Compo 10,328 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 9 hours ago, BilboroughShirley said: There is no dip stick to check the oil in my car. I'm always beign told that I'm a 'dip-stick'...would you like me to check your oil for you, Shirley? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 No dipstick in the car? First time I've heard of that. My newest vehicle has all the computerized do dads, but it still has a dipstick. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Those Kodak flash bulbs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 I have these in my collection, Waddo but I think you probably mean Kodak "Flash Cubes", with four bulbs, one on each side of a cube that fits to the top of the Instamatic Camera? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Yeh, that's what I meant, flash cubes. Ta. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,102 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 3 hours ago, loppylugs said: No dipstick in the car? First time I've heard of that. My newest vehicle has all the computerized do dads, but it still has a dipstick. My car doesn’t have a dipstick. You just tab through the readouts on the dash to get the level. My previous 911 didn’t have one either. My wife’s car, which comes from the same manufacturer as mine, does have a dipstick, so there’s no consistency. I prefer to dip the oil as it gives more confidence than an electronic readout. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,503 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 I have no idea what’s under my bonnet! However, I would guess that I do not have a dipstick. For the past 18 years I’ve been driving cars that don’t have spare wheels and that’s something I’m not entirely happy with. 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,102 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Neither of our cars have spare wheels. There is some sealing stuff and a compressor pump if you’re really stuck somewhere like the Highlands of Scotland. Otherwise you just press a button in the roof and apparently someone answers and sends help (if there’s a signal). I hope I don’t have to do that as I can foresee problems. I still keep my AA membership going. The AA and similar carry temporary wheel/tyre combinations which can be adapted to suit any car and will get you to a tyre depot where, of course, they won’t have your particular tyre in stock. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Never had a spare wheel on a wagon or bus ever, you only need a spare wheel when you get a flat tyre, have a little faith people ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Those gunky things are OK for a nail type of puncture, but no good if the tyre is cut!. At least a spare wheel will get you going again, provided you can change a wheel!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 I rarely use a dipstick as I normally get a 'Check oil level ' message on my dashboard display. Then I just pour a litre in, and that cleares it up for a few months. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 My 1998 Ford has one of those little temporary spares that is supposed to be enough to drive to the nearest tyre shop. It's still brand new. I've never had to use it. Glad I've still got me dipstick anyway. I like to see where the oil is on the stick. I'm just a Dinosaur. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,102 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 The last time I had a tyre problem was about 3 years ago. I had just passed Newark and it felt a bit odd so I pulled into a filling station and put some air in a very flat tyre. It gave me enough to drive to nearby ATS tyres. Unfortunately it was Christmas Eve, the tyre was irreparable and a 20 inch tyre for a 911 was not the sort of thing they had in stock or could get quickly so I had to leave it with them. I called the AA, the first time I had called them since1965! and a van was promptly sent to take me home. The tyre was supplied and fitted the day after Boxing Day. All round I thought the service was pretty good and have used ATS ever since. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Best way to be LL, too much reliance on gimacky s#!t. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BilboroughShirley 1,120 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 My car did not have a spare wheel, just one of those repair kit things. Our son borrowed it one evening and on the way home there was debris on the road and he got a puncture. The RAC arrived and the kit would not fix it. The guy said that the kits are no good for fixing punctures when it is a slit. I now have a spare wheel. There is less boot space but my husband and son are happier as I am out and about a lot on my own going to meetings and other work commitments. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,427 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 When I first lived in Ontario. It was common to put snow tires on the driving wheels each winter. Rather than keep pulling the tires off the rims I went to a scrap yard and bought a couple of rims for just a very few dollars each. It would probably be quite easy to buy such a rim for a car that did not come with a spare. Edit. I also keep one of those little air compressors in the car. It connects to the battery. It could be enough to to get you home or to a shop if the leak was not too bad. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 Sounds like a bit of common sense, if only someone can justify the reason not to have a spare wheel, absolute madness!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 A reminder from the mansfied, Sutton or kirkby post,, braithwate water tanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,086 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 When I went to buy my current car, it had the gunk kit in the spare wheel well. As I tow a caravan, I insisted that the dealer supply a proper spare, even if it was only a space saver, which they did. I did notice that a full-size spare now appears on the list of optional extras, with a price tag of £250! It doesn't help that many cars are now fitted with "unidirectional" tyres, meaning they can only be fitted with the directional arrows pointing forwards. So a spare with such a tyre could only be fitted on one side of the car 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 So go to halfords / scrapyard and get a wheel with correct pcd and offset with omnidirectional tyre, sorted!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nonnaB 4,894 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 I have 4 spare wheels for my car, so has my husband we keep them at our local tyre place. They are our snow tyres which we change by law every November until April. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Waddo 921 Posted March 16, 2018 Report Share Posted March 16, 2018 That's OK if you have a puncture near your tyre place! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,086 Posted March 17, 2018 Report Share Posted March 17, 2018 On 16 March 2018 at 6:53 PM, nonnaB said: I have 4 spare wheels for my car, so has my husband we keep them at our local tyre place. They are our snow tyres which we change by law every November until April. Having had to drive to pick our daughter up tonight, on roads which were sheet ice under fresh snow and ungritted, and having to avoid or pass other cars which were struggling, I'd tend to agree that we ought to have a similar law in the UK*. Either that, or making it compulsory for new drivers to learn how to drive in adverse conditions. * Although my (part-time 4wd) Hyundai has summer tyres on it and performed excellently! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PeverilPeril 3,271 Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 Buy me and stop one - oh no, you still see them about. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 I had shins like a piece of steak from these bad boys, bear traps. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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