Against my better judgement and partially against my wishes (they're twisting my good-humour / good-cause bone), i've found myself in a situation where Poppy may, finally, be finding a new home. It's for the best really, as since I got the box on and had a week of pooting about finding out how it affects things and giving everything a good burn-in run, she's stood forlorn in my nan's garage --- and, as it turns out, started to rot. Literally. I'm meaning moulds and fungus. Not good. Needs to be outside, playing in the open air, and if it means a return to some mumsy's shopping and three-miles-to-work-at-25mph duties, so be it.
Anyway.
Battery problems up to when i started taking the engine to bits had got a bit silly, and even now with the new battery in, its moronic. Something's draining it. What is there that can nearly flatten a quarter-charged car battery overnight? When I left it at like 7pm, Saturday, the engine had been running quite a while and I was able to easily restart it after several minutes stood - a fair bit of residual charge there (battery disconnected for a few weeks). Sunday, 11am, NOTHING. Jump start it, run for at least a half hour, engine off, back on within 30 seconds, NOTHING. But engine goes ok, showing battery/alternator to be at least sufficient, once the flywheel's spinning.
Who's up to speed with their electrical problems who could offer a hint?
So far i've had suggestion of it just being a bad battery (charge pattern etc when off the car suggests otherwise), poor connection with the main electrode clamps (whatever you call 'em ... go on top of the battery. sounds odd to me, but i'm clueless enough to go along with), or an "earth leak" somewhere, which is a term i'm familiar with, but do not really understand the meaning or implications of. Sort me out
I'm charging the battery up down in the stone-floored utility room now. I had to jump start it for the prospective buyers, which I think probably didn't impress them. In a way I'd prefer if they didn't take it, just to satisfy my obstinacy, on the other hand it means a lot of hassle finding a buyer now i've wasted a weekend grafing the car up to spec a lot earlier than i meant to, and she's a nice lady who's a bit strapped and has a golf that's about to die from sheer age rather than neglect and abuse. So she'll look after the old girl - and is switched on electronically so might be flyered into coming on here.
if anyone was interested in how the car went with the CEG box on, BTW - pretty good. first 4 gears same as ever, of course... 5th was a mixed bag. It'd do 70-80 well enough, but it did need an awful lot of coaxing, and trying to cruise at 75 along the m42 resulted in a lot of wavering around 70 and 65 with the pedal on the boards over the hilly bits mixed with maybe 75% throttle on the flat and an occasional more coasty bit. Great for lower speeds, though, 35 thru to, say, constant 65 or 70 if you were prepared to downshift now and then. Makes a big change to the feel of the car on a high speed cruise, a lot quieter and less thrashtastic even if it is only about a 20% drop. All the same ... getting hold of the 1-litre saloon eco-box would almost definately be the ultimate 'best choice' here. A few percent extra starting/accelerating/hill climbing oomph in the lower 3 gears without much noticable effect on redline speeds or economy, improved flat-out bombing in 4th and greater sustainability in 5th whilst still being an easy cruiser (and probably taking over from 4th in the speed stakes once you eked past 90). Too bad they're like hen's teeth. Still if anyone's got a defunct 4.267 ratio box and want to practice some diff swapping to maybe make a 1-litre/8P hybrid, my old crapped out 4-cogger is free to a good, bad, or ugly home
)...
then again i don't mind abusing one of the chain franchises... especially if Halfords or the AA offer it.