes, I'd do it all again in a heart beat too, daft or not.

It's a trade off though. Driving meant that I got to travel in the Activa rather than the hateful Audi. Ten minutes across town to Tesco is bad enough, never mind to the other end of the country. I think it's a worthy trade off. Hoping that we'll be able to get him to go in front on the way back though as he has cruise control...mine is still in a box.