On 3/3/2025 at 8:00 PM, TomsFocus said:

Also concerned about the cambelt stiffening and oil draining after not being run for so long.  Not sure if I can turn it over by hand from the top end (alternator pulley probably a bad idea due to the clutch), or whether I can try to flick the starter a few times before giving it a full crank. 🤔

So, I couldn't find a way to turn it over by hand from above.  The alternator pulley doesn't have an accessible nut anyway.  I did manage to get the top cambelt cover partially off to check that and it looked ok.  (Replaced in 2017).

 

New battery dropped to 12.00 volts overnight after being fitted.  Not great...

The diesel in the tank is around 4 years old.

But I decided to turn the key anyway, not really expecting it to fire.

 

I am genuinely amazed by that! 😮  2 years without starting, only 12.00v in the battery and very old diesel, yet it started immediately.  They really don't make them like they used to!!

As for the ESP & steering faults, that's standard after a battery change on these.  Just needs a full lock left and right to reset the steering angle sensor.  Left it idling for about half an hour, got hot heaters, open stat, checked all bulbs were working as well as wipers & washers.  Was hoping to leave it until it reached 90c but had to stop a bit short of that.  Still, I don't think there'll be any issues with it now.

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

They really don't make them like they used to!!

Wish they did!😀

On 3/10/2025 at 9:36 AM, TomsFocus said:

Meanwhile...I still can't login to the Halfords website.  Managed to get through to their CS via webchat & email.  They just reset my password (which I'd already done and hadn't made a difference) then suggested clearing cookies or trying another device.  Will have to try it on my phone later, but if it doesn't work on there either then I'll just have to leave it.  I use Edge on the laptop and that doesn't give a choice of cookies to delete, can only delete all of them which I'm definitely not doing just for this.

Latest version of Edge on my Windows 10 laptop.

Under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Delete browsing data > Choose what to clear

Select the timeframe to clear and select the different data to clear using the menus.

1 hour ago, Zico said:

Latest version of Edge on my Windows 10 laptop.

Under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Delete browsing data > Choose what to clear

Select the timeframe to clear and select the different data to clear using the menus.

Thanks Yaz.  I still can't see how to select just one website though?  I did consider only opening Halfords website as soon as I open the laptop in the morning, before any other websites, then clear 'everything' within the last hour, but it's too much risk for probably no reward.  I really don't think it's a cookie issue when it's happening on different devices and different browsers?

This is the bit that scares me...

On a completely different note...can anyone recommend the best plumbing repair putty that sets underwater?

Silicone is no good as it doesn't go off quickly enough.  Also tried Duck tape, Gaffer tape, Gorilla patch tape, they all work briefly but start leaking again after a few days.  The crack is on the edge of a pipe that goes into the wall, so no access to replace it.  Just need to keep trying to bodge it until I'm out of here.

11 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

On a completely different note...can anyone recommend the best plumbing repair putty that sets underwater?

I'm annoyed at myself, recently I watched a demonstration of just such a product on a shopping channel, but can't remember the channel, nor the name of the product 🤣 But it definitely exists!

1 minute ago, StephenFord said:

I'm annoyed at myself, recently I watched a demonstration of just such a product on a shopping channel, but can't remember the channel, nor the name of the product 🤣 But it definitely exists!

I've seen JB do one, just not sure whether to trust their claims or whether there's a better one out there!

JB Weld Water Weld 8277UK Epoxy Putty Stick Underwater Setting Adhesive 57G | eBay

2 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I'm annoyed at myself, recently I watched a demonstration of just such a product on a shopping channel, but can't remember the channel, nor the name of the product 🤣 But it definitely exists!

You sure you weren't watching one of those "late night  shopping channels" lol.😁🤣

On 3/16/2025 at 7:56 PM, TomsFocus said:

Thanks Yaz.  I still can't see how to select just one website though?  I did consider only opening Halfords website as soon as I open the laptop in the morning, before any other websites, then clear 'everything' within the last hour, but it's too much risk for probably no reward.  I really don't think it's a cookie issue when it's happening on different devices and different browsers?

@StephenFord
Select this:

Then click Manage and delete cookies and site data. You can then both add specific sites to an "Allow" list and see all data to clear individually.

On 3/10/2025 at 11:07 PM, unofix said:

The subframe has completely rusted through and snapped

I think the Mk2/2a Focus rear sub-frame is very badly made & designed. The Kuga seems to have the same chassis. It has a lot of thin section steel, much hidden high up under the car and not at all easy to see, and just "protected" by a bit of black paint. It should have been fully galvanised. As it is it is an absolute rust trap.

I spend many painful hours under the car every summer now, de-rusting, phosphating & waxoyling it, it is a battle I am just about winning, but it is not easy. I can't imagine that any garage maintained car will get any care at all for this critical part of the car.

