portland_bill said:

I'm hoping that it would react sooner if just one tyre lost pressure.

Nice to have, in case we run over something, but does not replace the walk around the car before each journey.

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Due to the wife's commute over the field of broken glass via the boulevard of rusty screws (seriously no idea how she gets so many punctures) ours has been tested extensively.

It's detected punctures before the tyre looked obviously soft but you don't know when they actually occurred so god knows what the actual response time was.

The tyre pressure monitor on my motorbike saved me from a nasty tank slapper on the motorway. Whizzing along at "speed" I got a flashing warning of low pressure in the back tyre. It was falling quite fast so pulled to hard shoulder with the bike squirming about as I stopped. Back tyre was dead flat by the time I stopped. No wheel damage and more important no damage to me.

So I'm a fan of these things.

Sunday morning, 09:25, just had a Royal Mail van go down the road. Quite a surprise.

For the last couple of days I've been very busy cleaning the cars - outside, inside, even took the wheels off and cleaned inside the rims - very pleased with the results! However it's delayed me mentioning that, on Thursday, when we did our "big" Lidl shop, we were quite surprised at the empty spaces on the shelves. Entire stocks of specific product just not there!

We've noticed some empty spaces in the other supermarkets we shop in - Aldi, Morrisons, Tesco, Local Co-Op, etc. but nothing like the number of empty spaces as this. Mrs J commented about it to the chap on the checkout and he commented "Yes, and it's definitely getting worse".

We did manage to get most of what we wanted but had to take some brands we don't usually buy and Mrs J got the very last pack of Ginger Nuts, thank goodness because she can't get out of bed in the morning without a large mug of tea and a ginger nut! Maybe I should start stockpiling Ginger Nuts? There are some brands sold at Aldi that we prefer to Lidl's brands so we'll be visiting there soon. Wonder if they will be the same?

I did the weekly shop on Thursday last Jock at Aldi, it was late morning as well and I expected a poor selection all be it we had a short list. Surprise, all the shelves were packed full, aye and new stuff as well.

I’m hearing and reading in the press that it’s heading up for a perfect storm for Christmas that there are going to be shortages of food. To cap it all, it’s not advisable to stockpile food stuff they are telling you Oh yes, nobody will ever dream of doing such a thing eh!!!!!!!!!!

The 50 quid cashback from the washing machine turned up...

To give you an idea how long I've been waiting for it, it's listed on my bank statement as "Bosch treats May"...

StevenRB45 said:

The 50 quid cashback from the washing machine turned up...

To give you an idea how long I've been waiting for it, it's listed on my bank statement as "Bosch treats May"...

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Only 4 months then, I've known some to take up to 9.

I cash back and forget, now got nearly £600 in my account, really must look at it and withdraw it

That reminds me, must spend some of my nectar points also

Most Easterly Pandas said:

That reminds me, must spend some of my nectar points also

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Ive been collecting since they were 'premier points'.in Argos

Mainly collected at Sainsbury and Homebase

So @30 years..and never claimed anything..face value is circa £250

Waiting for the 'Double value day'

It must happen again sometime.. :shrug:


Wheras Tesco points get used all the time..
RAILCARD was one of the better purchases

Wow, the title of this thread is confusing.

What made me not so grumpy today, its the fact that I still have a job? But honestly, I feel so tired of working for 6years that I feel like I need a break. But then again, I have bills to pay.

With all my messing around trying to find an Auto..and my Punto getting broken into..

The Twinairs have all gone 'on the back burner'

Get in the punto at 5am monday to see a message scrolling across the screen..
Im thinking.. oh thats the other DRL bulb then NOPE..
Service Coupon Expired...Ive never seen it before..as always serviced early at specialists

Not seen an oil can in 2 years..thanks to COVID

Never mind.. I will do an oil service myself !!

Onto S4P.. only sell the newer spec oil..and its sold out

Trawl EBAY.. nothing in UK

Every outlet states Castrol have an equivalent.. so order 4 litres on Tuesday

Weds AM.. 'its on the van'
Thurs AM..'Address issue returned to depot'
Fri am.. out for delivery I NEVER SAW IT

Im back in the 'uncomfortable auto'

BUT 110 miles later.. having moved the seating position about as far from 'FIAT default' as possible whilst still facing forward

Its 'o.k.'...small victories

varesecrazy said:

BUT 110 miles later.. having moved the seating position about as far from 'FIAT default' as possible whilst still facing forward

Its 'o.k.'...small victories

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The seat height adjust can give minor adjustment to reach too, so another avenue to explore.

