CRV puts in a shift - Cookie's adventures in shiteing

[Cookiesouwest]

24 minutes ago, Wibble said:

Sounds a bit like, when we moan about people not being able to drive anymore, we might be correct😬

I simply hadn't appreciated how tech'd up the car she learnt in was.

When I gave her the key to the Polo and she went out to get in it, she thought the car would magically open, with the key in her bag.

I had to explain that she actually had to unlock it herself.

Once in it, she couldn't understand how to start it.

Not her fault. She's not into cars, has no knowledge of them.

She thought all cars were like her dad's.

I didn't realise any of this would be a problem. But I'm old and my BSM driving instructor had a G reg Metro.

[Cookiesouwest]

30 minutes ago, andyberg said:

I’m glad @BerginJR has his little piss yellow 106. At least he can get used to a proper car whilst still learning in his instructors modern. 
I’m sure little cookie will get there. Maybe it needs a shiter to show her the ways of the ‘force’

He is definitely lucky to have that pug.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I really should have got her a banger basic auto to practice in.

[Cookiesouwest]

41 minutes ago, SiC said:

I guess I've only ever driven large engined slush autos but I would have thought even the small ones would have had enough power to sit on a hill without rolling back in drive and no accelerator. 

My 36yr old BiL passed his test last year and barely driven since. He can't seem to handle reversing any car that doesn't have a rear camera and front parking sensors. No idea what he'd do if the car he is driving has one of those features break. 

Sadly it doesn't.

Stopped pointing down hill, steep, maybe a 1 in 6, in old money.

In reverse, foot off brake, moves forward a little, hence juggling with the handbrake required.

 

[Wibble]

6 minutes ago, Cookiesouwest said:

I simply hadn't appreciated how tech'd up the car she learnt in was.

When I gave her the key to the Polo and she went out to get in it, she thought the car would magically open, with the key in her bag.

I had to explain that she actually had to unlock it herself.

Once in it, she couldn't understand how to start it.

Not her fault. She's not into cars, has no knowledge of them.

She thought all cars were like her dad's.

I didn't realise any of this would be a problem. But I'm old and my BSM driving instructor had a G reg Metro.

Old? Yep, me too. My instructor had a D reg Sunny. She’s lucky to have a step Dad who gives a shit though. Shows how little they take notice though. All these gizmos haven’t been around that long.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Further non BFG news.

Little Cookie had her first proper set back tonight.

We live in a narrow (ish) street, where parking is difficult. Often  leading to people parking on neighbouring streets or on the track to the farm.

Poppy rushed in tonight, in tears. She hadn't been able to manoeuvre her car and had simply left it, blocking the track to the farm.

So I had to go and move it.

The problem (besides her chronic anxiety), is she learnt to drive in her Dad's car (he's a driving instructor). Electric handbrake, parking sensors, hill hold - or whatever that's called.

Her Polo has none of those things. She didn't know what the handbrake was for, thought the rev counter was the speedo and has never had to find a bite point (ok it's an Auto, but on a steep hill, where we live, she needs to use the handbrake in conjunction with the throttle, to hold the car, when parking). Also had never used a key to start a car. Had to ask how to do it. Her dad's car had keyless entry and a start button.

She ain't no natural driver. 

I don't think her driving career will last very long, unless she wins the lottery and buys a car that's got more sensors than the starship enterprise.

I'm away next week. She will be on her own.

I'm betting, she gets arrested for abandoning her car in the middle of the road, before the week is out

Youngsters should be made to learn in the most basic of cars. Its very difficult to 'learn backwards' from a technology perspective.

A 20 plus year old Polo, may not have been my best idea.

She learned in a Modern, and passed, I think? Now, as a new driver, she's in a 20yo car without transition tuition maybe? I learned on a manual, driving my first auto was a steep learning curve. For me to pilot an EV now might be a similar learning experience.

[Spiny Norman]

To be fair I think that quite a few of us dedicated shiters for whom a 2010 plate is brand new would have a hard time in a button-less, iPad festooned EV without a few minutes of instruction.

