The grumpy thread

[Tamworthbay]

Take 20% off that 2 grand for his tax evasion accountant, so potential profit is down to 1600, take prep costs, £1 of turtle wax and a fiver to an illegal immigrant, rent on bombsite where actual owner died years ago and no one knows who owns the land but he keeps it cleanish so no one asks, insurances, advertising costs - 2 minutes on Facebook and any other business cost such as bacon sandwiches off the rest, less any discount for haggling and it suddenly doesn't seem so ridiculous that he has a five bedroom house and a brand new Audi., it will also have to be warranted for 90 days minimum but the policy has more holes than a tramps pants so he won’t be paying out on that so there has to be an allowance for potential after sale costs.

Trader in taking the piss shocker

FTFY

 

(I am sure there are decent second hand car sales places out there but my version is much closer to all the ones I seem to encounter).

[Jazoli]

I like your edit! But if it was easy we'd all be doing it, I'd love a five bedroomed house and a new Audi but you have to take some big risks at times, anyone can sell cars for a living and there's no entry qualifications required but a lot of folk just like to complain about the guys trying to make a living (thats not aimed at anyone on this thread btw) my experience of traders is about 50/50 bad/good but I've bought 90% of the 50 odd cars I've had privately.

 

In my business the product we sell has a mark up of around 700% if you look at the actual cost of the product offered versus the selling price, but the owner has had to invest 20 million to be able to make those margins, I don't hear any moans about rip off prices from our customers who will happily pay them

[sierraman]

One of the last working collieries has packed in near us a week or two ago. Only employed about 20 people but it’s sad that another chapter has gone. Not strangely enough that there’s no coal left, there’s at least another 8 years left, the company itself has gone bust.

[louiepj]

Money lights are on in a friend's daughters corsa 1.3cdti.

Codes for Dpf regen failed and p2282-51 intake air leak.

We are going to limp it to garage on Monday.

[Noel Tidybeard]

try driving at 45 in 4th for min 15 mins- thats what vw say and it worked on a 405

[Cavcraft]

Those 1.3CDTi engines scare me.

[sierraman]

I wouldn’t let one scare you, you could escape one on foot. Best engine to have in the Astras fitted with the 1.3 is the low blow 1.7. Forget the 1.3 and the 1.9.

[The_Equalizer]

I like your edit! But if it was easy we'd all be doing it, I'd love a five bedroomed house and a new Audi but you have to take some big risks at times, anyone can sell cars for a living and there's no entry qualifications required but a lot of folk just like to complain about the guys trying to make a living (thats not aimed at anyone on this thread btw) my experience of traders is about 50/50 bad/good but I've bought 90% of the 50 odd cars I've had privately.

 

In my business the product we sell has a mark up of around 700% if you look at the actual cost of the product offered versus the selling price, but the owner has had to invest 20 million to be able to make those margins, I don't hear any moans about rip off prices from our customers who will happily pay them

Fair comment. I had a go at selling classics as a very limited sideline and I made money, but it was a shed load more work than people would think. It gave me an excuse to buy cars I was interested in. Very tempted to have another go as the memories of quite what a pain it could be have suitably faded.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I wouldn’t let one scare you, you could escape one on foot. Best engine to have in the Astras fitted with the 1.3 is the low blow 1.7. Forget the 1.3 and the 1.9.

 

I agree.  But the Low Blow was the GM engine, dead and buried thankfully by 1999/2000.  What I think you mean is the (much developed over the years) Isuzu 1.7, which is always the best option compared to those Fiat engines...

[louiepj]

We had a good look under bonnet for any loose or split hoses etc and when revving the engine up there was a small amount of exhaust gas escaping from the shaft where the actuator arm goes into the turbo housing! (Blowing onto clamp bolt in second pic).

And if there is a eml fault showing you cannot perform dpf regeneration.

It was at this point we gave up and turned to the Internet for all the horrors involved in repairing a cdti.

