The grumpy thread

[New POD]

On 25/02/2025 at 12:48, High Jetter said:

Am surprised, tbh. Long running christmas cracker 'joke', thought it was widely known.

I always try to book my dentist appointment at 14:30, so I can walk up to the receptionist and say "I'm here for my tooff 'hirty"  

It's not like they've never heard that joke. Ever. Today. 

[ETCHY]

15 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Why are they all so fucking difficult to access and replace though? At best in any car I've ever done one on you're removing gloveboxes and crawling around upside down in the footwell, or pulling bits of the plastic scuttle panel where the windscreen wipers live with all the little plastic clips that break off, or in the case of the K11 Micra, actually  breaking bits of the dashboard to get at the thing?
I get it's part of the HVAC system buried deep in that no man's land part of the car between the back of the engine and the dashboard but surely there's an easier way?

K11 Micra one was mental, I seem to recall you basically had to cut the fucker out, it was crazy. 

[wuvvum]

18 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Why are they all so fucking difficult to access and replace though? At best in any car I've ever done one on you're removing gloveboxes and crawling around upside down in the footwell, or pulling bits of the plastic scuttle panel where the windscreen wipers live with all the little plastic clips that break off, or in the case of the K11 Micra, actually  breaking bits of the dashboard to get at the thing?
I get it's part of the HVAC system buried deep in that no man's land part of the car between the back of the engine and the dashboard but surely there's an easier way?

The one in my Merc is pretty easy - it's in its own housing which sits on the nearside of the bulkhead in the engine bay, just above the battery.  Three over-centre clips and it's off, pull the filter out, slot the new one in, literally a 3-minute job.

The air filters, on the other hand...

[alcyonecorporation]

Brilliant one last night.

Bloke orders a small meal; I look at the address and while it's on a road I know, I've never been there before.

 

Anyway, I can't find him. I ring the number on the ticket. It's out of service.

 

Ring the shop, tell them his number doesn't work. He's given an old number out. Shop rings him to tell him that his number is shit and that I'm trying to find him, and that I need his working number to find his flat.

'I don't give that number out,' he says.

 

Shop then point out that he rang them on said number, the call ID can see his number, and that the number that he does 'give out' doesn't work.

Hey says to my boss: 'No, no, I don't give this number out. Where's my food? It's late. You've been here before.'

First of all: I'm not my boss, secondly: do you want your fucking food, or not?

 

Anyway, shit for brains decides that the only way he'll communicate is via a number he won't give out to the shop, that he's calling the shop on to complain, who then relay instructions to me.

This wastes another 15 minutes in the back-and-forth.

 

Despite the noise, I *eventually* find the place, and he moans that the food is late.

He nearly got it over his head at that point. 

[Remspoor]

9 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

I've found that on some models, the filter is very easy to change on left hand drive versions but very difficult on right hand drive. So there can be compromises for accommodating both drive sides. 

 

I think some designs could certainly be made better for maintenance

The cabin filter on the 3008 is easier to access on a RHD car then LHD .  It is the only car I know of like that.

[Asimo]

On 26/02/2025 at 21:42, High Jetter said:

but why do we need cabin filters?

Because of air-conditioning**.

Dust in the air builds up really quickly on the wet evaporator and turns into stinky gunge.

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

[artdjones]

9 hours ago, ETCHY said:

K11 Micra one was mental, I seem to recall you basically had to cut the fucker out, it was crazy. 

Just a few plastic tabs to cut, then you throw the piece of dash plastic away.(The proper filter door is underneath it.) I had to change one on an 11 year old car once that had never been done before. The buyer complained that the windscreen wouldn't clear.

[Jazoli]

30 minutes ago, Asimo said:

 

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

Because a car is a much more comfortable place all year round when fitted with it, it’s as simple as that.

[ETCHY]

2 hours ago, artdjones said:

Just a few plastic tabs to cut, then you throw the piece of dash plastic away.(The proper filter door is underneath it.) I had to change one on an 11 year old car once that had never been done before. The buyer complained that the windscreen wouldn't clear.

Yeah that's it I remember you needed a Stanley knife to get at it. Bloody odd though I mean wtf, why should you need to cut bits out & chuck them, just odd. I rate the little K11 highly but that was batshit.

[artdjones]

48 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

Yeah that's it I remember you needed a Stanley knife to get at it. Bloody odd though I mean wtf, why should you need to cut bits out & chuck them, just odd. I rate the little K11 highly but that was batshit.

I think originally the vast majority of Micras probably didn't have a pollen filter, but for those cars that did they preferred not to have to make a special dash moulding. So all cars had that removable section.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

20 hours ago, Asimo said:

Because of air-conditioning**.

Dust in the air builds up really quickly on the wet evaporator and turns into stinky gunge.

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

We've had the thermometer in my Golf read 38C before.  I live in Kent.  The thermometer is generally pretty accurate.

