Jump to content

The new news 24 thread


Father Ted

Recommended Posts

16 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Never felt the need to do that, my ears must compensate for any slight delay. I do have to balance adjusted so the further speaker is slightly louder than the nearer to get the impressive* stereo effect though.

The difference is remarkable if you actually bother to do it. 

I don't normally bother, but this time it actually worked!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the effect depends somewhat on exactly where the speakers are too.  By far the biggest difference I've noticed with that sort of calibration was in the Saab.  That has the front speakers in the dash top and right back to the sides of the parcel shelf.  So they're a decent ways ahead and behind you (provides a really good sound stage actually), and the effect there was *really* noticeable.  I've not really been able to tell a huge difference in any other car I've tried it in.

Things like the Caddy complicate things a bit too as the front speakers actually have a paired tweeter and woofer in the dash top and door which are wired together - but separated by a metre or so - one basically level with your ear, one a metre ahead of you so there's *always* going to be some phase differential shenanigans going on unless you totally redo things from scratch and do away with the dash top speakers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, reb said:

I think it was actually quite expensive when it was new, it has a ridiculously high resolution screen for how old it is, unless you tell it not to it plays random greyscale videos* while it's on.

The Kenwood stereo in the Toyota does that, except they're in two colours (cyan and red).  It plays a video of a surfer swimming with bottlenose dolphins, unless you turn it off - but you seemingly have to do that every time you use the stereo.

Edited by wuvvum
Typo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sent the saloon Civic off to my local garage of choice for a new clutch. It's fucked, needs thrashing to get off my drive at which point it invariably stalls when you try and pull away, then bogs down or kangaroos if you give it less than 2000rpm til it warms up. And when it's warm it slips under load. Quite badly. 

I was going to provide a clutch but it turns out they vary with chassis number and the ones that motor factors list as fitting is the wrong one - the right one is (possibly) for a non-VTEC CRX but not listed as fitting Civics. There are something like 3 different size friction plates and this one has the biggest one. 

I can't be arsed trying to source the right one and arguing with factors about what the right part is, so I figured I'd farm it out and make it someone else's problem. 

So off it goes, the garage wanted to see it to confirm the labour rate as it was dependent on if they needed to move the subframe (you don't). Comes back half an hour later, they looked at it, adjusted the clutch cable, tried to stall it and came to the conclusion it didn't need a clutch and sent it away. 

 

FFS. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Sent the saloon Civic off to my local garage of choice for a new clutch. It's fucked, needs thrashing to get off my drive at which point it invariably stalls when you try and pull away, then bogs down or kangaroos if you give it less than 2000rpm til it warms up. And when it's warm it slips under load. Quite badly. 

I was going to provide a clutch but it turns out they vary with chassis number and the ones that motor factors list as fitting is the wrong one - the right one is (possibly) for a non-VTEC CRX but not listed as fitting Civics. There are something like 3 different size friction plates and this one has the biggest one. 

I can't be arsed trying to source the right one and arguing with factors about what the right part is, so I figured I'd farm it out and make it someone else's problem. 

So off it goes, the garage wanted to see it to confirm the labour rate as it was dependent on if they needed to move the subframe (you don't). Comes back half an hour later, they looked at it, adjusted the clutch cable, tried to stall it and came to the conclusion it didn't need a clutch and sent it away. 

 

FFS. 

Cheaper than a new clutch right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Sent the saloon Civic off to my local garage of choice for a new clutch. It's fucked, needs thrashing to get off my drive at which point it invariably stalls when you try and pull away, then bogs down or kangaroos if you give it less than 2000rpm til it warms up. And when it's warm it slips under load. Quite badly. 

I was going to provide a clutch but it turns out they vary with chassis number and the ones that motor factors list as fitting is the wrong one - the right one is (possibly) for a non-VTEC CRX but not listed as fitting Civics. There are something like 3 different size friction plates and this one has the biggest one. 

I can't be arsed trying to source the right one and arguing with factors about what the right part is, so I figured I'd farm it out and make it someone else's problem. 

So off it goes, the garage wanted to see it to confirm the labour rate as it was dependent on if they needed to move the subframe (you don't). Comes back half an hour later, they looked at it, adjusted the clutch cable, tried to stall it and came to the conclusion it didn't need a clutch and sent it away. 

 

FFS. 

Fair play to 'em.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pink Corsa failed it's MOT, but this doesn't warrant a post in the grumpy thread because it only failed on a hole in the flexible section of the exhaust and another in the sill return/offside rear wheel arch. Welding repair already completed, exhaust repair happening tomorrow, then it'll be up Four Sail...

