The 99 page After a lazy summer it became a busier autumn. The MOT for the GL was due in October, so I checked the previous test for advisories. The previous year I had been concerned about some movement in the steering column, but they had found nothing wrong. On later inspection I found that the pinch bolt at the base of the column needed tightening. I have found that it needs a ½ inch spanner rather than the expected 13mm.
One thing that was mentioned was a worn rear brake pad! This surprised me because in my experience these never wear; I had changed them on a previous occasion just for the hell of it, but the old pads had nearly as much material as the new. I wondered if there might be a seized piston. This proved to be the case. I managed to get new 6
rear callipers, though I had to go to two different suppliers. My first try was Saabit’s who have always given great service, but they had nearside only. Although it was the nearside calliper that had seized, I thought it prudent to change both sides. With a fresh MOT and a good service the car seemed to be running very well, but I did have a problem after visiting our daughter in Maidenhead, back when we could do such things. Returning home in the darkness of a wet autumn night, I took a wrong turn and had to turn around in a Sainsburys car park. Somehow, I managed to stall and found that restarting was hampered by a flat battery. A knight in shining armour, or turban to be precise, gave us a push-start and the engine burst into life straight away. More worrying was the rather dim dash and lighting, but after a tense few hundred yards the brightness was restored. You the reader may remember that I had experienced charging issues on a midnight run to Norwich at the beginning of the year, so perhaps there was still an issue? The next morning I checked all the connections on the alternator, which seemed fine. I was a little puzzled that I had not been alerted by the charging light. On investigation I found that one symptom of worn brushes is the