We also have a dog and sometimes have to make unavoidable journeys.  When the temperature is that high, no amount of 'winding the window down' works sufficiently and I don't really want my dog to die.

[Metal Guru]

20 hours ago, Asimo said:

Because of air-conditioning**.

Dust in the air builds up really quickly on the wet evaporator and turns into stinky gunge.

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

You forgot wet British Isles.  
Air conditioning massively helps demisting as it dries the air. I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve said to me their car is terrible for steaming up, and when I ask if they use the air con, the reply is usually “just in the summer”. 
I’m surprised it’s not been all over t’internet as a hack, (Hate that word), but then leaving some tea bags on your dashboard is far more effective*.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

3 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

You forgot wet British Isles.  
Air conditioning massively helps demisting as it dries the air. I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve said to me their car is terrible for steaming up, and when I ask if they use the air con, the reply is usually “just in the summer”. 
I’m surprised it’s not been all over t’internet as a hack, (Hate that word), but then leaving some tea bags on your dashboard is far more effective*.

Air conditioning was originally developed to remove the moisture from cardboard factories.  The cooling is a side-effect.

[reb]

2 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

You forgot wet British Isles.  
Air conditioning massively helps demisting as it dries the air. I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve said to me their car is terrible for steaming up, and when I ask if they use the air con, the reply is usually “just in the summer”. 
I’m surprised it’s not been all over t’internet as a hack, (Hate that word), but then leaving some tea bags on your dashboard is far more effective*.

The only car I've had with working aircon was my mk4 golf. It was great when I was doing pizza delivery in winter, aircon on with the heat turned all the way up and it'd mostly deal with the pizza steam. I don't think the car lasted long enough to get the benefit of it in a summer, I put something like 20k on it in 6 months (I worked 6 long days a week and my only hobby was driving around aimlessly) then discovered that the passenger sill and floor had roughly the consistency of fresh air under a layer of shit paint. So it turns out even working aircon doesn't protect against salty scottish streets.

[myglaren]

Clean install of Linux Mint.  As usual no concerns but attempting to get into my Ymail didn't go well.

They sent a code to - my ymail to paste into my ymail to access my ymail.

Well thought out.  I do have the password but was never asked for that.

And their Captcha images are virtually indecipherable.

[richardmorris]

21 hours ago, Asimo said:

Because of air-conditioning**.

Dust in the air builds up really quickly on the wet evaporator and turns into stinky gunge.

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

Stops the windows misting up.

[Remspoor]

23 hours ago, Asimo said:

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

It used to be colder now there is Climate Change😄

[paulplom]

Got air con in our kia. Doesn't work though so I can't really comment. Hope this helps.

[ETCHY]

23 hours ago, Asimo said:

Because of air-conditioning**.

Dust in the air builds up really quickly on the wet evaporator and turns into stinky gunge.

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

I've had cars without it & one with it & air-conditioning makes a big difference in winter for demisting. I'm not that fussed over summer but I'd have it just for winter use.

[kevins]

last few years here in Essex we have had days approaching 40C and plenty in the mid 30's despite what the orange man baby says climate change is having an effect.(says he who is  using his V8 range rover almost daily)

In the last 3 years I've had fo get the street Ka, Fiesta and  Range Rover aircon working. (corlroded pipe, dodgy earth and leaking seals plus failed expansion valve).

The Range Rover doesen't have a pollen filter and is still fine at 38 years old.

This springs task (from the mrs) is to get her NA mx5 aircon working which as a minimum will involve fitting a generic condensor  and  drier plus making new hoses to suit. 

 

[High Jetter]

26 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Dear Karen: 

Learn the difference between a bank transfer and being handed a card machine. 

We don't do the latter: we told you on the phone, several times. Standing there boggle eyed like the smacked arse of a Toby Jug will not solve the issue of how you pay for your food. 

The options for delivery are: 

1. Cash 
2. Bank transfer. 

You had no cash and decided you didn't understand how to complete a  bank transfer, so instead you went absolutely spack and refused the food instead - after I drove it out there to your impossible to find hovel from the centre of town. 

No amount of you claiming that 'they told me you were bringing a card machine' and 'they used to send drivers with cash machines' will make the Niagara Falls bollocks coming out of your mouth true. 
They did *not* tell you that I was bringing a card machine; that is an outright fucking lie. You just fucked up in the moment because you decided you couldn't be arsed with a bank transfer and tried to make it my fault. You told the shop you were doing a bank transfer and they sent me out waiting for it to come through. It hadn't gone through because you decided not to do it. 

That's what actually happened, isn't it, Karen? 

That 'they used to do it' (I've no idea if they did or didn't) has no bearing on the here and now after I drove 10 miles to your fucking gaff. Thanks for making me 20 minutes late for the next job (and pissing off a regular customer). 