[Tayne]

Don’t do yourselves down lads, the basic driving controls are the same and anything that’s deviated from a physical start button, handbrake or gear selector will give you the kind of “press brake pedal to engage…” message that’s been around for 30 years or so.

[EyesWeldedShut]

8 hours ago, Cookiesouwest said:

hence juggling with the handbrake required.

Hah, fruit of my wife's loins had a meltdown when she discovered that some cars do not come with 'hill assist' on them so she had to learn how to do a proper hillstart after f our or five years driving modern stuff (a bigger issue was no Apple CarPlay but I think we've fixed that now).
Bigger problem is that she simply cannot parallel park - total mental block.

[tooSavvy]

Hmm... AVAS [1.8 slushie] is quite relaxed about 'hill hold' usually 😮, in D.

The only truly steep one I regularly run up, and has lights on, is outside the police station by Central Station. >> roll to a stop, crank hbrake.

'green'.. power/brake off = away.

🚙💨

[SiC]

I guess this will have to do for a year or so to get the premiums down. Then something with a bigger engine that is a bit more well behaved on hills and such? Like an Astra H 1.8 slush auto or something like that. 

[beko1987]

I forsee a whole generation of drivers who will be unable to drive without modern electronic aids 😢 Probably including my own children in that. 

Jumping from dads 2024 enyaq after 3/400 miles of driving it back into the 2002 Xsara was always a mind fuck even with me driving 10+ years. Took a good 5/10 miles to get back used to it. 

Hopefully she'll get used to it. Maybe some car park lessons one weekend in it? Get her to gently back it into something solid so she can experience it in a controlled way 

[tooSavvy]

The rugrat [... now 18] consulted with me (not my money) on her driving lessons....

AUTO = simple basis to begin driving + what is the 'future' 😉.

That is where she is now 👍

🚙💨

[Datsuncog]

She'll get there. There's always been an element of  changing technology with cars - in the same way my driving school Corsa B didn't have a manual choke, but the Viva I drove after passing my test did, so I had to figure that one out for myself. After flooding the carb a few times, I got the hang of it.

I know I'd have a hard time getting used to any number of things that our motoring forebearers took in their stride - like advancing and retarding ignition, engaging a pre-selector gearbox,  double-declutching, or having to use a starting handle. No doubt they'd be scornful of my motoring abilities.

Ford sold 15 million Model Ts, yet its controls were quite different to modern standards and I think I'd have enormous difficulty driving one. No gearstick and the throttle control mounted on the steering wheel? Not in rush hour traffic, or when trying to parallel park on a slope, thankyouverymuch...

I didn't find the Nissan Leaf kept as a pool car in work to be terribly intuitive, but at least I didn't end up blocking a major junction like my line manager did (engaged the tiny parking brake pedal hidden down in the driver's footwell, and then couldn't find it again to release it).

[Markeh]

I learnt in a then new Fiesta and then a brand new 208 shortly after they came out, every time my instructor kept talking about things like the ABS kicking in I had to remind him that my Corsa B did not have such luxuries as power steering and ABS!

I have to admit I'm expecting issues for the first few miles when I change back to the Nissan next week after a fortnight in the milk float.

[Cookiesouwest]

So BFG was taken to my local garage to be hooked up to the Autel.

It reads less modules than my icarsoft!!

I have been given name of a local merc specialist with Star. By local it's 10 ish miles away.

Will have to wait now, till I get back from up north, so CRV will be pressed into long distance service.

[Snake Charmer]

6 hours ago, Cookiesouwest said:

So BFG was taken to my local garage to be hooked up to the Autel.

It reads less modules than my icarsoft!!

I have been given name of a local merc specialist with Star. By local it's 10 ish miles away.

Will have to wait now, till I get back from up north, so CRV will be pressed into long distance service.

Any idea of what the Mercedes specialist charges to plug the car in?