However I think the MoT should have picked it up, it can all be felt or seen with the car on a ramp. Just takes a lot of time because there are so many bits of it. Maybe report it to DVSA to try and help ensure it can't happen again there - As you say it could easily have been worse.

(Note: The site notification system seems a bit slow, this item only just came through now to my email inbox!)

10 hours ago, Zico said:

@StephenFord
Select this:

Then click Manage and delete cookies and site data. You can then both add specific sites to an "Allow" list and see all data to clear individually.

Excellent!  Thanks Yaz, that's exactly what I was looking for.  Cookies for Halfords now cleared.  

Sadly it hasn't made any difference to the login issue.

14 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Excellent!  Thanks Yaz, that's exactly what I was looking for.  Cookies for Halfords now cleared.  

Sadly it hasn't made any difference to the login issue.

Tried FireFox?

10 hours ago, Zico said:

Tried FireFox?

No, tried Chrome on mobile & Edge on laptop.

I really don't think this has anything do with cookies though.  It really doesn't matter anymore anyway.  

Saw a ford fusion going up the road, well, it was slowing down due to the whole rear beam axle and wheels were detached and dragging behind I assume by the handbrake cables. Luckily it was on the opposite side of the road 

I've never seen a RWD Fusion before.

Is that a "rear wheel drag" model 🤣

On 3/19/2025 at 9:52 AM, TomsFocus said:

No, tried Chrome on mobile & Edge on laptop.

I really don't think this has anything do with cookies though.  It really doesn't matter anymore anyway.  

This has now been fixed.  It was an issue at their end.  I can now login without any problem.  

On 12/28/2024 at 9:23 AM, Turvey said:

I don't like yesterday!!! The most eventful yet non eventful day I've had in quite a while!

 

I'll start at the beginning. As part of a general health MOT in the summer I had a PSA check done and the results came back a wee bit high so I was sent for a retest, this came back higher than the first so I was sent for a third which came back even higher!

 

It was decided that I go for an MRI scan just to check that there's nothing untoward going on. Problem is that Orkney doesn't have a full time MRI scanner so appointments are made for a hospital in Aberdeen. It's not uncommon and it's something we put up with living here. Flights are organised and paid for by NHS Orkney. 

 

Turned up at airport yesterday morning after a pretty much sleepless night at 7.45, checked in and then I noticed that my flight was slightly delayed, again no big hassle, we're used to it. 

 

Plane left about 45 minutes late but made good time down to Aberdeen so wasn't too worried until we circled Aberdeen and the pilot came on over the intercom and said that we were having to circle because of fog at Aberdeen airport! We could see that there was just one wee patch of fog directly over the airport! We circled a couple of times and the pilot came back on to say that due to low fuel we had to divert to Inverness. 

 

We landed in Inverness and the first plan was to refuel and try to land in Aberdeen but this was quickly changed to disembarkment and taxis. 

 

Meanwhile I had to cancel my appointment and I also had a call from the travel department in our hospital asking if I would need transport back from the hospital, which obviously I didn't. I had also checked on my phone if there were any flights from Inverness to Kirkwall today but there wasn't any listed so in a taxi to Aberdeen airport it was. 

 

2 hours in a taxi later arrived at Aberdeen airport. I went and checked in for my return flight and asked for a meal voucher as arrival was more than 2 hours after scheduled landing, to be told that Inverness should have given us vouchers! She did however have a spare voucher in her book which I got. 

 

By this time I noticed that the return flight was also running late by about an hour. 

 

I also noticed that by now Inverness airport were showing a flight to Orkney which left about an hour after we had arrived there! I also found out that our flight was the only one that didn't get in, flights just before and just after got in ok and if ours had been on time it would have landed ok.

 

Waited around Aberdeen airport until our flight was called which was by this time nearly 2 hours behind schedule! 

 

Flight home was uneventful but on the way out of the carpark, after putting the ticket in the barrier going out of the carpark the window of the Focus stuck halfway up! It's been getting slower and sometimes needed a hand to get to the top for a while but last night refused to go up more than halfway. 

 

So to recap I think I flew around 360 miles, saw the inside of 3 airports, got driven 90 miles, arrived home 2 hours late, missed my appointment, and now I have to try and fix the window in the car! 

 

Another eventful hospital trip today! 😀

Early start again for 0740 flight which departed and arrived pretty much on time 👍

Hospital appointment went ok and after I was done I went for a cuppa and something to eat in the hospital cafe, £4.65 for a toastie and a cuppa by the way 😉 finished by around 1200 and still had a few hours to wait until my flight which was 1840. I then remembered that there is an earlier flight that I had time to catch. A quick (about a minute on the phone) call to the NHS Orkney admin team and flights were changed. Minibus out to the airport, straight to check-in and then through security. Didn't have long to wait until boarding time, boarded flight, found seat etc.