 

[sierraman]

I agree. But the Low Blow was the GM engine, dead and buried thankfully by 1999/2000. What I think you mean is the (much developed over the years) Isuzu 1.7, which is always the best option compared to those Fiat engines...

Yeah I’m on about the CDTi, not the old Astra F type 17D 17DT. They’re a bit coarse but on the whole they’re not too bad. Seen them with failure of the oil pump bolts and turbo but other than that they don’t seem to bad. They did a lower power one as fitted to all the best base spec Life models. The 1.9 is quick but can be a LOT of trouble, having said that I saw one for sale local recently, plenty of test, recent belt fitted up at £500. At that money WHEN it goes wrong you’ll still see most of that back especially if the M32 box hasn’t cooked it’s bearings. Finding a useable used one of those is an increasingly difficult job.

[Timewaster]

got the spark plugs out , one of them was not a Fat Mans Agony , the rest not so good , so cleaned and re gapped to 1mm

 

Qué?

[MikeR]

 

plug gap was a bit wide

[MarvinsMom]

for the last year or so we have been lucky enough to hear a Tawny Owl calling on a night.

 

sometimes he was calling directly down our chimney!

 

the poor little sod got knocked on the road near Cat Nab on Thursday night. this makes me very sad.    

[artdjones]

We had a good look under bonnet for any loose or split hoses etc and when revving the engine up there was a small amount of exhaust gas escaping from the shaft where the actuator arm goes into the turbo housing! (Blowing onto clamp bolt in second pic).

And if there is a eml fault showing you cannot perform dpf regeneration.

It was at this point we gave up and turned to the Internet for all the horrors involved in repairing a cdti.

 

I just replaced the exhaust air temperature sensor on my Doblo 1.3.I ran around with the EML on for about three weeks,then replaced the sensor.When I went to put the light out I found the code I'd had had been replaced by two codes that showed that the dpf was choked.One code said that it was choked to the first level,which is about 70%,the other that it was choked to the second level,i.e.almost completely.Also,the dpf warning light was on and the ECU had cut the turbo so that the car wouldn't go more than 50mph.

So obviously, regeneration hadn't been taking place all the time the EML had been on.

I drove the car for about 15 miles and reread the codes.The code for the highest level of blocking was now intermittent,so it looked like some regeneration had taken place.I drove another few miles,and the dpf warning went out,so I read the codes again and saw that the first level blockage code was now intermittent rather than permanent.I cleared the codes and the car has driven perfectly since.

 

TL;DR,If you cure the inlet fault,clear the code,then take a long drive at out of town speeds,then clear the codes again,your car may be ok.

[omegod]

I just replaced the exhaust air temperature sensor on my Doblo 1.3.I ran around with the EML on for about three weeks,then replaced the sensor.When I went to put the light out I found the code I'd had had been replaced by two codes that showed that the dpf was choked.One code said that it was choked to the first level,which is about 70%,the other that it was choked to the second level,i.e.almost completely.Also,the dpf warning light was on and the ECU had cut the turbo so that the car wouldn't go more than 50mph.

So obviously, regeneration hadn't been taking place all the time the EML had been on.

I drove the car for about 15 miles and reread the codes.The code for the highest level of blocking was now intermittent,so it looked like some regeneration had taken place.I drove another few miles,and the dpf warning went out,so I read the codes again and saw that the first level blockage code was now intermittent rather than permanent.I cleared the codes and the car has driven perfectly since.

 

TL;DR,If you cure the inlet fault,clear the code,then take a long drive at out of town speeds,then clear the codes again,your car may be ok.

 

 

And that sums up why diesel cars are a load of bollocks, like solving a fucking conundrum every time you want to go the shops 

[dozeydustman]

I just replaced the exhaust air temperature sensor on my Doblo 1.3.I ran around with the EML on for about three weeks,then replaced the sensor.When I went to put the light out I found the code I'd had had been replaced by two codes that showed that the dpf was choked.One code said that it was choked to the first level,which is about 70%,the other that it was choked to the second level,i.e.almost completely.Also,the dpf warning light was on and the ECU had cut the turbo so that the car wouldn't go more than 50mph.

