Rant of the Day v2.

[G-CPTN]

Such as car batteries, starter motors &c.?

No - the car has an interlock whereby the clutch pedal needs to be depressed for starting.
All fascia lamps were lit and didn't dim.
When I returned (previous time) the car started as normal.

[ian16th]

No - the car has an interlock whereby the clutch pedal needs to be depressed for starting.

I came across that on a hire car.
I was in Reunion on holiday, arrived at night and used a taxi to the hotel. Hire car was delivered next morning while we were having breakfast.
Interrupted breakfast to walk around hire car an see that it wasn't dinged. Signed for it and returned to finish breakfast.

Later tried to start hire car, complete fail!

Had to get hotel reception to phone hire company.

[Pontius Navigator]

Trip into town to pick up a click and collect order - order came in 2 packets but they only gave us one.
Got home opened packet, one jumper, big snag on back and smelt of cigarette smoke
And it took over a week to send it. Not amused.

[OFSO]

Mondeo is the same: in neutral and clutch fully down. Weirder is when engine starts itself....

[llondel]

Thanks LLondell... but the cats have you.

Yes, that is true. I have one curled up sleeping just behind my keyboard as I type. This is an improvement over her wanting to sleep on my side of the keyboard. I have already resorted to cutting up a cardboard box to put a 3-inch wall around the back and sides of the keyboard to discourage her from rolling on it.

[G-CPTN]

I have one curled up sleeping just behind my keyboard as I type. This is an improvement over her wanting to sleep on my side of the keyboard. I have already resorted to cutting up a cardboard box to put a 3-inch wall around the back and sides of the keyboard to discourage her from rolling on it.

What you need is a spare keyboard dedicated to the feline where she can rest undisturbed.

[1DC]

Yes but cats being cats she would never want the spare.

[llondel]

It worked for a while, I set up an old laptop as a decoy and she'd go sleep on the keyboard on that one.

[ricardian]

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

[Karearea]

Yes but cats being cats she would never want the spare.

They want to be in your force-field, it's the vibes...

[ExSp33db1rd]

Later tried to start hire car, complete fail!

Yes, I fell for that. Asked for the manual hire car option as it was, then, cheaper than the auto model. Can you drive a manual gear box, I was asked ? Of course, I replied, been driving them since Pontius was a Pilot. ( or similar phrase ) Took the keys out to the car, then couldn't start and had to go back and ask how to start the beast.

When did this nonsense start ? I recall my early driving lessons, like waggling the gear lever to ensure that it was in neutral, and checking the parking brake was set. Worked, so why this new nonsense, an early symptom of all these idiotic digitally controlled vehicles I guess ? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If you're daft enough to try to start a car without care, when parked on the edge of a multi storey car park, and drive over 'cos the car was in gear, you deserve all you get. QED.

[G-CPTN]

Asleep around 0:40, woken 1:40, now 3:40 . . .

[TheGreenGoblin]

Asleep around 0:40, woken 1:40, now 3:40 . . .

Macbeth hath murdered sleep!

Asleep at +-11:30 hrs. Now awake at 03:51. That's me done with sleeping until tonight.

Nothing worse than insomnia. Have you tried hot cocoa, and some soothing music piped into one's transom via padded headphones and a NAD amp?

[Pontius Navigator]

Isn't it also reducing load on the clutch? I was taught to depress the clutch pedal donkey's years ago.

[Boac]

No - some starting systems require the inertia of the flywheel to function properly. If that is 'after' the clutch they will not work.

[Rwy in Sight]

For insomnia in TOP they were reading the crew duty time limits regulation and they went to sleep really fast.

[Magnus]

No - the car has an interlock whereby the clutch pedal needs to be depressed for starting.
All fascia lamps were lit and didn't dim.
When I returned (previous time) the car started as normal.

Mine is the brake pedal, both for starting and to engage drive. Glad you got going again.

[Pontius Navigator]

Many years ago I had a SAAB 99 and enjoyed messing around under the hood. The flywheel was easily visible through a cutout. I painted the timing segment white, highlighted the TDC and advance marks and was able to check timing easily with the strobe light. When I changed to contact less ignition I always had to retune it after a servicing. For the last 30 years or more I couldn't even find the flywheel.

In my present car I can find the battery and washer bottle but not much else.

[1DC]

I've heard about flywheels but no idea what they do. It is very satisfying not having to worry about these things just because because my mechanical knowledge is pretty poor.

[llondel]

Yes but cats being cats she would never want the spare.

They want to be in your force-field, it's the vibes...

This is the current compromise. I put the laptop on a stand so she can't sleep on the keyboard. The missing F2 key is an example of what happens when you car tries to sharpen her claws on the keyboard, I found and replaced all the others.