Will a diesel keep running without an alternator?

till the cut off solenoid drops out &/or the diesel lift pump from the tank stops.

So if I ever have a similar problem or the alternator packs up miles away from home I should be ok to keep driving without needing to call RAC? It's got a good strong beefy battery so should manage several hours of daylight driving only using brake lights & indicators.

absolutely. You could probably run for days using bare minimum electrics, so no fan, no heated screens , headlights etc. I once drove an old zephyr home over fifteen miles using two torch batteries to power just the coil, a bump start and it got me home, arm signals when needed of course !

Should do, major thing that might stop it is if the alternator belt also runs things like the water pump, power steering etc

Great, so another reason why I love this old work horse! - and cheap motoring too running on veg, although with the cold weather coming I've reduced the mix to 50/50.

I use arm signals when appropriate but some people don't seem to understand them - one time I was waiting to turn right into a concealed entrance so was showing both indicators & arm signal but that didn't stop somebody passing me at speed me as I started the manoeuvre. He nearly took my arm off. The f****** dopy impatient *****!

Arm signals are not shown to learners any more

Ah - I must be getting old .... Mind you, he ignored my indicator and ducked past like a bozo, but, he may have thought I was waving him past. I don't know. Never mind.

They should be.

HWC rule 103:

"use an arm signal to emphasise or reinforce your signal if necessary."

Chris

Thats one of the reasons they dont teach arm signal manouvres any more causes to much confusion

Ive had bozo do that on me too

Its like the flashing of headlights should only be done as a warning , unfortunatly common practice means something completly different and it causes confusion which leads to accidents

Waving your arm out of a window indicating you are turning or slowing down can be misconstrued as waving you around

... then again, there was one occasion when a car came up behind me fast

- obviously in a hurry - and as the road was clear I eased off and waved him to go past, but he just sat behind me, tailgating, and declining the offer. I don't know.

Had to do them as part of my driving instructor, driving test, years ago.

tox

They are not part of the test anymore you are just supposed to know about them

Bit silly really

I used to get that a lot when driving my old Land Rover so just leave them to sort themselves out now. The one that taught me my lesson was a bozo I waved by on a long clear stretch, who took so long to get his arse in gear that by the time he overtook we were dangerously close to a corner. No doubt he'd have blamed me if he hadn't made it.

Yea - coming back from Town just now it was a tatty P reg BMW that wanted past, despite the fact it was a line of three vehicles to overtake. I left him to it.

(I used to run an SIII 109 Station Wagon and got the feeling that some people had a sneaking fondness for them, and would give a more little leeway than to any old saloon. Or maybe it was because it was a great lump of a vehicle that would have squashed them if they got it wrong.)

I had a spoof "Highway Code" book given to me some years ago.

There were several meanings given for the outstretched arm signal:

"I am flicking the ash off my cigarette".

"Look, that's where Auntie Ethel used to live".

"My side window is open".

The last meaning is the only one to be relied upon.