Pilot came on over the tannoy to explain that there was a system that needed rebooting so all power to the plane was cut and came on again after a couple of minutes. Pilot came on again and said we were good to go. Got to the end of the taxiway before joining the runway and sat with engines running for around 5 minutes! Joined the runway and started takeoff only it quickly became apparent that we weren't going to be taking off due to the very slow speed! Turned off the runway and went back to the stand where engineers came on to try and fix it but to no avail!

Luckily there was a 'spare' plane at the airport but we had to disembark and wait about an hour or so until the new plane was brought around and prepared. 

Pretty uneventful after all that, landed 2 hours or so after our scheduled landing, another hour and we would have been entitled to compensation 🙄😀 I did think at one point that they would maybe combine the 2 flights as there wasn't too many on the first flight but then they would definitely have had to pay out compensation.

Hopefully, that's my last Aberdeen hospital visit for a while and I'll maybe add a post to the 'Health' topic. 

Even my wife is calling me Johna and contemplating not taking the same flight as me in the future! 🤣

Running out of storage online...

I live in a tiny flat with very little physical storage space, but now seem to be getting bombarded with warnings about running out of space online!

In the past month I've had one about Google Photos, one about Microsoft emails, and I've just had one for PM's on another forum as well.

I our online space getting smaller or is this all just coincidence?

The option is there to pay for more storage, but I'm too tight to do that so will have to start deleting things I think!

Update to yesterdays post.  Turns out it's not Outlook emails that's full, but email attachments are now counted as One Drive storage, and it's that that's full.

Went back through 5 years of 'large file size' emails, deleting the ones I didn't need.  But that didn't make a huge difference.  Then looked at One Drive directly and found out there's a whole years worth of photos in there.  No idea how they got in there as I specifically turn off the One Drive backup feature!  Anyway, I've deleted those now, or at least I think I have, and that warning has disappeared for now at least...

13 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Update to yesterdays post.  Turns out it's not Outlook emails that's full, but email attachments are now counted as One Drive storage, and it's that that's full.

Went back through 5 years of 'large file size' emails, deleting the ones I didn't need.  But that didn't make a huge difference.  Then looked at One Drive directly and found out there's a whole years worth of photos in there.  No idea how they got in there as I specifically turn off the One Drive backup feature!  Anyway, I've deleted those now, or at least I think I have, and that warning has disappeared for now at least...

One drive is a PITA, cant even delete it...Microsoft sh**e

On 4/11/2025 at 10:52 AM, TomsFocus said:

The option is there to pay for more storage, but I'm too tight to do that so will have to start deleting things I think!

One of the many many reasons I would never stoop to using an iPhone. Their business model relies on folk paying monthly for Apple to store their precious photos on their cloud, or monthly on iTunes, or monthly on whatever cr*p they offer, as they don't design their phones to function with a memory card. All us clever Android users, just go buy a bigger SD card 🤣

Everytime I open 'google photos' on my phone though I do get an annoying message stating that my 'backup is switched off and do I want to turn it on'. I'm sure many just hit the 'on' button with financial consequences...

5 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Their business model relies on folk paying monthly for Apple to store their precious photos on their cloud, or monthly on iTunes, or monthly on whatever cr*p they offer, as they don't design their phones to function with a memory card. All us clever Android users, just go buy a bigger SD card

I didn't know that.  My previous Android phone had such a poor amount of storage as standard (8GB!) that I was forced into expanding it with an SD card.  I probably did move it into the replacement phone, but can't remember now. 

I'll have to check what the current one is and how much storage I've used as was considering an iPhone to replace it, the basic one appears to be 128GB, but I have no idea whether that's good enough for my requirements or not.

Must admit I do find Google Photos useful.  Means I can quickly access any photos from my laptop.  And also access photos from the previous phone on the current one.  That's about 80% full currently.  I was thinking that a switch to Apple would give me roughly the same amount of free online storage again, so I wouldn't have to delete anything from Google Photos, but it sounds like that might not be the case.

16 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

was considering an iPhone to replace it,

I think you would need a head transplant before you would be able to cope with changing to an Apple product. Many years ago I made the mistake of been talked in to an iPhone. Quite how it managed to survive to the end of the two year contact I'm not sure. At least once a day the urge to throw it at the wall was almost uncontrollable. It constantly would decide for me what "I" wanted to do, and how it would be done.

13 minutes ago, unofix said:

I think you would need a head transplant before you would be able to cope with changing to an Apple product. Many years ago I made the mistake of been talked in to an iPhone. Quite how it managed to survive to the end of the two year contact I'm not sure. At least once a day the urge to throw it at the wall was almost uncontrollable. It constantly would decide for me what "I" wanted to do, and how it would be done.

I would gladly take a head transplant if they were offered.  Sadly I'm stuck with this one!

I don't want any customisation.  Never even change the background image.  So I'm not sure how much a phone could realistically limit what I would use it for.  Though I'm still gathering as many opinions as I can, so interested to know what sort of things it stopped you doing?