The grumpy thread

[ruffgeezer]

I put £30 of fuel in the new car that I'm having to return because it's a wankbox. I shall have to try and syphon the bloody thing out now.

[xtriple]

Bloody Bentleys battery was flat. Like so flat it wouldn't illuminate a torch battery and the car needed serious help to get going. Did (and even managed to get it out of the garage without hitting anything!) and took it to Exeter to have it's £120 switch fitted (free, they buggered up the last one... so they say) and the car was still reluctant to start when there and the battery was showing 11.9 volts.

 

I'd have thought a run like that would have charged it right up?

 

Anyway, ran home (the car not me obviously) and it was starting as usual but I've taken the battery off (used my genuine Rolls Royce toolkit - it's even got a full set of spare bulbs in there, spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, tyre depth gauge, pressure gauge, allsorts) and put it on charge and it's pulling quite a bit from the charger. It was a new battery  6 months ago and it's suitably huge and the alternator is obviously working as it powered everything quite happily when started.

 

Is this going to be another fault that costs shit loads?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

yes

[Supernaut]

Is this going to be another fault that costs shit loads?

It's a Bentley. Of course.

 

 

*shakes fist at Mr Bollox*

[dave21478]

Running the battery totally flat wont do it any good.

 

If I were you I would have a trickle charger on it in the garage, and if there is no leccy, I would get one of those ebay solar panel chargers and chuck it on the garage roof and extend the wires down inside and fit a couple of wee crocodile clips so it can be plugged into the battery.

[xtriple]

I was whinging at Paul (Specialist Cars boss) about it and he says, with utter conviction that you MUST use the battery cut off switch if leaving it for any time. I don't really understand it, yes the alarm and the clock are running but nothing else surely? I can't see those two things drawing that much current?

[DodgeRover]

Maybe hook the battery up via an ammeter and work out what the current drain is.

[cort16]

I don't trust any of my old cars to not run their battery down or burst into flames if I'm leaving them for more than one day I take a battery terminal off.

[richardmorris]

I've had the X1/9 on a battery conditioner in the garage for the last ten years. It's one with a flying lead set so you just leave the leads attached permanently and plug in the leads to the charger end. It means the battery is always fully charged even after a couple of months inactivity. Not as easy if you've no power to the garage , but as above a solar one could help.

[Cavcraft]

I used to work for ATS many moons ago and I'll give them their due, they never once asked or suggested we ripped anyone off. Things must have changed at some depots I guess.

[twosmoke300]

That Bentley will have loads of ecu's that may not power down totally for loads of reasons . These can all sap power .

I would isolate the battery every time

[DeeJay]

He took the car to ATS because when he needed an exhaust they were cheapest for supply and fit.

[beko1987]

I've been sick 3 times in the past hour, eva was sick 4 times earlier and Charlie's been being sick for 3 days. And amys working tonight... It's going to be a long night, might not bother pursuing an mot tomorrow, will wait until monday

[eddyramrod]

Grump: FFS' thread about his car-storage woes.  People are shits, and can't leave a bloke to get on with his harmless hobbies on his own property.  I'm struggling to describe how angry that thought makes me, and I'm a writer, I should know all the words!

[xtriple]

The Bentley has a socket in the boot for the 'official trickle charger' but as it is rather pricy, it shall remain unused! I think I may just use the sod more or at least more often than once a month, use the cut off switch (which always gives the alarm the hump!) and just hope. I have done my end of year financial thing and I am, officially, skint!

 

My main expenditure other than the Bentley is Phoebe! She has cost me several thousand this year in vets fees (yet again) and £120 per month in drugs to keep her walking is taking its toll. Don't begrudge it in the slightest, but vets do seem to like charging lots.

 

I may buy one of those solar powered chargers and stick it on the garage door as that is inches away from the battery, see if that works.

[robinmasters]

Works party tonight. Don't usually go, but changed roles so felt compelled to make an appearance.

 

Thousands of people (at least it seemed like thousands) looking all shiny having tried their hardest to dress like a mannequin in Primark, behaving like absolute wankers, in a hot, noisy, smelly marquee.

 

I managed ten minutes, and am quite proud of myself for lasting so long.

[AMC Rebel]

 

 

TLDR. ATS live down to reputation also hire the fattest man in Liverpool used windy gun turned up to 11 to tighten wheel bolts.

 

FTFY

[Des]

I am fuckin fuming,just had call from my insurance about my recent accident

http://autoshite.com/topic/26530-my-day-so-far/

Seems that in spite of the independant witness & the total disregard of road markings by other driver the accident is probably my fault,also other car has aquired passengers who have  all sustained whiplash.

What a load of old crap that is,was 100% their fault,and only one front  seat passenger was in their car

 

Never mind what your insurers think, shouldn't you be reporting a case of insurance fraud?