So obviously, regeneration hadn't been taking place all the time the EML had been on.

I drove the car for about 15 miles and reread the codes.The code for the highest level of blocking was now intermittent,so it looked like some regeneration had taken place.I drove another few miles,and the dpf warning went out,so I read the codes again and saw that the first level blockage code was now intermittent rather than permanent.I cleared the codes and the car has driven perfectly since.

 

TL;DR,If you cure the inlet fault,clear the code,then take a long drive at out of town speeds,then clear the codes again,your car may be ok.

 

I do silly low mileage in the Saab now, mainly driving 2 miles to work and 2 miles home. Once a week I give it a bloody good run after work, hour and a half down the A27/M27 with a good session between 2000 & 3000 RPM which for me is 70 in 5th instead of 6th. Clears a load of crap out or forces a regen. Don't use Sainsbury's diesel either, all that comes out the back of the Saab is soot if I fill up on this.

 

Since we've been using sainsbury's fuel for the lorries at work, the newer ones have been regenerating a lot more often and older ones are a lot smokier than when we used any station that took our fleet fuel cards.

[Roobarb]

Sunday, the bloody oven gave up. After a scour of the net, problem identified and part ordered on Amazon.

 

Turns out I thought I had ordered it but hadn’t. So now won’t be here until some time next week. Wife went out of town (San Diego) so Roobarb jnr and I didn’t mind too much (an excuse for a week of junk food).

 

Delivery pizza, cheesy poofs and milk by sunset. Every cloud and all that (while the cats away at least).

 

Then Monday the hot water heater died. Roobarb jnr didn’t mind until he had to wash in a bowl of kettle boiled water - then repeat all week.

I couldn’t be in for a repair person due to work and single parenting for the week.

 

Today the central heating went off sometime during the night. Only have the gas fire in the living room working right now... can’t even do the open oven door trick or heat up in the shower.

 

This is the weather forecast as of Friday morning

 

Hoping the heating engineer can make it here before the 8” of snow arrives...

[Cavcraft]

for the last year or so we have been lucky enough to hear a Tawny Owl calling on a night.

 

sometimes he was calling directly down our chimney!

 

the poor little sod got knocked on the road near Cat Nab on Thursday night. this makes me very sad.    

 

That is sad. 

 

We tried to rescue an injured fox at work, didn't happen so assumed the worst. The day the fox rescue place came back for the trap I tried to cheer myself up thinking of the one I used to see on a bridleway on the way home. Drove back that way for the first time in ages and it was dead at the side of the motorway 

[Roobarb]

Dang. That’s a shame.

Wildlife get such a tough time because of us human

[Zelandeth]

1st world problems for me today.

 

I finally decided that I'd been tempting fate with some bloody awful password management practices over the years for too long. Admittedly I don't use online banking so have probably dodged a bullet there.

 

However it was a bloody mess...far too many places sharing passwords, and a lot of them being variations on ancient ones which were just different enough to ensure I couldn't ever remember them. At least most are pretty decent in length... probably the reason that last time I had anything hacked it was a Hotmail account in 1998. That said though, my poor practices I knew meant that one website with shoddy practices storing a password as plain or easily decrypted text getting hacked could have spelled a world of pain for me.

 

So have been setting up a proper password manager and resetting passwords for absolutely everything...I have logon details for how many forking places?!?

 

You'd have thought after the first couple of dozen I'd have got quicker at spotting where the settings control to reset the password hides, apparently not.

 

On the plus side, after an entire evening I think everything I actively use has been sorted. The fact that there are no accounts sharing credentials should improve my odds of continuing my run of what sounds to be unusually good luck in this department.

