The grumpy thread

[Cavcraft]

Stoke today in the timewaster league. Another 'nothing wrong with it' car (Vaux, obvs) that was nothing like as described.

[twosmoke300]

Or the ones that stupidly thought halfords would fit their bulbs correctly for the money paid !

Now more like a search light while the bulb melts the reflector and the sealing cover is inside the undertray

[xtriple]

Trike i the stuff to clean pads. It has a fancy name (trichloroethylene or somesuch) and it takes oil straight out of anything. Ask at the dry cleaners as they use something similar (maybe the same) and it takes seconds.

 

Probably not much use to you given the time of year and your location....

[Cavcraft]

Nasty stuff though Trike, highly carcinogenic I think, ditto Perchloroethylene and Genklene ,of which the latter is a brand name of the same stuff, from memory.

[Datsuncog]

I hated that my battered and rusty Mk6 Escort had rear fogs that were far too easy to knock on by mistake.

There were no front fogs fitted (LX Zetec) but rather than the rear fogs switch being mounted on the lighting stalk, instead there was a large, quite sensitive oval button mounted low down to the right of the driver. Very easy to knock this with a knee or a key bunch while getting in and starting - and impossible for the driver to see the little warning light because the steering wheel was in the way. No tell-tale lights on the dashboard pod either; I would only know when someone behind (deservedly) flashed me. It happened so often I considered taking out the fuse, but then the clutch went pop so it was sayonara to the car. So... not every fog light wanker is necessarily aware they're being a fog light wanker.

[puddlethumper]

Got up and went to watch a motorcycle trial.

Got to the venue ok but no signage up so I had no idea exactly where I was supposed to be going and I couldn't hear any bikes...

Checked internet for better directions and realised I had come on the wrong day. I'm officially stupid.

So the motorcycle trials been put off. 

What's he up for ?

[alcyonecorporation]

Bub your lad can have it, mate.

 

However, I won't be back in peebo until next week.

[Eddie Honda]

Carbon tetrachloride or whatever the international chemistry boffins naming standard calls it these days.

[bub2006]

Bub your lad can have it, mate.

 

However, I won't be back in peebo until next week.

Thanks mate that means a lot does that. I'll try best to collect it depending on transport situation.

Which brings me on to today's turn to shit on me. Had a slight stumble earlier. Banged my phone which was in my hand and smashed screen. Oh joy. And now the Volvo's exhaust has done its final swansong and parted company from the centre silencer under the car. Caused a few curtains to twitch. Fuck it. When will I honestly get a fucking break.

[SherpaMog]

My bitch ex wouldn't let me see my children yesterday. Today I've woken up to a horrendous case of tonsillitis. Cool

[bub2006]

I feel for you regards kids. Last seen mine in 08 till last year. 8 years and nothing

[SierraMikeHotel]

I had a pretty hideous journey today - 120 odd miles in pissing rain and enough traffic to make me have to really concentrate without slowing the pace enough to make it safe - but unusually I saw very few exampled of wankerish driving - except for an enormous number of cars on the opposite carriageway with their main beams on.

Or maybe they were just stupidly out of adjustment?

Are my eyes getting old, or are modern ridiculously-bright headlamps a really bad idea?

I mean, there's a sensible level.  I've driven really old cars (and Citroen XMs) whose lamps clearly weren't bright enough, but I think modern halogens (most 80s-00s cars) were about right to illuminate the road without dazzling everyone else.

[Mally]

If desperate,  I would be giving the pads a good scrub with petrol, then wash with clean petrol and burn off the remains.

 

 

But don't get the petrol from your motorbike and leave a trail as I once did.

[wuvvum]

Tomorrow I have to drive 250 miles home from Somerset to Norfolk. It is currently snowing hard, and laying. With the Audi's shite tyres I'll be lucky to get to the top of my parents' (steep) road, let alone all the way home. Hoping it melts by tomorrow lunchtime, although that won't stop the panicky fuckwits from being panicky fuckwits.

[chaseracer]

Are my eyes getting old, or are modern ridiculously-bright headlamps a really bad idea?

 

Both.

 

I often wear yellow-tinted cycling specs at night.  It helps.

[martybabes]

And when you've been following a car for a while, there suddenly appears a few wisps of mist and, instantly, the car driver in front goes into panic mode and switches on his (or her) rear high intensity fog lamps.  I mean, I've been behind you for ages and I know you're there, in front of me.  I can see you.  Now I can't see fuck all because you've blinded me when reminding me (and the world) that you're there. Jesus wept. 

 

It's no wonder I'm on tablets.

[panhard65]

Tomorrow I have to drive 250 miles home from Somerset to Norfolk. It is currently snowing hard, and laying. With the Audi's shite tyres I'll be lucky to get to the top of my parents' (steep) road, let alone all the way home. Hoping it melts by tomorrow lunchtime, although that won't stop the panicky fuckwits from being panicky fuckwits.

Which bit of Somerset are you in ? It is lovely here in Wellington not had any snow at all. My dad is over in Hertfordshire though and reckons they had almost a foot of snow last night. Good luck !!