[Craig the Princess]

Service stations that park the caravans (or in this case vans with car trailers) in with the HGVs. It is great fun* wheeling a pushchair through an unlit lorry park to get to the restaurant.

[The Moog]

I am fuckin fuming,just had call from my insurance about my recent accident

http://autoshite.com/topic/26530-my-day-so-far/

Seems that in spite of the independant witness & the total disregard of road markings by other driver the accident is probably my fault,also other car has aquired passengers who have all sustained whiplash.

What a load of old crap that is,was 100% their fault,and only one front seat passenger was in their car

I had this. My single occupant crash when he crashed into me on roundabout ended up with total bill of £12800. Insurance said it was my fault and paid him and passengers!

[Lacquer Peel]

Speaking of insurance, my current insurers want nearly £200 extra to cover changing from the Caddy to the Berlingo. Their cancellation fee is £135. Er, get lost. Direct debit cancelled and any letters will be ignored, my credit rating is screwed anyway and I don't give a shit.

"Cheap" insurance companies - AVOID.

Of course the Berlingo is insured by another cheap insurance company now...

[Noel Tidybeard]

The Bentley has a socket in the boot for the 'official trickle charger' but as it is rather pricy, it shall remain unused!

 

maybe post a pic of charge socket somebody might know of an alternative with a 2 digit price tag

[Cavcraft]

Works party tonight. .

 

Thousands of people (at least it seemed like thousands) looking all shiny having tried their hardest to dress like a mannequin in Primark, behaving like absolute wankers

 

One of the reasons drinking in town at this time of year is almost unbearable.

[Tamworthbay]

Speaking of insurance, my current insurers want nearly £200 extra to cover changing from the Caddy to the Berlingo. Their cancellation fee is £135. Er, get lost. Direct debit cancelled and any letters will be ignored, my credit rating is screwed anyway and I don't give a shit.

"Cheap" insurance companies - AVOID.

Of course the Berlingo is insured by another cheap insurance company now...

Give them a call and say you have spoken to the insurance ombudsman (or whatever they are called these days) and point out it's illegal for them to charge unreasonable fees for cancellation of a policy. I can't remember the exact figure but there is an amount set out that is deemed reasonable and it's only £30-40 iirc.

[ruffgeezer]

We are moving to our new house next Friday after months of legal hoops to jump through.

 

Why is this a grump? I had a minor op on Monday, I am not supposed to do any heavy lifting. I still have all the very heavy stuff in the garage to move. I hope the tail lift is a good one!

[Aston Martin]

My new car arrives next week (in theory) so I use go compare and the cheapest is £600 with someone I've never heard of, or £615 with Churchill and free breakdown cover.

 

The next day I edit my save quote. I do not change anything (just refresh the quotes) and the cheapest is £663 with a black box and Churchill is £758.

 

I use the saved £616 Churchill quote and go to their website. "We cannot quote you" I click I'm a homeowner and it's £634, I go back and click not a homeowner and it's £565. I change from 5,000 miles to 8,000 miles and it's £545... I change to 10,000 miles and it's £535.

 

 

Just checked my original go compare quote and refresh that and it's £720 with a black box, does every cunt just make shit up?

[Richard]

does every cunt just make shit up?

Yes.

 

I believe the comparison sites are programmed to increase the price every time you look. Apparently clearing cookies and maybe changing the email address you use can help.

[cms206]

When I won the Kia I got quotes from Insure Supermarket, GoCompare and individual insurers. Over the three sites I had quotes of £419, £1300-odd and £2k-plus. All with the same details, and all from Tesco. The cheapest quote was on Insure Supermarket and they honoured it.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[panhard65]

Bloody ebay shops and Mister auto in particular. I ordered a whole load of parts for the Horizon on Tuesday. It turns out that the wheel cylinder from one "supplier" isn't available so they rang me and refunded me. It took until Friday for them to bother telling me they didn't have it. Then I get an email from the Mister Auto shower of shit telling me they have no stock of the brake discs and they have started a case to cancel the transaction saying that I had asked them to. I am getting really pissed off with the crap service these companies are providing, most are not even UK based and have fake VAT numbers. Ebay don't give a shit either as they are getting their fees for doing fuck all. I am now struggling to find discs as even though there are loads listed none actually have stock and still leave the listings up. Just as well you get 10 days for a re-test but at this rate I will be lucky to get it done in time.

[Royale80]

I had problems with Mr Auto last year. Ordered some bushes for thr Royale that they said were in stock. Had an email then saying they didnt have them. Asked for a refund and had a german bloke phone me telling me they would issue me with a credit note. Told them there is nothing I want only a refund- kept trying to get me to accept a credit note until I told him that I had ordered through paypal and would start proceedings. Soon had my money back.

 

Bunch of chancers.

 

Steve