Mrs CW will think she's dreaming if i actually get rid - I haven't achieved a fleet reduction since the Renner VS went to northern monkey by roffle. And that must have been 2016, ffs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How are people getting on in the storms? Guess who's on a Water Rescue training week? 70mph winds and hail in Capel Curig made this afternoon's session there interesting. The wind chill actually meant it was warmer in the river than on the bank. Probably the most dangerous bit of the day was my drive home down the Llanberis Pass - had to wrestle with the wheel a few times to stay on the road. A hot shower now I'm home has helped warm me up, I reckon I'll probably eat my own body weight in carbohydrates this evening.

There'll be a bit of a respite tomorrow before it blows up again on Friday - they've already said they're going to shut the Britannia Bridge, glad I don't have to go to Anglesey!

Stay safe everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Pete-M said:

Reverted to night owl mode. 

3am this morning and I've just spent the last hour learning about audio time alignment. 

It's because I'm one of those people who reads manuals when he buys something. I like to see if things can do cool stuff. 

This led to me sitting in the car at 3am measuring the distance from my ears to each speaker in the car. With a tape measure, a pen and paper, and some audiogeekery website with a magic calculator that works out how long sounds will take to get to my old cloth ears. 

It's literally to do with the speed of sound. 

Anyway, it turns out there's nearly a millisecond of delay between sounds from the left front speaker and the right front reaching my head. 

A millisecond isn't much in the grand scheme of things admittedly, but if you can delete that delay by adjusting the speaker timing to compensate then things mysteriously sound much better (to the listener whose ears are in the correct listening position).

Anyway, it turns out the stereo in the car can do this voodoo, but it is hidden deep in menus nobody other than people like me ever look at.

It works, too. Better than I expected it to. It isn't even a particularly modern or expensive unit. It's a £130 Alpine CDA-193BT job. As the car has a DAB aerial but no DAB radio I'm guessing they've taken the good stereo out and got this from Halfords or summat. 

This is what happens when you RTFM. 

Sound delay is one of the main reasons I never go to the cinema.

Unless you have a seat in the right place, the sound delay is terrible.

Sitting on the extreme left, right or rear of the cinema ruins it for me.

I am a miserable cunt though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

How are people getting on in the storms? Guess who's on a Water Rescue training week? 70mph winds and hail in Capel Curig made this afternoon's session there interesting. The wind chill actually meant it was warmer in the river than on the bank. Probably the most dangerous bit of the day was my drive home down the Llanberis Pass - had to wrestle with the wheel a few times to stay on the road. A hot shower now I'm home has helped warm me up, I reckon I'll probably eat my own body weight in carbohydrates this evening.

There'll be a bit of a respite tomorrow before it blows up again on Friday - they've already said they're going to shut the Britannia Bridge, glad I don't have to go to Anglesey!

Stay safe everyone.

It's certainly fooking windy here! The lights keep dimming, I've got all the phones and torches on charge!

One of the bins blew over a few minutes ago and I think I'll just leave it down. Glad I don't have to go to the office tomorrow, the roads are always awful round here with tree's and branches all over the place, and being out pre 7am you're usually the first to come across it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

How are people getting on in the storms? Guess who's on a Water Rescue training week? 70mph winds and hail in Capel Curig made this afternoon's session there interesting. The wind chill actually meant it was warmer in the river than on the bank. Probably the most dangerous bit of the day was my drive home down the Llanberis Pass - had to wrestle with the wheel a few times to stay on the road. A hot shower now I'm home has helped warm me up, I reckon I'll probably eat my own body weight in carbohydrates this evening.

There'll be a bit of a respite tomorrow before it blows up again on Friday - they've already said they're going to shut the Britannia Bridge, glad I don't have to go to Anglesey!

Stay safe everyone.

It's all very exciting on the south east coast. Cladding is blowing off walls over 100' up, guttering is being blown off and they're forecasting hurricane-force winds on Friday. It's so bad they've cancelled Friday overtime work altogether! The drive home certainly was interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw a right scene this evening.

Went to get fish and chips in central Canterbury and as I'm standing on the pavement outside the shop admiring a bright yellow Lamborghini, I hear an almighty crash, look up and a Deliveroo scooter has gone into the back of a red car (didn't actually catch the model) on the other side of the road.  Bloke gets out of the red car and starts shouting at the scooter driver, demanding insurance details and getting very aggressive until it was pointed out by a bystander that the blue Golf that's directly behind the scooter went into the back of the scooter, smashing it in turn into the back of the red car.

After about three or four minutes of shouting, everyone seems to be getting on better when they try to pick up the scooter.  As soon as the scooter is upright, the engine starts and it's evidently still in gear so these two blokes are desperately trying to stop it crashing into the door of the Lamborghini and kill the engine.

I thought they'd actually tapped it but it didn't look like there was any damage.  Lamborghini owner nowhere in sight.  Another scooter pulls over (another Deliveroo) and the arguments start all over again.  Fuck knows why.

Police turn up.  Lamborghini driver turns up and the chip shop owner (who obviously knows him) tells him to check his door.

