Greenman wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:33 am
Cars, mines fucked this morning on the coldest day of course!
Handbrake is stuck on. I tried to drive it off the drive with no luck at all. Handbrake level all floppy with no resistance at all!
Cable or electric?
If cable, it could be water ingress. I had that with an old Astra. 'Sorted' it by leaving the car running until heat from the exhaust warmed the cable. 'Fix' would be a new cable.
Yeah mobile mechanic bloke just told me this could work.
Got any old towels or similar?
If you're going to use exhaust heat, hang them (pinch between doors and sills) to keep the heat in.
FWIW it took about an hour to melt the Astra cable ...
Or go for a drive around the block, it'll warm up more quickly
Count Steer wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 9:32 am
Before you start Can you run an extension cable and fan heater to it? If there's water in the cable and it's frozen that could do the trick, might work on the pads/calipers too. It sounds like the cold has caused it so heat may be the solution.
I might try and find my old super soaker and fill up with hot water and go on a full rambo style super soaker attack on the car...
If cable, it could be water ingress. I had that with an old Astra. 'Sorted' it by leaving the car running until heat from the exhaust warmed the cable. 'Fix' would be a new cable.
Yeah mobile mechanic bloke just told me this could work.
Got any old towels or similar?
If you're going to use exhaust heat, hang them (pinch between doors and sills) to keep the heat in.
FWIW it took about an hour to melt the Astra cable ...
Or go for a drive around the block, it'll warm up more quickly
Can't even move it off the drive, i have to almost full throttle it to get it moving. Ill give you all an update soon as i am about to leave to walk home and try things out, i'm sure your all dying to hear the outcome...
Gave the calipers a good beating, tried some hot water, ran the car with the doors locked so no-one nicks it for 30 mins but the handbrake is still stuck on.
I'm gonna renew my RAC membership in a mo and ring them tomorrow in the morning if it is still fucked. It's likely it's still just frozen so no point calling out RAC today for it to just be froze again tomoz.
If not i am going to be a bus wanker tomorrow. My boss can sort someone else to do the school miles away...
Leave the handbrake off but in gear so it does not roll. It may just release itself over a few hours. Folk moaning about the Citroen DS that the wife has as the cold is making the gear shift cables stick. Ever thought about opening the bonnet and chucking hot water over them??
KungFooBob wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:35 pm
When you do get it all working again, remember to oil up the pads and discs to prevent it happening again... and do the fronts too, just in case.
That's silly. They get hot so the oil just burns off. He'd be doing it daily. Lithium grease FTW. (That's what the professionals use). I reckon one application and he won't need to worry about it happening again.
Greenman wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:05 pm
I'm gonna renew my RAC membership in a mo and ring them tomorrow in the morning if it is still fucked.
Typically, breakdown cover begins as soon as you have signed up and paid for it. It's common for your cover to be at standard level for the first 24 hours after joining, after which it will revert to include any extras and detailed cover you requested. You should bear in mind though that if you have already broken down when you take out the cover it’s unlikely you would be covered for that breakdown. The breakdown provider may still be able to send help but there may be additional charges for this.
You might not get home start in the first 24 hours....
DPD. Rescheduled a delivery to today so i'd be here to accept delivery. Followed the tracking until he's minutes away and then it says he was unable to deliver as there was no answer and the parcel cant go to a collection point so redleivery will be attempted on Monday. Lying bastard. He never came here.
People who hide stopcocks!
Just spent the last hour and a bit searching for the SC for the daughter's yard.
We found one that did nothing, 3 waterboard valves, no effect on the leak.
Got to speak to the guy who moved it 10 years ago, and he gave me a vague 'I'm pretty sure it's in the border'.
Started forking the border, bloody difficult to tell frozen ground from manhole, until you jump on the fork!
It had to be a good 8-10" underground. Spent a good 10 mins or so digging it out........a bit of wd and success!
Our stopcock is in the front garden. They are about a meter down and we have a long iron handle/key thing to turn it off. But the hole its in is full of mud that has seeped in over the years (1930s built bungalow) and everyone else in the street that has tried has had a disaster as they always break when turned.
When we were having a new bathroom fitted, I contacted Essex and Suffolk water to see about getting it replaced ahead of it. I rang and asked for a quote and they said there no charge as the stopcock is their responsibility! They were pleased i'd rang, as they rather schedule the works than an emergency response. Sure enough 2 weeks later a crew turned up and replaced it and you'd never know they'd even been there!
Taipan wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:00 pm
Our stopcock is in the front garden. They are about a meter down and we have a long iron handle/key thing to turn it off. But the hole its in is full of mud that has seeped in over the years (1930s built bungalow) and everyone else in the street that has tried has had a disaster as they always break when turned.
When we were having a new bathroom fitted, I contacted Essex and Suffolk water to see about getting it replaced ahead of it. I rang and asked for a quote and they said there no charge as the stopcock is their responsibility! They were pleased i'd rang, as they rather schedule the works than an emergency response. Sure enough 2 weeks later a crew turned up and replaced it and you'd never know they'd even been there!
That's your supply stopcock, you should have one inside the house ( usually very close to point of entry) usually under the sink, quite often hidden behind the new kitchen units!
As daughter's place is a stud yard, slightly different layout! I'm wondering how ST read the water meter, as it has lain undisturbed for at least 10 years!
Can you run an extension cable and fan heater to it? If there's water in the cable and it's frozen that could do the trick, might work on the pads/calipers too. It sounds like the cold has caused it so heat may be the solution.