 

While my password management has been rubbish for years, at least I have a good backup system in place. Never ceases to surprise me how many people don't with how digital our lives are these days. I've already had to retrieve one friend's pictures for the first three years of their kid's life following their laptop taking a swim in the kitchen sink...on which existed the only copy of all those photos, videos of their first walking events etc. Thankfully the hard drive survived so it was a simple matter...as they weren't happy when I pointed out how cheap professional data recovery isn't, and that even with a four digit pricetag there's no guarantee...

 

At least once I get this password nonsense done it's done and future passes to change the passwords will be far less of a pain as the list will be in front of me. Plus any of the dreaded emails from a company saying "our records may have been breached..." will only mean changing one password not a mad scramble to try to remember everywhere that particular one was used.

 

What I hadn't realised was that there's software out there nowadays which takes a lot of the hassle out of it...had I realised that sooner I might have done this job sooner.

 

Oh...other grump, the clutch master cylinder in the van appears to have ceased to work at all now. So I'll need to figure out how to move a two and a half tonne vehicle safely on our (not level) driveway tomorrow before I can really do any Invacar stuff out of the garage.

 

...Need to get a new cylinder ordered. This is determined to be an expensive week...and it's only 0201 on Sunday!

[Cavcraft]

First world problems?

 

Found a pub we hadn't been to before, went in last night and some of the lager was £12 a pint. TWELVE QUID. 

[beko1987]

Was that for a yard of it?

[Timewaster]

Was it served by dancing girls?

[cros]

First world problems?

 

Found a pub we hadn't been to before, went in last night and some of the lager was £12 a pint. TWELVE QUID.

 

An absolute disgrace. No wonder licencees are suffering if you leave it this long before deigning to pay your first visit.

[taxi paul]

Had my safe care policy review with social services on Friday. Been advised I am not allowed to give advice to my Foster child regarding drinking or drug use also smoking erm sexual health or anything for that matter. This is because I am a "Foster carer" Therefore because I only have real life experience of these matters and the associated problems that can arise from it and not read it in a book then I am unqualified. The thing that sets me apart from a lot of carers is this experience and ability to relate and have empathy with the teenagers with a lot of problems that I Foster. It's my own fault really. A social worker has been promoted and needed a stuck to hit me with. So without details on here. I handed her one, on a tray with a fucking ribbon round it. So things done by the book now has requested. Never mind the child is already kicking off and demanding to speak to a manager has I had to tell her yesterday that I am not able to advise her on a problem she had. Oh well I shall just do my job with both hands tied behind my back and tape over my mouth, so to speak.

[New POD]

First world problems?

 

Found a pub we hadn't been to before, went in last night and some of the lager was £12 a pint. TWELVE QUID.

You could get a train to Wolverhampton, walk to the Clarendon Hotel, have 6 pints for the price of one at that place, and get a train home to chester all for the price of 2 pints.

Mind you only Mondays and Thursdays for the cheap beer deal.

[New POD]

Had my safe care policy review with social services on Friday. Been advised I am not allowed to give advice to my Foster child regarding drinking or drug use also smoking erm sexual health or anything for that matter. This is because I am a "Foster carer" Therefore because I only have real life experience of these matters and the associated problems that can arise from it and not read it in a book then I am unqualified. The thing that sets me apart from a lot of carers is this experience and ability to relate and have empathy with the teenagers with a lot of problems that I Foster. It's my own fault really. A social worker has been promoted and needed a stuck to hit me with. So without details on here. I handed her one, on a tray with a fucking ribbon round it. So things done by the book now has requested. Never mind the child is already kicking off and demanding to speak to a manager has I had to tell her yesterday that I am not able to advise her on a problem she had. Oh well I shall just do my job with both hands tied behind my back and tape over my mouth, so to speak.

Surely you are employed to act as a surrogate parent, and should and must give advice as you see fit. Obviously leaving out any none PC biases you might have.

Surely your own moral compass is good enough?

I ask because my sister in law did fostering for years and she's never not once not given advice and support even when it wasn't wanted.

[Guest Hooli]

I can't see how you can parent a kid without giving advice and guidance, without that you're just a child keeper.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Started crying earlier.  No idea why.  I've been like it all week.