So today I am checking the car over ready for a long trip to the UK and did all of the tire pressures. At the same time I also decided to check the spare wheel. Firstly, I found it to be dated 0309 - the date that the car went into circulation!! Totally original. I wouldn't trust a 15 year old tyre even if it never been on the car so that will need changing.
However, secondly, I discovered lots of rust inside the space for the wheel. The underside of the car has no corrosion - none - but obviously the spare wheel had not moved since the car was first sold. I think humidity started to attack the steel. It was definitely to the point of pieces of rust flaking away so something that maybe others who are looking to keep their car for the forseeable might want to check.
Anyway, it is now painted with two coats of anti-rust paint
Oh, also I wanted to find out why my windscreen washer jets were only just hitting the screen - I thought it might be blocked jets but they were both the same so was dreading the pump going out as it's a bit of a job to get to. Anyway, I found the culprit - where the pipe goes up from the wing into the bonnet around the hinge it had become pinched and sprung a leak - a bit of silicone tube, some glue and tape and it's all working perfectly.
