neilc
Member
Be very careful when some well meaning person starts saying nice things about your pride and joy when you are doing your pre/mid flight checks at a petrol station.
There I was checking oil,
(Gentlman in Silver Astra - You don't see many of those these days. I said you don't see many of those these days)
check coolant top up
(Gentlman in Silver Astar Is it a 2600 or a V*? Is it a 3.5 V8
No - actually is a 3.9 V8 - its a got a Discovery EFI engine (just about 1mm coolant needed!)
(Gentlman in Silver Astra - Oh I see its a Vitessee - looks good in Red - its very shiny isn't it)
Yes - it had a good polish three or four weeks ago (remove dust caps)
(Gentlman in Silver Astra - They don't make cars like that anymore - we used to have a 23000 in the eighties)
Set pressure on air line - insert 40p and .....
....well you get the gist - the comments and so on go while everything is checked. Finally a polite goodbye - "Nice talking to you" etc etc, Uneventful crawl out of Sunbury - traffic OKish. Quick zoom down the M3 and pootle round the M25 and hitting the A3 the coolant warning light comes on. Not just a flicker - full on. Engine temp steady though and then on slowing down it goes out. Speed up on and off. As it was going off as well I guessed there was at least a level of coolant in there, but thinking "oh no here we go again - what's up now - another leak? I really thought we had nailed these shake down problems. Pulled into BP station. Flipped the bonnet and there it was. Expansion tank filler cap still sitting pretty as you please on the battery. I'd forgotten to put it back thanks to the nice gentleman in the silver Astra
So here's hands up to me a being dipstick and not concentrating. Topped up and off the Big Red Monster sped down the A3 - behaving well despite my attempt to cook the engine
There I was checking oil,
(Gentlman in Silver Astra - You don't see many of those these days. I said you don't see many of those these days)
check coolant top up
(Gentlman in Silver Astar Is it a 2600 or a V*? Is it a 3.5 V8
No - actually is a 3.9 V8 - its a got a Discovery EFI engine (just about 1mm coolant needed!)
(Gentlman in Silver Astra - Oh I see its a Vitessee - looks good in Red - its very shiny isn't it)
Yes - it had a good polish three or four weeks ago (remove dust caps)
(Gentlman in Silver Astra - They don't make cars like that anymore - we used to have a 23000 in the eighties)
Set pressure on air line - insert 40p and .....
....well you get the gist - the comments and so on go while everything is checked. Finally a polite goodbye - "Nice talking to you" etc etc, Uneventful crawl out of Sunbury - traffic OKish. Quick zoom down the M3 and pootle round the M25 and hitting the A3 the coolant warning light comes on. Not just a flicker - full on. Engine temp steady though and then on slowing down it goes out. Speed up on and off. As it was going off as well I guessed there was at least a level of coolant in there, but thinking "oh no here we go again - what's up now - another leak? I really thought we had nailed these shake down problems. Pulled into BP station. Flipped the bonnet and there it was. Expansion tank filler cap still sitting pretty as you please on the battery. I'd forgotten to put it back thanks to the nice gentleman in the silver Astra
So here's hands up to me a being dipstick and not concentrating. Topped up and off the Big Red Monster sped down the A3 - behaving well despite my attempt to cook the engine