[Guest Hooli]

And when you've been following a car for a while, there suddenly appears a few wisps of mist and, instantly, the car driver in front goes into panic mode and switches on his (or her) rear high intensity fog lamps.  I mean, I've been behind you for ages and I know you're there, in front of me.  I can see you.  Now I can't see fuck all because you've blinded me when reminding me (and the world) that you're there. Jesus wept. 

 

It's no wonder I'm on tablets.

 

Don't forget they can still see the car in front of them perfectly fine without that car needing fog lights on. It's almost* like they can't think.

[beko1987]

It snowed in oxon from about 2am and had settled a fair bit by the time I left for work this morning. I think only the fact that the roads were quite empty enabled me to have a nice potter to work, any other day and it would have been terrible mainly due to people not being able to drive... Currently the M40 is a big sea of fucked due to a crash though so I'll go home the back way I think.

[chaseracer]

Then, of course, they FORGET TO TURN THE BASTARD THINGS OFF!! for the next week.

 

And breathe.

[DavieW]

Or else they don't switch them off in traffic queues and burn the retinas of the driver behind.  - usually with their foot on the brake as well.

[Split_Pin]

Thank fuck for the Lego thread.

[MikeR]

One handy thing to keep to hand is a set of old polarised sunglasses that have had the reactolight die off , they do more for visibility than a set of fog lights at any time of the day !! ...  I keep looking for a fishing polarised set to replace them some time !

[chaseracer]

I feel for you regards kids. Last seen mine in 08 till last year. 8 years and nothing

 

But it's always great seeing you together.  Like a couple of big kids, and Rhys is the sensible one... 

[Cavcraft]

If I don’t see my son for 24 hours it’s crap, and he’s moved out now. Couldn’t imagine not seeing my daughter every day either. Nothing or nobody would ever stop me from seeing them as much as possible.

[mat_the_cat]

And when you've been following a car for a while, there suddenly appears a few wisps of mist and, instantly, the car driver in front goes into panic mode and switches on his (or her) rear high intensity fog lamps.

 

I turn them off if someone catches me up - is that just me? I figure that if someone has seem them, they know I'm there and would probably appreciate not being dazzled for the duration of time they are following. It's so rare that I actually deem them of benefit though.

[HillmanImp]

Fer fecks sake. I don't know why I bother doing owt on my cars.

 

The screenwash on the jag stopped coming out after I put in some fancy shit. I press the button and the wipers move but no screenwash. I checked the fuse and it was okay (well, it still didn't work with a different fuse from something else) so assumed it must be gunked up with crud, maybe something the new screenwash reacted with. 

 

So today I spend about 2 friggin' hours removing the screenwash reservoir. First the plastic undertray wouldn't come off as the torx screws were all rusty and rounded like a bunch of bastards. Finally got most of it off, so that I could fold it back and hold it there with a wheel off the Visa and get access to the washer bottle. Result.

 

Now onto getting the bottle out. Removed the pump and the screenwash and give the filter a blowie and it seems fine. Undid the 4 bolts holding the reservoir in place, couple gave a struggle but they came out okay eventually.

 

Now to get the bottle out......oh hang on there is a plastic cover that was obviously fitted after the washer bottle thats stopping me taking it out. 20 minutes of moving the thing around at every conceivable angle is followed by a moment of rage where i smash it past the obstruction successfully. Result.

 

Then puzzlement ensues as the top of the bottle is too big for the hole. I look at it again, and the filler neck is about a foot longer. Nice design feature to be able to lift up the neck whilst filling it. Wish I had known that before instead of hunting for a funnel each time. Noted for next time.

 

With the extending head removed it came out quite easily. Had a look in there. There is no filter (is that part of the pump?) but there is a fair bit of crud, including a leaf. I have no idea how that got in there as there is a small plastic filter on the top to stop that ever happening . I can only assume I removed it for some reason and let the leaf get in as I am a friggin idiot. Still don't think there is owt to block it though but give it a clean and get the rouge leaf out.

 

Refitting is the reverse of the sequence above with similar rage to get the bottle back past the plastic cover. Put the pump back in place, fill it with some water and its crunch time. 

 

Nothing works. The windscreen wipers work as they should but when I press the screenwash button, they don't move as expected. A bit of screenwash came out (YAY - for a moment) but then stopped (Booo - for a prolonged period).

 

Am starting to think it might be a problem with the stalk now, or I have a problem with both the stalk and an intermittent washer motor.

 

Plus now I can't get the undertray back on. Because of the knackered screws I can't get it properly off either so it's just hanging under the car. Its too cold and I'm too pissed off to look at it today so will get drunk and worry about it tomorrow as I won't be able to use the car when I'm pissed anyway so its doing nothing that it would have been otherwise.

 

I swear I should take up knitting or something. Much less stressful.

[bub2006]

If I don’t see my son for 24 hours it’s crap, and he’s moved out now. Couldn’t imagine not seeing my daughter every day either. Nothing or nobody would ever stop me from seeing them as much as possible.

I feel like that. It's harsh only seeing him every other weekend and hate him going home. I fought to see him for all the time he wasn't in my life too.

[Lacquer Peel]

Not just you but possibly just us.

[brownnova]

Selfish wanker.

My wrists aren't strong enough to be a generous wanker....