In-car tool kit: what do you carry?

Fred gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No. Replace your battery when it shows the first symptoms of dying, instead of cocking about to delay the inevitable.

I carry some tools - a cheap 1/4" and 1/2" socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, torx drivers, an injection fault-code reader and a couple of other odds'n'sods - and a few bits. The only time I've ever needed to use them as a roadside kit was when I've either already known there's been an intermittent problem or due to a maintenance oversight. Oh, or when somebody else's car's been giving shit...

Mind you, it might just be that they act as a bit of a talisman to ward off Sod's Law.

That doesn't help if you've left your lights on or somebody else has flat battery though.

"Duncan Wood" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

There's a simple answer to that...

I don't think I've ever been flagged down by and been asked for a jump-start.

By coincidence I have just been through the junk in my own boot: extending wheel brace, little compressor with lamp built in, few screwdrivers, mole grips, odd spanners, cheapo small socket set, fuses, bulbs, cable ties, gloves, rag, old overalls, spare fan belt, sticky tape and a length of rope. But I would not go out far in anything without RAC or similar cover and a mobile phone !!!! I haven't carried jump leads or spare petrol for many years.

I was once. On a country lane that I don't normally use, a family was standing beside their Saab 9000, holding a set of jump leads waiting for a car to pass. Then a week later, I was cycling along the same road and the crank came loose on my bike so I knocked and asked to borrow a pair of pliers, much to their surprise!

Well I have work colleagues & friends, occasionally some of them have needed a jump start. & my next door neighbour, but obviously they don't need to be in the boot for that.

Yes, but the world would be a boring place if there were *two* Mr Perfects... ;-)

I have, on a number of occasions. I've also had neighbours knock at the door and ask for a jump-start.

Perhaps I just seem approachable? Or a mug?

Chris

Yes, but the world would be a boring place if there were *two* Mr Perfects... ;-)

I have, on a number of occasions. I've also had neighbours knock at the door and ask for a jump-start.

Perhaps I just seem approachable? Or a mug?

Chris

Blimey, apart from the overalls, that's _exactly_ what I have in the Rover's boot. Plus wellies.

I do have breakdown cover, but am probably the last person alive not to own a mobile phone.

Rover has a fuel reserve. I keep a can of diesel and jump leads in the Land Rover though. The jump leads came free with a car once and have to live somewhere.

Yes, but the world would be a boring place if there were *two* Mr Perfects... ;-)

I have, on a number of occasions. I've also had neighbours knock at the door and ask for a jump-start.

Perhaps I just seem approachable? Or a mug?

Chris

Or all three:-)

Extending wheel brace RAC cover Mobile phone (charged)

Everything else.

Another Dave

LOL!

I use Pan for news; it will sometimes double-post, but three is a record.

Chris

Chris Whelan gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Pan's not the cause - although I'm surprised to see it's Virgin's servers, not the usual freebie Germans.

Just the standard toolkit, a mobile phone, and the breakdown service number. In years gone by when I had older cars, a few hand tools- screwdrivers, pliers, small socket set.

In article , Fred writes

A 4-spoke wheel brace. It's gone from car to car, but I have only used it once in 20 years.

It might be more helpful to suggest what is...

Chris

Chris Whelan gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It appears to be the server failing to acknowledge correct posting in a timely fashion. The german server (news.individual.net/eternalseptember) is notorious on some groups for it.

OK. I've always used VM's servers, and they have mostly met my needs.

The issue with multiple posts never occurred when I used Thunderbird as my news reader, which is why I suspected a peculiarity of Pan.

I have tried to track down the cause, but the frequency is so low that I've not been able to identify it.

Chris