Why I won't be buying a new car anytime soon

[ajlsl600]

high miles car engines are not accidental , they are owned by people who value regular engine maintenance .mainly regular or better than regular oil changes with a good oil. its the CHEAPEST way to ensure a long life ,as is investigating anything unusual before it develops . ever since i finished my apprenticeship i have opened up (interviewed ) my oil filters and investigated any debris. . things today have not made this easier , a kent eng gasket set was prob about £20 in the day. and eng parts were NOT expensive all changed !2 nox sensors double the cost of late 70,s eng overhaul. how much is a gasket set for 0m651 today and getting the thing out and back in ,what a ballache ,plus great likelyhood of other really expensive dramas related to that. i once took my ford escort to a mates at 5 pm after work ,with a boot full of bits . removed engine ,rebuilt it put back drove home at 5 in the morning job done . never had a problem with it after. try that today !! with all our technological advances ! snafu.

 

[Dean Fletcher]

The biggest thing I look out for on the old om651 is the chain rattle on start up. I ce a week ill have a listen. It's easy to hear if you know what you hearing for. Rattle rattle rattle

 

[ajlsl600]

am aware . trying to get my head around why this issue often seems to crop up after an oil change ? like tensioner drains down and wont refill ? or what... new oil should be more viscous than old oil so should be less prone to passing o rings ect ,at least when cold... whatever, i will start to collect the parts involved , can be done in situ ,or so i am led to believe? tho a headache of access, anyone done it ? can one get chain crimper in the crimp new link pin? i had to modify my benz tool toget it in around my w168 170cdi.

 

[Philedge]

Where do you get that idea from that it's only used for essential services?

I dont have the idea that green eleccy is used for essential services, I beleive it should be prioritised for them........ they are more important that personal transportation???

If we only had 25% of the total generation we have now ie turned off nuclear/fossil, where would you want the only available eleccy directing? To hospitals, schools, public transport etc or to charge personal EVs?

Your right we can all sign up to green tarrifs and grab the green eleccy for personal transportation, but that leaves the essential infrastructure running on nuclear/ fossil. Take the personal transport demand away and a much bigger proportion of essential services can run on green eleccy.

Currectly there is no where near enough green generation capacity to meet demand so any extra, like EVs, is just keeping nuclear/fossil power stations running.

 

[LostKiwi]

I dont have the idea that green eleccy is used for essential services, I beleive it should be prioritised for them........ they are more important that personal transportation???

If we only had 25% of the total generation we have now ie turned off nuclear/fossil, where would you want the only available eleccy directing? To hospitals, schools, public transport etc or to charge personal EVs?

Your right we can all sign up to green tarrifs and grab the green eleccy for personal transportation, but that leaves the essential infrastructure running on nuclear/ fossil. Take the personal transport demand away and a much bigger proportion of essential services can run on green eleccy.

Currectly there is no where near enough green generation capacity to meet demand so any extra, like EVs, is just keeping nuclear/fossil power stations running.

Why prioritise green energy for anything? Electricity is a pool of power from which we all draw. The low emission sources are always used when availability allows and topped up by higher. The end user of it is irrelevant. Signing up to renewable only is a marketing ploy as the actual electrons you get don't flow down different wires or get filtered out anywhere.
No matter what the percentage of renewable sources energy is that fed into an EV it will always be higher than direct ICE and due to power plant efficiency lower emission per kW as well even when sourced from like fuels.

 

[Tony Dyson]

I dont have the idea that green eleccy is used for essential services, I beleive it should be prioritised for them........ they are more important that personal transportation???

If we only had 25% of the total generation we have now ie turned off nuclear/fossil, where would you want the only available eleccy directing? To hospitals, schools, public transport etc or to charge personal EVs?

Your right we can all sign up to green tarrifs and grab the green eleccy for personal transportation, but that leaves the essential infrastructure running on nuclear/ fossil. Take the personal transport demand away and a much bigger proportion of essential services can run on green eleccy.

Currectly there is no where near enough green generation capacity to meet demand so any extra, like EVs, is just keeping nuclear/fossil power stations running.

You should do a little more reading on the subject it may help with your confusion, Nuclear and some fossil fuels are here to stay and if coal can be cleaned up in the future, that too will be reintroduced into the mix.

https://assets.publishing.service.g..._data/file/728374/UK_Energy_in_Brief_2018.pdf

 

[davemercedes]

The only thing with nuclear power, is that the more it's used the greater the risk of accidents and terrorism etc. I do believe we should be investigating more semi-natural ways of generating electricity such as the mountain Elidir Fawr in Wales (well it would be with that name!) inside it there are 14 kilometres of tunnels housing the Dinorwig Power Station and effectively they pump a few billion gallons of water up the top and when it runs down again through the tunnel system it hydraulically powers massive generators and they produce 1728 megawatts - enough to power 2.5 million homes. It's billed as being "low cost".

They say in this article that the locals call it "Electricity Mountain":

https://www.citymetric.com/horizons/mountain-north-wales-tried-stop-uk-s-blackout-4748

 

[Blobcat]

The only thing with nuclear power, is that the more it's used the greater the risk of accidents and terrorism etc. I do believe we should be investigating more semi-natural ways of generating electricity such as the mountain Elidir Fawr in Wales (well it would be with that name!) inside it there are 14 kilometres of tunnels housing the Dinorwig Power Station and effectively they pump a few billion gallons of water up the top and when it runs down again through the tunnel system it hydraulically powers massive generators and they produce 1728 megawatts - enough to power 2.5 million homes. It's billed as being "low cost".