[Cookiesouwest]

12 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

Any idea of what the Mercedes specialist charges to plug the car in?

Not yet.

Will call tomorrow.

Bit of a ball ache, I will need a day off work, just to take it in for a code read. I'm in the sticks so public transport is terrible.

Auto box is also whining a little. Might as well get a fluid change, while it's in the garage.

 

[SiC]

Mine is still available here for free! 🙃

[Cookiesouwest]

50 minutes ago, SiC said:

Mine is still available here for free! 🙃

I know. 

You will be first port of call, when I'm back

 

[andyberg]

8 hours ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Not yet.

Will call tomorrow.

Bit of a ball ache, I will need a day off work, just to take it in for a code read. I'm in the sticks so public transport is terrible.

Auto box is also whining a little. Might as well get a fluid change, while it's in the garage.

 

I’ll WhatsApp you my shufts. Arrange a day that I’m off and you can have a free taxi service

[Cookiesouwest]

Following BFG disgracing herself, just prior to the trip North, the CRV was pressed into service for the journey to Hexham.

M6 shut at Preston (we travelled on Monday), so detour via M62 over to Leeds, then up on the M1 and A1. 8 hr journey in total

The MPG was not bad either. The detour that felt massive, only added 30 miles. Plus I've not driven the M62 before, so that's now ticked off the list.

 

The dogs preferred the CRV. Mrs Cookie didn't.

I did. Weirdly. Sat a bit higher up, with bigger wing mirrors, made the Motorway a slightly better experience. I must be getting old. It's been so long since we used the CRV for the trip North, I'd forgotten how well she does.

What was not so good, was I forgot to check the tyres before we left.

The NSF Michelin, picked up a puncture months ago. I chucked on a spare alloy with a Kumho on, that was in the shed. Obviously I forgot to get the Michelin fixed.

CRV has been a tad skittish lately. Probably not helped by the tyre.

Which is a little worn on outer edge and is cracking.

So I've booked in for a pair of cross climates and tracking tomorrow, to give me piece of mind for the return leg.

 

[Snake Charmer]

54 minutes ago, Cookiesouwest said:

I must be getting old.

Check the CRV for any of these....... 😁

[SiC]

35 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

Check the CRV for any of these....... 😁

TBF you can usually find them in a E-class wagon. Especially with a wood rimmed steering wheel like in cookies 🤣

[Snake Charmer]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

TBF you can usually find them in a E-class wagon. Especially with a wood rimmed steering wheel like in cookies 🤣

Phew, my steering wheel is leather! (Interior is Giffer Beige.)

Someone stole the MB flat cap the car came with from a pub I was in. 🫢

[beko1987]

Part of me wanting a qashqai was a cheap way of having something high up. 

I like it so far! Shame it comes with the stigma of owning a qq but you can't win them all and have 50mpg 😂🤷

[Cookiesouwest]

New front tyres fitted today.

Value Tread in Hexham. Bit pricey for Michelins, but excellent service. Would definitely use them again, once move north has happened.

 

[Cookiesouwest]

Now home and total mileage / mpg for the week was

Not bad for a car with the aerodynamics of a brick, that rarely went below 70, for 550 of those miles.

New tyres made a massive difference to the trip home. She was much better to drive.

Now to sort BFG out.

[SiC]

Amazing that the E320 is better on fuel for the same journey though. Presumably better aero but also the engine isn't working as hard with lower revs on a cruise.

[Cookiesouwest]

10 minutes ago, SiC said:

Amazing that the E320 is better on fuel for the same journey though. Presumably better aero but also the engine isn't working as hard with lower revs on a cruise.

I agree.

Aero and lower revs.

But despite that, it is still difficult to comprehend.

Mind you Honda of that era didn't really care about fuel economy.

[SiC]

Nor did Mercedes much either 🤣

(Why the 5G is slushy for comfort rather than more modern boxes that heavily use Torque Converter lockup for economy but that makes them more responsive on the throttle - so less comfortable for passengers in the car)