The grumpy thread

[barefoot]

More ECO bullshit. - 'Plan A, because there is no plan B' -

Popular & well known brand M&S have an office in Nottingham. They've just invited 5 folk from where my wife works near Mansfield to a meeting  at their offices in Hong Kong.

[MikeR]

In Aintree hospital , stressed after using the multi story , spaces avb it said , took me 30 minutes to find one and only because I saw some one leaving . 

Never again , use the train next time or walk in ...

[Remspoor]

  On 03/05/2023 at 07:39, Yoss said:

Why aren't we on that list? 

I'm on here longer than all of those put together. Are you tell me I'm in a minority? 

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It is not 100% clear to me who is actually affected by this legislation. They are going to implement it for all "platforms" and the list is just a start.  I hope that the forum mods look into this to see if they are going to be affected. Maybe put an IP blocker on all of us who post from inside the block thus no users from the EU allowed. The likes of Booking are listed, but not AirBnB or Tripadvisor. The list  seems very random.

  On 03/05/2023 at 07:41, horriblemercedes said:

I've never heard of Zalando

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That is because they do not sell stuff that interests you. 😉

[Talbot]

  On 02/05/2023 at 11:19, ruffgeezer said:

My folks decided to take the aged Peugeot Expert (ex- @Alan_Green) to Bristol on Saturday,   they got 40 minutes unto the journey before the brake pedal went soft.

This is concerning as I had recently serviced the rears (drums; no leaks from the cylinders) to prepare it for it's mot.  When I finally got to see it the next day, the brakes were all behaving.

I can only wonder if somehow it'd boiled the brake fluid?

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Some Peugeots of that era require plugging in to whatever-the-software-is-for-peugeot to activate the ABS pump to get all air out of the system.

In theory, it should be possible to change the fluid by simply ensuring you never draw air in, but if you do, the system simply will not work.  it will bleed as if it's fine, but there's trapped air in the ABS module that you *cannot* remove by conventional means.  The first thing you know about it is when you stamp on the brakes, the ABS activates and suddenly you have no brakes.

Not the best design.  Which is why it was changed fairly quickly.  Pre-facelift 405s suffer the same issue.

[Talbot]

  On 30/04/2023 at 14:05, sierraman said:

Just seen another candidate for Co-op Funeral Care working on his car, sat on the trolley jack as he’s hammering the cunt out of something underneath. No stands or even wheel under the car...

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Whilst at face value, I'm inclined to say that's their own problem, my bigger concern is that if said dickhead kills himself, there's an increased risk that working on your own car will be seen as dangerous, so legislation will be brought in to prevent people from doing so.  "for your own good".  I don't want to be restricted in what I can do just because some brain-dead idiot hasn't a clue what he's doing.

[sierraman]

  On 03/05/2023 at 10:34, Talbot said:

Whilst at face value, I'm inclined to say that's their own problem, my bigger concern is that if said dickhead kills himself, there's an increased risk that working on your own car will be seen as dangerous, so legislation will be brought in to prevent people from doing so.  "for your own good".  I don't want to be restricted in what I can do just because some brain-dead idiot hasn't a clue what he's doing.

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A chap across from me was doing some work on his car just resting on a scissor jack. I did offer him an axle stand but he decided against it so you can only suggest, I figure people think it will be fine. Which it probably will be, right up to the point when it won’t and it falls off the jack. 

[New POD]

  On 03/05/2023 at 09:10, barefoot said:

More ECO bullshit. - 'Plan A, because there is no plan B' -

Popular & well known brand M&S have an office in Nottingham. They've just invited 5 folk from where my wife works near Mansfield to a meeting  at their offices in Hong Kong.

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Business class.? 

I think I'd miss the flight back and have to stay another couple of days at the companies expense. 

[83C]

A couple of years ago I had a cheap 2t trolley jack fold in on itself just after I'd taken the wheel nuts off the o/s/f wheel on a 5 series, and was pulling the wheel off to put an axle stand under the hub. The wheel came down trapping the tip of my boot and the hub sat on the inside of the wheel trapping it in place. Very fortunately they were my steelies and I was able to undo the boot and slip my foot out without any damage, if my foot had been a few inches further under the wheel it would have probably crushed the boot. I don't take any chances now, bought a much better 3t jack, more axle stands and never put bits of myself under unsupported bits of car.

Don't dick about with crap jacks and inadequate kit.

[warch]

I don't even like working under cars on axle stands, my preference is for either the wheel I've just removed with a sheet of wood over it to protect the sill/wheel face when just working to the side of the car or some railway sleepers (spare ones, not from the adjacent railway line obviously) when working underneath. 

[83C]

  On 03/05/2023 at 11:31, warch said:

I don't even like working under cars on axle stands, my preference is for either the wheel I've just removed with a sheet of wood over it to protect the sill/wheel face when just working to the side of the car or some railway sleepers (spare ones, not from the adjacent railway line obviously) when working underneath. 

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"Hello Signaller at Pantyffynnon, Driver of 2V10 here. Yes, I'm stuck because someone has borrowed a couple of sleepers and is using them to prop up their Land Rover while they work on it..." 