They say in this article that the locals call it "Electricity Mountain":

https://www.citymetric.com/horizons/mountain-north-wales-tried-stop-uk-s-blackout-4748

And a great visit it is.

Only issue is that it uses more electrickery than it generates... as it uses the overnight excess to pump the water back up the hill.

It’s great at providing a very quick response to demand from the grid.

 

[davemercedes]

Yes, I've never been there - My BIL and nephew fell over it a few years ago and had a great tour and at the time there was a lot of fuss because the French were building more nuclear power stations.

 

[Craiglxviii]

The only thing with nuclear power, is that the more it's used the greater the risk of accidents and terrorism etc. I do believe we should be investigating more semi-natural ways of generating electricity such as the mountain Elidir Fawr in Wales (well it would be with that name!) inside it there are 14 kilometres of tunnels housing the Dinorwig Power Station and effectively they pump a few billion gallons of water up the top and when it runs down again through the tunnel system it hydraulically powers massive generators and they produce 1728 megawatts - enough to power 2.5 million homes. It's billed as being "low cost".

They say in this article that the locals call it "Electricity Mountain":

https://www.citymetric.com/horizons/mountain-north-wales-tried-stop-uk-s-blackout-4748

No, nonsense; the fuel rods used in civilian reactors are of the low enrichment “caramel” type and not the bomb-grade uranium used in military reactors. While a dirty dust-bomb IS possible using this type of material, the effort required to obtain it will be way out of proportion to the effects such a weapon could create (even the perceived effects of mass panic, evacuation etc which are by no means demonstrated). It would be far cheaper and easier for a biological weapon to be created- all that’s required is a pasteurisation facility, some farmyard dirt, a few rabid dogs and some Ebola laden monkeys.

The thing is, if a terrorist organisation develops and initiates a nuclear or radiological device against a NATO member, they and the state harbouring them become de facto proportionate response targets.

I’m all for much more nuclear power, just preferably not in further partnership with the Chinese. Hydropower is good too.

 

[davemercedes]

Yes Craig, I think your points about mass panic/evacuation etc are very important and the last bit, i.e.: the Chinese partnership is very frightening and from the beginning is rather scandalous.

I understand your argument and preference etc - I'll give it further consideration reading about at night it when we all start to glow in the dark.!

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

There has always been an argument (over the last 40 years) for using clusters of small PWR reactors to provide domestic power generation. Rolls-Royce build this type for marine application and due to their small size and output <100megawatt are inherently very safe (much safer than scaled up versions) but for some reason possibly economy of scale or security this has never been done.

 

[Craiglxviii]

There has always been an argument (over the last 40 years) for using clusters of small PWR reactors to provide domestic power generation. Rolls-Royce build this type for marine application and due to their small size and output <100megawatt are inherently very safe (much safer than scaled up versions) but for some reason possibly economy of scale or security this has never been done.

Security. These are the PWR2 units, and they use the bomb-grade material I mentioned earlier.

The French nuclear fleet & attack submarines, and their aircraft carrier CHARLES DE GAULLE use low-enrichment fuel known as caramel. There’s a long story of somewhat dark humour about why that, and a toolshed, meant that the ship could never exceed 22kts and use its radios and radars at the same time...

 

[ajlsl600]

Yes Craig, I think your points about mass panic/evacuation etc are very important and the last bit, i.e.: the Chinese partnership is very frightening and from the beginning is rather scandalous.

I understand your argument and preference etc - I'll give it further consideration reading about at night it when we all start to glow in the dark.!

the thing is what has anyone on here bought thats Chinese of ANY qualiy. when i need to do a job,if its once and never envisaged again i buy china. if i every want to make repeated use of it i dont. exception lathe and mill. both not bad but not that cheap. thing is .they makes ships that float dams that make lecky, aircraft that fly ,so it must be just made crap to sent to us. !!!! i would not fancy being next door to a china built nuclear power station. i think the communists really failed to F us with communism so they are at doing it with their version of capitalism and very clever they are at that....

 

[Blobcat]

the thing is what has anyone on here bought thats Chinese of ANY qualiy.

I had a decent carry out

 

[LostKiwi]

My mobile phone is Chinese and it's been superb. Way better than the Korean one it replaced.

 

[Craiglxviii]

All iPhones are Chinese.

I think the issue is more for product specified in China rather than just made there. Example. Car door hinges; the Chinese equivalent to the Reg 11 test has under 20% of the open-close cycles... but we have our hinges made in China.

 

[Tony Dyson]

All iPhones are Chinese.

I think the issue is more for product specified in China rather than just made there. Example. Car door hinges; the Chinese equivalent to the Reg 11 test has under 20% of the open-close cycles... but we have our hinges made in China.

Exactly right and the danger here is that the Bradwell reactor is Chinese Design, an excerpt from Reuters; "No decisions have been taken on the capacity of CGN’s Bradwell plant, which will use Chinese reactor technology. The AP1000 reactor is about two years through a four-year generic design approval (GDA) process with Britain’s regulator."

 

[Blobcat]

I heard a rumour that Cadburys are producing chop suey flavoured chocolate bars...

Probably just Chinese Wispas

 

[John Laidlaw]

I heard a rumour that Cadburys are producing chop suey flavoured chocolate bars...

Probably just Chinese Wispas

Your no wong