'For fucks' sake, I've just had a 25 thousand Pound door fitted!  That's how much they cost!'

He seems happy that the door hasn't been damaged and drives off, making a racket with his V12, briefly drowning out the continuing arguments across the road (at this point I have no idea why they're even arguing). 

Get my food, scarper back and drive off.  Filmed the first argument but sadly missed the scooter-Lamborghini-interface antics.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Saw a right scene this evening.

Went to get fish and chips in central Canterbury and as I'm standing on the pavement outside the shop admiring a bright yellow Lamborghini, I hear an almighty crash, look up and a Deliveroo scooter has gone into the back of a red car (didn't actually catch the model) on the other side of the road.  Bloke gets out of the red car and starts shouting at the scooter driver, demanding insurance details and getting very aggressive until it was pointed out by a bystander that the blue Golf that's directly behind the scooter went into the back of the scooter, smashing it in turn into the back of the red car.

After about three or four minutes of shouting, everyone seems to be getting on better when they try to pick up the scooter.  As soon as the scooter is upright, the engine starts and it's evidently still in gear and the two blokes are desperately trying to stop it crashing into the door of the Lamborghini and kill the engine.

I thought they'd actually tapped it but it didn't look like there was any damage.  Lamborghini owner nowhere in sight.  Another scooter pulls over (another Deliveroo) and the arguments start all over again.  Fuck knows why.

Police turn up.  Lamborghini driver turns up and the chip shop owner (who obviously knows him) tells him to check his door.

'For fucks' sake, I've just had a 25 thousand Pound door fitted!  That's how much they cost!'

He seems happy that the door hasn't been damaged and drives off, making a racket with his V12, briefly drowning out the continuing arguments across the road (at this point I have no idea why they're even arguing). 

Get my food, scarper back and drive off.  Filmed the first argument but sadly missed the scooter-Lamborghini-interface antics.

 

Id have loved to have been a fly on the wall at this scenario ha ha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Bloke gets out of the red car and starts shouting at the scooter driver, demanding insurance details and getting very aggressive until it was pointed out by a bystander that the blue Golf that's directly behind the scooter went into the back of the scooter, smashing it in turn into the back of the red car.

Had similar, years ago when I stopped at a Zebra crossing. Woman just started crossing when I got rear-ended and pushed forward. Woman's Mother (mouthy & Italian) started ranting and raving at ME for trying to run over her daughter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've had a couple of dry and fairly mild (if a tad* breezy) days this week so I've been doing a bit of mid-week fettling in my lunch breaks.

The Maxus now has a working heater blower, thanks to the excellent Sunny Jim of this parish who extricated one from a dead Maxus and posted it to me.  I was pleased to find that it works on all four speeds - I was half expecting the resistor to be dead which would have meant that it only worked on hurricane setting.  It'll be nice to be able to get some warm air without having to plug the inverter in, and it may also come in handy if we get a summer this year and I need to run the aircon.

The next job on the van is to try and fix the passenger window, which doesn't go down.  The motor appears to be doing something as trying to wind the window up makes the interior light dim so it's obviously drawing current, but it doesn't want to go down.  Both door switches have the same effect so I think it's a motor issue rather than a switch issue - maybe the "down" wire has broken, come loose or corroded.  I'm going to have to get the door card off and investigate at some point.

I attempted a fix on the Laguna's boost hose - I Gorilla glued the plastic back together where it had split, then ran a thick bead of Tiger Seal round the outside of the join - that way there's a minimal risk of anything getting sucked into the engine.  It's definitely made an improvement but it's not 100% - I don't think superglue or Tiger Seal were designed to cope with that sort of temperature, so I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy a repair section.  At least I now know how the thing goes together - I found that unclipping the PAS reservoir gives a bit of extra wiggle room to get the pipe in and out, which helps avoid having to bend it too far, although the replacement section is rubber so that will be less of an issue.  Still an expense I could have done without mind...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, wuvvum said:

The next job on the van is to try and fix the passenger window, which doesn't go down.  The motor appears to be doing something as trying to wind the window up makes the interior light dim so it's obviously drawing current, but it doesn't want to go down.  Both door switches have the same effect so I think it's a motor issue rather than a switch issue - maybe the "down" wire has broken, come loose or corroded.  I'm going to have to get the door card off and investigate at some point.

Don't know what's the failure point on the Maxus but I've fixed a few broken motors by hitting them with a mallet while pushing down on the open button. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 17/02/2022 at 01:27, mitsisigma01 said:

Would of been more interesting if he had hit the Lambo and then found out the scooter rider didn't have business insurance for his moped 😕

What, lyke...... You sayyin the line of baldy/partworn shod Clio's n Pugz - half wheel parked along the High St pavement - dooinn Pizza/Kebab runs are....errrr NOT 😱

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...