Mr Ice-ni

Calling all those with oily hands, help pls. Until recently I had never even heard of a DPF. A few evenings ago up popped a picture of an engine and an error message "Engine failure" (on a Fiat Postman Pat btw). The handbook is of no use - "go to your Fiat dealer". But luckily our local garage has a Bosch diagnostic box which informed us that the DPF is ********. Mme at the garage is unsure whether this is a job that Fiat will allow them to do but is searching. In the meantime I turned to Google and, suspecting that everything is cheaper on the island, find that I can buy a DPF in Engerland but still checking on their willingness to ship to France. Is there a way to clean rather than replace or, if not, how I stop this happening every few years? Drive at F1 rev level from time to time? Or is there a Redex lookalike that I can add to the fuel? Or even put the DPF through the dishwasher? And then dry in new tumble dryer? All assistance gratefully received. TIA John  

The choices would seem to be 1. Pay little and the operator stops operating 2. Pay a lot and it keeps going.  John

[quote user="The Riff-Raff Element"] So far this hasn't killed me, though I'm not offering any guarantees, and the results taste good. [/quote] Thank you RRE for making me laugh. I think I know what you mean but I prefer that which you have written. John

To me the New Look does not appear very different. Perhaps I should pay more attention when I meet people? John

Thank Dog - Sir O Mosley and his brownshirts marching through Stamford Hill were only a figment of my imagination. And the Duke of Windsor of course. John

[quote user="Théière"] ... same stuff the number plate is held on with. [/quote] I'm not convinced that rivets will work but what do I know? John

IIRC Kate Winslet referred to the size of her own sit-upon as "I have an arse the size of Kent". I thought at the time it could have been worse, Texas or Alaska sprang to mind. John p.s. cannot remember the circs, whilst in calf perhaps ?

I don't understand any refusal to utter the word sorry. It costs and means nothing. John

Surely JC just needs a sick note signed by the doctors of either Ernest Saunders or Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi? John 

No more or less true than apathy maintaining fidelity. John

[quote user="idun"] The car was turned into a slow cooker. [/quote] Or perhaps a George Foreman grill? John

But who will teach the child to write English? FM, you have achieved the best bit, it's downhill all the way now. John BTW I think it is well past time to introduce 2 new languages, American and Australian as English is fading fast.

Yep, never put off till tomorrow that which you can successfully put off until the day after. John

is HMRC getting quicker? I completed Forms France-Individual in both English and French and hand delivered them to my local tax office in Figeac on 20/6/11. Madame signed and stamped her bit and promised to send the English form to Noisy-le-Grand that same day. Today I received a letter from Cardiff informing me that I am NT in UK plus a cheque from Cumbernauld refunding tax on something trivial. Having read of horrendous delays suffered by others perhaps I should buy a lottery ticket this week. John

OP - as a potential buyer you are as rare as hen's teeth so only do things that suit you. If the seller wants you to do anything that does not suit find another seller - there are plenty around. John

Using the criteria of this thread I am not sure that I have ever integrated, even having spent the first 20 something years of my life in the same Essex village.  What others do is of little interest to me unless/until it affects me and mine. Not speaking fluently the language of the neighbours may mean missing some things but so what? I never mixed very much even when I did. If I ask "How are you?" it is out of politeness rather than wanting to know (living with a hypochondriac probably causes this). Di and I are happy with our own company - most of the time anyway. If the time comes when one of us shuffles off change will be forced upon the other but one cannot cross a bridge until one gets to it. If I visit somewhere and don't like the people or the way they treat me, I don't go back - I certainly would not brand a whole region or more just because I had a bad holiday. That is akin to believing that "you can always tell a Yorkshireman, but not much" - though, on reflection, perhaps this  is the exception that proves the rule. A. Curmudgeon

Hi, Coops, just popped in to read the latest. On the subject of wigs - did you know that very Orthodox Jews consider that a married woman's hair is too sexy to be seen by men other than her husband and very close male relatives and thus a scheitl must be worn in public? I picture you in a huge, frizzy Afro. Try to keep your chin up and I look forward to your continuing your regular reports on the real French health service.  John  

I wonder which legal drugs, other than alcohol, were found. John

The NIBMAR effect? John

I suspect that your monitor is trying to tell you something - perhaps I'm too darned hot. Can you borrow a monitor? John 

[quote user="sweet 17"] In our other house, we were the people "on site" and reluctantly took on the role of caretaker of the English neighbours' house. It was always they who harrassed us!  No sooner had they driven up than they were knocking on our door, asking for news of their house, had we put on the hot water/turned on the fridge freezer and yes, a cup of tea would be lovely! [/quote] But more importantly sweets, did they pay your invoices on time? or is discussing money still infra dig? Seriously though, are other nationalities prepared to "put up with things" the way the English do? Or perhaps "you mustn't make a fuss" is  a phrase that does not translate? John

And another potential prob. Who will provide the capital ? And what will happen when one/some of the adults decide "this is too much like hard work, I want to go back"? Remember the old adage "never work with children, animals or members of your family". John  

That's unfair - your poor planning is not the fault of the fonctionnaires. John 

Only one thing matters - how will you make enough money to live on + a lot for the rainy day fund? Sunshine and sitting on the terrace drinking g+t is not an acceptable currency for EDF, Leclerc etc John

I see, said the blind man. Shine was many things as a cricketer but even he would never claim to be the WGLB. BTW if he criticised Cook's bowling rate he should watch a little more closely. John