Wheels always go under the sill, without fail. Well, so long as I get chance to actually slide them under the sill in the first place. 

[MikeR]

  On 03/05/2023 at 09:24, MikeR said:

In Aintree hospital , stressed after using the multi story , spaces avb it said , took me 30 minutes to find one and only because I saw some one leaving . 

Never again , use the train next time or walk in ...

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3 quid to get out because the 30 mins 8 spent looking for a space took me over charge point ,blood test was a in and out job ,5 mins max , so I paid for looking for a parking space , many other unhappy drivers stood around the payment machine which did not take money , not good when it declines your card , f in stuffed then !!! 

[GagaStan]

Why does nobody ever change these??

At least now I know why the blower fan felt a bit asthmatic…

[artdjones]

  On 04/05/2023 at 06:15, GagaStan said:

Why does nobody ever change these??

At least now I know why the blower fan felt a bit asthmatic…

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We once had a 12 year old K11 Micra come back with a complaint that it wouldn't demist. On Micras the dash panel is made with a panel that has to be cut out the first time the cabin filter is changed. This one still had it in place...

[mitsisigma01]

Where would that be 🤔🤔

[GagaStan]

  On 04/05/2023 at 06:35, artdjones said:

We once had a 12 year old K11 Micra come back with a complaint that it wouldn't demist. On Micras the dash panel is made with a panel that has to be cut out the first time the cabin filter is changed. This one still had it in place...

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That is GRIM, although by the state of this one I wouldn't be surprised if it's original from 2007 🤢

[MikeR]

  On 04/05/2023 at 06:15, GagaStan said:

Why does nobody ever change these??

At least now I know why the blower fan felt a bit asthmatic…

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ours fell out a few weeks back , banged it on the wall to clear the shite , then put it back with an extra clip on it .., prob see the car out now ..

[Wack]

If only somebody had a flamethrower 

Utter fucking scumbags 

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJuVRKKf/

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 04/05/2023 at 06:15, GagaStan said:

Why does nobody ever change these??

At least now I know why the blower fan felt a bit asthmatic…

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Unfortunately this is caused by folk being sold "full services" for £150 which are just glamorous oil + filter changes. When phoned up to be sold the air, fuel, cabin filters for an extra £x, £y and £z each, they decline, because they think they're already getting a full service and everything else is just a sales pitch. 

If an indy tells you a full service is £300-350, it means they're doing it properly, not ripping you off. Unfortunately 80% of people don't realise this. It's not their fault at all though, just scummy sales tactics by the fast fit industry and the likes of Servicing Stop. 

If you tell someone you're doing a "full" service, that would imply 'everything' is being done. Clues in the name. 

As an example at my indy, we offer full, tailored and intermediate

Full is what happens the first time we see it and/or there's no prior history, all the normal fluids and filters get changed. Including Iridium plugs where fitted. No surcharges, no bullshit. You get a base price depending on the make/model and that's what you pay

Tailored is a full, minus what isn't due. Generally every 2 years/20k miles. So you have the base price and then the price goes down for every item that isn't due, e.g if the fuel filter doesn't need doing for another 2 years, or the plugs aren't due for 30k. Etc etc 

Intermediate gets done every 10k for the motorway milers or every year for the "2k a year" mileage customers. It's basically an oil change and health check, what others would call a full service. Yet it's our lowest service. 

If someone calls a service a full service but the wheels haven't been taken off then I sometimes cry a little inside... 

For further info, I posted a rant in the motor trade thread which sums everything up!

[GagaStan]

  On 04/05/2023 at 21:02, RoverFolkUs said:

Unfortunately this is caused by folk being sold "full services" for £150 which are just glamorous oil + filter changes. When phoned up to be sold the air, fuel, cabin filters for an extra £x, £y and £z each, they decline, because they think they're already getting a full service and everything else is just a sales pitch. 

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I'd agree, this is exactly it. It's off an '07 Kia Rio, which I believe at the time was one of the cheapest news card you could buy here in NZ. So no surprises that the previous owners didn't want to pay (what they'd consider to be) "over the odds" for servicing...

If an oil and filter change is  'full service' for some garages, what the hell is a standard service? Park it in the forecourt for a few hours and take the money? 🤣

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 04/05/2023 at 21:37, GagaStan said:

I'd agree, this is exactly it. It's off an '07 Kia Rio, which I believe at the time was one of the cheapest news card you could buy here in NZ. So no surprises that the previous owners didn't want to pay (what they'd consider to be) "over the odds" for servicing...

If an oil and filter change is  'full service' for some garages, what the hell is a standard service? Park it in the forecourt for a few hours and take the money? 🤣

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That's exactly what we say, they must top up the screenwash, kick the tyres and send it 😂

[DavieW]

Not so much a Grump, more of a WTF?

Yesterday I saw a jogger jogging down a busy-ish road a couple of feet from the kerb with a perfectly good pavement running alongside it. He then jogged on the outside of parked cars. Not only that, he was jogging with the traffic and not against it so couldn't see if there was anything coming up behind him. Would've served him right if someone had "mirrored" him when passing.