Thanks for refusing the food: it was delicious. I got it as my meal when I knocked off. 
 

Why send out before payment received? Or why not buy 3G Sum Up readers for drivers to use?

[alcyonecorporation]

43 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Why send out before payment received? Or why not buy 3G Sum Up readers for drivers to use?

Don't know, not my business. 

Because bank transfers sometimes take ages. 

And 3G won't work outside town, plus the fees. Not up for an argument, had a fucking shit night at work because of this customer. 

[Datsuncog]

The Haynes manual for the Laguna 1 contained some brilliant information for replacing the pollen filter, complete with helpful* spanner ratings to indicate the level of task difficulty.

I seem to recall it escalating along these lines:

Cabin Filter Replacement (🔧🔧)

Step 1: Remove plastic ventilation intake below windscreen, as per guidance on Page **.

***Flip through to page whatever, and find the relevant section***

Ventilation Intake Removal (🔧🔧🔧)

Step 1: Remove windscreen wiper arms, as per guidance on Page **.

*** Flip flip flip onwards again***

Windscreen Wiper Arms Removal (🔧🔧🔧🔧)

Step 1: Using the special Renault Main Dealer Tool, remove the arms from their splines...

***throw manual across the garden***

In the end I think I just unscrewed the vent intake and bent it back enough to get my hand in, without the whole hoo-ha of using a mini-hub puller.

Pretty sure it was the original filter still in there too, funnily enough.

 

[MikeR]

FFS , are we doomed ....  

[New POD]

On 28/02/2025 at 17:08, Asimo said:

Because of air-conditioning**.

Dust in the air builds up really quickly on the wet evaporator and turns into stinky gunge.

**No idea why we "need" air-conditioning in miserable cold British Isles.

To quickly demist in winter. 

[New POD]

22 hours ago, kevins said:

last few years here in Essex we have had days approaching 40C and plenty in the mid 30's despite what the orange man baby says climate change is having an effect.(says he who is  using his V8 range rover almost daily)

In the last 3 years I've had fo get the street Ka, Fiesta and  Range Rover aircon working. (corlroded pipe, dodgy earth and leaking seals plus failed expansion valve).

The Range Rover doesen't have a pollen filter and is still fine at 38 years old.

This springs task (from the mrs) is to get her NA mx5 aircon working which as a minimum will involve fitting a generic condensor  and  drier plus making new hoses to suit. 

 

I take it that mx5 is a Eunos ? Did UK spec cars have Aircon ? 

[hairnet]

shawshank

[uk_senator]

As some of you know, I`ve done a lot of TV recording over the last 37 years or so, & I still do, I`ve transitioned from VHS, to DVD, & then Blu-Ray. I have 3 Panasonic Blu-ray recording PVR`s. These have a problem, their disc drives fail every few years, & have been unobtainable new for several years.

Earlier today, I decided to do some editing & burn off some Blu-rays to clear the hard drives a bit. Put a mostly used disc in my bedroom setup, & recorded the whole series of "Police Woman" onto it from the hard drive (a 70`s yank Police drama, with plenty of 70`s/80`s chod screaming round corners, which they`ve been showing on Rewind channel). It was almost enough to fill that disc up. Nice.

I then deleted the Police Woman folder off the PVR`s hard drive, freeing up several hours of space.

Took that disc into the living room, put it in the living room setup to see if I could squeeze anything onto the remaining space off the other recorder, & found the thumbnails on the last 4 episodes on the disc were heavily pixelated, so I went to play them.. They were no good, massively pixelated, barely able to play, & jumping/freezing up. Bollocks.. Looked at the disc surface, & there were like tiny 1/2 a mm micro-blisters in the outside edge of the silver side (pic below), like they`d been burnt into it.

So yeah, not in a good mood. I`ve had issues before, & repaired these recorders before (strip down, careful clean of the laser & cleaning the laser tracks/runners & re-white-greasing them), but the "burnt/blistered disc" thing is a new one on me. 😑

[uk_senator]

10 hours ago, MikeR said:

FFS , are we doomed ....  

I could buy a running, MOT`d Punto for that amount.. 🤪

I was discussing the price of pushchairs (for actual children) with a friend who`s become a grandmother recently, & as I pointed out to her, when/why did these things (below) vanish? They were like an ally beach chair with wheels, cheap, light, easy to use & fold & store, but they just stopped them? Why?!

[vulgalour]

They had a habit of trapping fingers when you try to fold them, not latching open after a while of being used, and the wheels were often hopeless.  They were very much only really fit for a temporary going on holiday to the seaside affair and very little else.  If you were the sort of parent that wanted to load shopping bags on them too then good luck not having the whole thing tip up and cause utter carnage to shopping and child alike.  Nobody ever liked them, they were just easier to get in the car than the old silver cross pram and a good sight less expensive.