Content by TimothyN in January, 2026

Has a Chinese programmer used the expression "Not too shabby"?

I guess it makes sense that every time you use iSMART you are "waking up" quite a few 12v consumers on the car...

I used to keep the ICE car above half fuel too. I like reserves.

My lifestyle/car usage has meant I have saved the £1200 a 7kW charger costs to install and just use a Granny charger. That gives me 30% charge, at 7p per kWh, per night, most of which I don't use to drive but to feed back into the house, so I get cheap electricity during the day. Essentially...

The only time I have charged away from home (and will be doing so again next month) was at a third category of charger which shouldn't be overlooked, called the "destination charger". If you are staying at a hotel (in my case CenterParcs) for a night or two, they will often have relatively...

They are still available. NOW GONE

To continue this theme, I now have my Starlink Mini and thought I'd try it in the car. It works brilliantly and, in this part of the world (which includes, ridiculously, the M25 between J8 and J5, where the GSM signal is atrocious) is far better than relying on mobile networks. But...

In a lifetime of buying new cars and keeping them until they are scrap, the only completely niggle free car I've had was a 2012 Audi (until, after 13 years, it died a protracted and painful gearbox death). My understanding is that 2012 was the heyday for Audi and that their quality has fallen...

These S5 seat covers were sent as a gift from one of the MG accessory people, and are new and untouched. I really can't see myself using them. So, free to whomever wants them, provided I don't have to put myself out too much to get them to you. They are in Biggin Hill. They could go to...

Is that meaningful without it being referenced per head of population and size of region? I mean, Scotland seems to have a lot, until you recognise that it's much the same size as England, and therefore the density is much lower. Or am I misreading it?

Using my long and massive experience of having charged my car at a public charger exactly once, the Monta app also took authority for £30, but only charged me the £6.49 I owed.

This is as it was, but I have taken @Lovemyev's advice and moved the box at the bottom right, containing the 12 V battery charger, to under the passenger seat.

Steady on; I sometimes wash the finger I use to wipe the camera.

You fell right into my trap, thank you for confirming what we already knew. You can run, but you cannot hide.

Um, I fear that that's contradictory. Firstly you say that regen is required, in place of engine braking, to get the rear wheels back in line, then you says it's switched off? Or are you saying that regen level 1 is about the equivalent of engine braking?

At the moment the boot's full of grandchildren shit from our Centreparcs holiday, but I'll do that tomorrow after I deliver it back to them

My space saver fits under the boot floor perfectly, with no adjustment. My charge cable is in the original MG bag within the wheel, together with various tools. Other bits and pieces, like the 12v booster pack and wheel brace, are around the interstices. It's all a perfect fit.

For "engine braking" do we read regen?

I fear that that analysis is too crude. Journeys range from popping out for milk on a rainy evening in rush hour, to going with the grandchildren to the Isle of Lewis for a week. It also fails to take into account self drive hire. It is the balance of requirements that's ultimately going to...

Mine is not secured, but is a tight enough fit not to be a problem.

Oh, I know, I've used them in Switzerland, and even been stopped by the Police to be told that I'm not permitted on a certain road without them. They're great in an environment, like Switzerland and Scandinavia, where you are pretty much guaranteed to be driving on snow. But if you have to...

I have a complete set that I don't think I'll use, in wine red. You are welcome to them, free of charge, but, I have to be honest, I CBA to pack them up and post them. Leighton Buzzard is not on my route, do you ever go anywhere near: Biggin Hill Bromley Sevenoaks Morden Epsom Acton Central...

Washing a car? Is that a thing? I wiped my finger over the rear camera just now, that should keep me going for a week.

The ones with compulsory chains? 🤣

IMHO and long experience, snow is the single best reason for not having RWD. Had I thought to ask before purchase, I probably wouldn’t have done so.

From Post 103, I suggest. That’s the one that starts “To change topic…” 😁

Mods, Would it be possible to split this into two threads? Behaviour in the snow really has a very little to do with rolling backwards in an emergency stop.

That was me. It was from the eponymous Biggin Hill down into Bromley, and hit over 20 at one point!

You're all much braver than me.

...and, like Mr Mountbatten Windsor, is no longer the Grand Old Duke of York

I think I disagree. My diesel car at 40 mpg, and £1.46 per litre results in about 17p per mile, and at 6.7p per kWh and approximately 3.5 miles per kWh, let's call that 2p per mile, so a ratio of eight times. Unless I'm being stupid?

Mine is fine, too, but it's developed a funny habit of showing 79% as I open the app, which changes to 80% as it refreshes. A bit weird!

There are so, so many variables that it would be really difficult to work out why some installations "just work" and other others are a world of pain.

Technical expression, dear. 🤣

Michelin CrossClimate 3 A great local independent in Biggin Hill called Tollgate. I wouldn't go anywhere else, even if someone tells me I could have saved 17p by going to Black Circles. They gave me money back for the OEM tyres, as they only had 5000 miles on them, but I think it would have...

I'm glad I got the All-Seasons when I did.

Much as I resent giving a cent to him, I have just invested in Starlink. It's going to be interesting to see how that changes the dynamic.

...at night 🙄

I drove Biggin Hill to Woburn, about 90 miles, at 0° yesterday, just leaving it in Normal, ACC on 55 mph. There was an extended 10mph section from M3 to M40, as ever. I had seat and steering wheel heating on, but kept the cabin heating off because I had a week's shopping aboard. So I drove...

I actually think that this kind of thread is extremely valuable. It means we know we are not alone and can stop fiddling with restarting (soft and hard), app reinstallation, reconnecting, checking WiFi, messing with VPN, network reset and all the other stuff, and can just sit on our hands and...

Mine just suddenly started working

To be fair, I've just realised that the Monta app tells me what I need to know.

Ah. It has forgotten who I am. That's a bugger, I guess I have to restart it in the car? It won't even let me type in my credentials

Not for me in Bedfordshire... Tips and tricks?

Speaking as a lifelong aeroplane owner, bringing chocks into your life brings a whole world of unimagined pain.

I value my time and sanguinity too much to even talk to the dealer about it. I know how it'll turn out.

Frustrating for me as I have plugged into a nighttime only 7kW charger, a mile away in freezing conditions, and I really wanted to check that it does start charging.

One of the benefits of the 13-year-old car I owned before this, and literally never washed, only cleaning the licence plates and lights, was that it was completely unattractive to scroats. I was rather hoping the same could be said for this one. I certainly have a policy of not washing it, to...

It sounds as if it's really not predictable which technology is going to be used for what. What I do know is that every couple of weeks everything collapses, and I have to delete Bluetooth from both ends and restart the whole process to get anything.

I keep coffee in mine...,

Um, no. My home charger is a granny charger and therefore only has one end. (Well, it has two, but one of them is a 13A plug and I'm pretty good at recognising those after the first 68 years.) I had no idea that the cable had ends...how do I recognise them? I assumed that they were symmetrical.

...it is a bit of a minefield in the event of you having an accident serious enough for the insurance company to investigate to mitigate its losses. They might require proof of who was the principal driver, and if they come to the conclusion that it was really you, your house and everything you...

I wonder what it feels like to own a petrol station.