[High Jetter]

Am not a regular jogger (well, have never tried it tbh) but I can see junctions being a problem - pavement, cross road, pavement etc, all down & up kerbs. However that one seems particularly twattish. A jogger, in fact

[Metal Guru]

  On 04/05/2023 at 21:02, RoverFolkUs said:

Unfortunately this is caused by folk being sold "full services" for £150 which are just glamorous oil + filter changes. When phoned up to be sold the air, fuel, cabin filters for an extra £x, £y and £z each, they decline, because they think they're already getting a full service and everything else is just a sales pitch. 

If an indy tells you a full service is £300-350, it means they're doing it properly, not ripping you off. Unfortunately 80% of people don't realise this. It's not their fault at all though, just scummy sales tactics by the fast fit industry and the likes of Servicing Stop. 

If you tell someone you're doing a "full" service, that would imply 'everything' is being done. Clues in the name. 

As an example at my indy, we offer full, tailored and intermediate

Full is what happens the first time we see it and/or there's no prior history, all the normal fluids and filters get changed. Including Iridium plugs where fitted. No surcharges, no bullshit. You get a base price depending on the make/model and that's what you pay

Tailored is a full, minus what isn't due. Generally every 2 years/20k miles. So you have the base price and then the price goes down for every item that isn't due, e.g if the fuel filter doesn't need doing for another 2 years, or the plugs aren't due for 30k. Etc etc 

Intermediate gets done every 10k for the motorway milers or every year for the "2k a year" mileage customers. It's basically an oil change and health check, what others would call a full service. Yet it's our lowest service. 

If someone calls a service a full service but the wheels haven't been taken off then I sometimes cry a little inside... 

For further info, I posted a rant in the motor trade thread which sums everything up!

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I got my car ( bought from new)  serviced at the main dealers for 15 years until their prices became stupid.

First service at an independent garage , guy asks me when the pollen filter was last changed. I said “what pollen filter?” as I had never been charged for one before. I checked the service schedule and it’s not mentioned at all , so presumably the dealer was unaware it was actually there.

It looked pretty much like the one shown excerpt it started life white.

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 04/05/2023 at 23:02, Metal Guru said:

I got my car ( bought from new)  serviced at the main dealers for 15 years until their prices became stupid.

First service at an independent garage , guy asks me when the pollen filter was last changed. I said “what pollen filter?” as I had never been charged for one before. I checked the service schedule and it’s not mentioned at all , so presumably the dealer was unaware it was actually there.

It looked pretty much like the one shown excerpt it started life white.

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What car/brand out of interest? 

Most main dealer servicing is designed in the interests of warranty compliance, so looking after the oily bits

A blocked cabin filter can ruin the heater motor, but it would be well outside the warranty period before this happens

I'm surprised they haven't ever recommended the cabin filter on sales grounds but a lot of dealers aren't orientated towards upselling compared to the US as an example where most technicians are flat rate. 

Yes they can be slightly overzealous on brake/tyre reports but that's about it

[Metal Guru]

  On 04/05/2023 at 23:29, RoverFolkUs said:

What car/brand out of interest? 

Most main dealer servicing is designed in the interests of warranty compliance, so looking after the oily bits

A blocked cabin filter can ruin the heater motor, but it would be well outside the warranty period before this happens

I'm surprised they haven't ever recommended the cabin filter on sales grounds but a lot of dealers aren't orientated towards upselling compared to the US as an example where most technicians are flat rate. 

Yes they can be slightly overzealous on brake/tyre reports but that's about it

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Subaru

[MikeR]

That sums our town up , I had to pick up the wife with her shopping, saw her, I parked the car in a parking  slot , and as I got out the car some old guy on sticks starts having a go at me for not leaving him any room , FFS sake he had a good 2 foot front and rear to use , so being polite I explained some 4 times I would be gone before he got in his car , and I was ....

Perhaps the alternative would be to suggest it was time to give up driving but I did not want a cardiac incident on my hands ...

[wuvvum]

Insomnia can get in the fucking sea.  Also I appear to have lost a bit more off the tooth I chipped a few weeks back - hopefully it'll manage to last until my next dentist appointment in a couple of months before it disintegrates completely.

[wuvvum]

The politics forum is making me grumpy.  It used to be that we could have a more or less civilised debate on there (barring one or two persistent trolls) but it's becoming more and more like Twitter by the day, with people who I previously respected turning into condescending cunts and any semblance of debate descending into an exchange of insults.  It's quite depressing.

[chadders]

  On 05/05/2023 at 17:58, wuvvum said:

Insomnia can get in the fucking sea.  Also I appear to have lost a bit more off the tooth I chipped a few weeks back - hopefully it'll manage to last until my next dentist appointment in a couple of months before it disintegrates completely.

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What about an emergency dentist or can't you get to see one?

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-can-i-access-an-nhs-dentist-in-an-emergency-or-out-of-hours/

[wuvvum]

  On 05/05/2023 at 19:51, chadders said:

What about an emergency dentist or can't you get to see one?

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-can-i-access-an-nhs-dentist-in-an-emergency-or-out-of-hours/

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It's not an emergency yet - not currently causing me any pain.