Expensive gadgets

[klondike]

I was bothered about just how relieable my car battery is considering it does only short journies. I bought a bluetooth battery monitor. It was a bit more expensive than I would have liked (Chinese shippoing costs have gone through the roof) but once fitted is very convenient as the phone keeps track and can warn of impending trouble.

It turned out to be more expensive than I expected as it shows that the battery needs replacing. Better than finding out miles away from home I suppose.

[Michael Rolls]

very true - how old is the battery?
Mike

[klondike]

No idea. Probably as old as the car which is from 2015. It did fail once starting but worked with the little Li-Ion starter pack then I took it for a run. The rest voltage is supposed to be about 12.6v but it goes down to about 12v (confirmed with multimeter). As we are coming into summer I could maybe just chance it but for convenience I'll deplete the kids inheritance a little.

[Scrumpy]

My motor is very, very old.. I hardly use her.. The battery has been replaced a couple of times.. I do take her for an early morning run through the lanes.. then back home on duel carriage  way..
Being old .. she never gets nicked.. 

[Michael Rolls]

No idea. Probably as old as the car which is from 2015. It did fail once starting but worked with the little Li-Ion starter pack then I took it for a run. The rest voltage is supposed to be about 12.6v but it goes down to about 12v (confirmed with multimeter). As we are coming into summer I could maybe just chance it but for convenience I'll deplete the kids inheritance a little.

Very wise - nothing worse than a flat battery miles from anywhere
Mike

[klondike]

Now I promised myself I would never do this but the opportunity is just too good to miss

duel carriage way

[Michael Rolls]

My motor is very, very old.. I hardly use her.. The battery has been replaced a couple of times.. I do take her for an early morning run through the lanes.. then back home on duel carriage  way..
Being old .. she never gets nicked.. 

Thereby hangs a tale. A good few years ago I drove a Mk II Cortina. At the time of this tale it had over 100,000 miles on the clock. I had arranged to pick up a couple of friends from Heathrow. They were surprised to see that I had the car immobilised by a Krooklock. 'What's that for?'
'Well, I don't want it nicked!'
'Nicked? C'mon Mike - who'd want to steal that old thing?'
Five miles down the road I was pulled over by a police car. Quick chat, then
'Sorry to stop you, sir, but we've had a report of a white Cortina being stolen. Good night!'
One up to Rolls!
Mike

[Michael Rolls]

Now I promised myself I would never do this but the oppurtunity is just too good to miss

Ooo - you're brave
Mike 

[Scrumpy]

What's it called then.. !!!!

[klondike]

Old cars were the easiest to pinch. They have to either steal the keys or go high tech to steal modern vehicles with immobilisers.

It can't be hard though. My next door neighbour ran his own removals company. He had a yard where the big lorries were kept but he also had a Mercedes Sprinter for small jobs and also often came home with it. He parked it in a side road.It got knicked. He had a job on so hired one which he parked in the car park over the road. It got pinched. He got me to pull the CCTV so he could pass it to the police so that they could officailly ignore it and do nothing.  The bloke was walking along the road with no obvious tools.Spotted the van and walked over to it. Within seconds of disappearing behind the thing the cab light came on. Within a couple of minutes it was being driven away.

Incidentally many crook locks are pretty much useless as the thieves can easily break them apparently.

[crabbyob]

the two fencers are duelling, hence klondikes smirk... ...
the carriageway is dual as in two....but then you knew that you were just trying to get my post count up, werent you...

[Michael Rolls]

Incidentally many crook locks are pretty much useless as the thieves can easily break them apparently.

I don't see how they could be easily broken - it would need a hammer and cold chisel or the like to smash the lock area.
Mike

[crabbyob]

well there are plenty 'cold' chisels oop north

[klondike]

I don't see how they could be easily broken - it would need a hammer and cold chisel or the like to smash the lock area.

It depends on whether you care about damage to the vehicle. Car thieves are not usually over fussed.

[Michael Rolls]

Hadn't thought of sawing the steering wheel
Mike