What is pissing you off this time?

[Gravdigr]

A storage heater or heat bank (Australia) is an electrical heater which stores thermal energy during the evening, or at night when base load electricity is available at lower cost, and releases the heat during the day as required.

From Wiki

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, I was close, just ceramic bricks instead of water.

[henry quirk]

I don't believe in bad luck, but I'm bein' tried, in a large way.

Just renewed car insurance...here, in LA., the rates are high (cuz it's a shithole).

Yesterday: my front left tire failed, a nice strip ripped right off the interior, exposing the metal...ridin' on the spare till Monday cuz I'm broke (cuz I just renewed the car insurance).

Today: the 12 year old & me were on the road when the brake & battery warning lights flicked on...pulled over, popped the hood...brake fluid is fine, belt is tight & in place...started her up, let her run...waitin' for the battery to fail...*poof* the lights go out...figured it might be a failing fuse or some such...we continued on into town and went to Auto Advance for a free look-see.

Turns out oil is dripping into the alternator, gumming up the works.

So: I'm broke, riding' on a spare, and will probably have to replace the alternator and repair the oil leak (and the power steering leak I've been makeshifting against).

Where is 'that' cash gonna come from?

Hell if I know.

Again: I don't believe in bad luck...my life is no worse than many, and a damn sight better thsn some...sometimes, though, things conspire in just the wrong way to mimic bad luck.

Bitchin' done.

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's a drag, Henry, especially when something not only goes south but takes other things with it.

[Carruthers]

I can sympathise, Henry.

I got in the car on Wednesday morning about 0730 to head off on the weekly shopping trip, turned the key and the the car gave a groan as there wasn't enough power in the battery to turn over the engine.

I only use it once a week for shopping and if there are no hospital or GP trips for Dad that's just twelve miles a week.

During the winter I'd charge the battery the day before use but it was becoming clear that it was on its way out.

Anyway decision made, parted company with £86 ($112) for a new battery and was back on the road later that afternoon.

I used my time wisely and defrosted the freezer instead of trudging around Tesco.

[BigV]

Hey hq,

sorry to hear about your troubles.

re car stuff... I'm just thinkin, how in the world does oil drip into your alternator?

I hasten to add that I'm just thinking this through and this part puzzles me. If you don't want a conversation about cars and car repair, that's fine. but I can't really see how your explanation is literally correct.

I'm gonna pause here, because the rest of my line of though is, well then if that's happening then this must be looked at meaning the other.... and so on and so on and so on...

I wish you *GOOD* luck now!

[Gravdigr]

Some idiot engineers put the alternator on the lower side of the motor, instead of up top. While trying top keep the package as compact as possible.

So now ya got an alternator tight to the side of the motor, on the lower side of the motor...

[glatt]

I had a similar problem with an 82 Buick Century. Oil leak at the side somewhere would get on the pully and belts and get flung around in a plane that intersected the alternator. It was easy to see what was happening when you looked at the underside of the hood and pattern of oil spray there. Anyway it messed up the belts and Alternator.

Sorry Henry! That was an expensive fix getting that oil leak fixed on the Century.

[henry quirk]

"Some idiot engineers put the alternator on the lower side of the motor, instead of up top. While trying to keep the package as compact as possible."

Yep, that's exactly it.

I'll know for sure tomorrow, after the mechanic does his thing, what the problem is.

[henry quirk]

gotta find a new mechanic

[xoxoxoBruce]

It's not wrong, but strangling the mechanic is.

[henry quirk]

[DanaC]

I'm down today. I should have seen it coming really - I sort of did. I rode the wave of feeling upbeat and borderline excited (over nothing)mind racing for a couple of weeks, and that always crashes eventually.

I'll be okay - but my mind wants to get tangled up in unhelpful mental knots and wander into memories. Feeling a bit disconnected.

[limey]

It's good that you can see the pattern DanaC. Even if you didn't or can't prevent the down phase. X

Sent by magick

[DanaC]

Thanks hon.

It'll pass. I just have to be a bit more conscious about where my mind is taking me and not let myself get stuck down a blind alley for too long.