Just as you get it to its best for you, someone else will drive it and adjust something.

Amused vs Bemused

Got a mailing from a 'Quick Fit' outfit who I pass loose wheels to ...for new tyre fitment that I book through Asda

Based on time since we last saw the car Reg.NO. ####^^### it is due tyres

Last readings were.
F 8mm - 4.5
R 4. - 4.

Impressive as I buy in pairs and put new pair on rear

2 weeks later: your brakes on ""$### are nearing legal limit

Impressive.. they have never seen this car.. just 2 of its wheels per year

varesecrazy said:

Amused vs Bemused

Got a mailing from a 'Quick Fit' outfit who I pass loose wheels to ...for new tyre fitment that I book through Asda

Based on time since we last saw the car Reg.NO. ####^^### it is due tyres

Last readings were.
F 8mm - 4.5
R 4. - 4.

Impressive as I buy in pairs and put new pair on rear

2 weeks later: your brakes on ""$### are nearing legal limit

Impressive.. they have never seen this car.. just 2 of its wheels per year

Click to expand...

Noice!

Tbf I once received a voucher for 10% off a timing belt replacement from Springfield Suzuki on my Swift. As the supplying dealer you'd hope they knew it had a chain.

Although I also received regular mailshots from them promising to beat the monthly payment on a car I'd bought outright.

So not the sharpest spoons in the drawer..

Fun meeting today.

We got a new system at work last year, didn't do half the things it was meant to so was very much an "opportunity rich" environment if you enjoy problem solving. If you don't tough, we had more than enough problems to go around.

One of my contributions took about 3 weeks of solid work and borrowing a software developer to replicate something the last system just did. Got it working whole, business currently uses it.

Was invited to meeting with the supplier today, the gist of which was "we don't know this was necessary our wonderful product does this" Meeting ended up with "Our system does not do this, we have no plans to implement that, you're doing it is the only way we could think of doing it." :bang:

StevenRB45 said:

Was invited to meeting with the supplier today, the gist of which was "we don't know this was necessary our wonderful product does this" Meeting ended up with "Our system does not do this, we have no plans to implement that, you're doing it is the only way we could think of doing it." :bang:

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Most of us, especially those seeking help on this forum, have an attitude of, "There must be a way to do this, but I don't know it, I'll ask." From that comes a willingness of forum members to share their experiences, and help wherever possible.

My experience of software companies is rather different. Software developers know about computer stuff, but often little about how that might work in the real world. Getting a developer to understand what is needed is often difficult.
This is then compounded by an attitude of never wanting to ask others for help, as this is sign of weakness. The result is, "we can do this, anything else is impossible." Never admit that someone else might be able to do what you want.

I spent a few years bashing software developers to find ways to make oour systems do what we needed, rather than what they wanted. Mostly successful, but such hard work. Been away from that for 18 years, don't miss it at all.

Edit: Just remembered a statement I made, being a minor rank, in a meeting of senior managers on both sides. "These were our requirements at the start of this project. They were clearly set out. They are still our requirements now. Getting half-way there will not result in payment." Interesting stares from all sides, including my own managers. A few days later, the developers had somehow managed to find a solution.

When I returned home from work yesterday, I was asked if I saw the two young men working on a car outside. They had knocked at the door for help, but were now talking to another neighbour further down the road.
Seeing their battered Golf on a jack, I asked what the problem was, thinking they may need a suitable wheel nut socket and/or breaker bar to get some torque on it. It turned out that he had very recently bought the car, had a puncture by our house and discovered that he has no key for the locking wheel nut. Whilst talking he admitted to having no car knowledge: "is this rear-wheel drive, I don't know ?". He then looked down at the punctured tyre, querying whether the tread was worn down, so I showed him the tread was smooth with the tread wear indicator, so yes it was illegal and dangerous. (No need to labour the point, because it was also punctured and would need to be replaced).
It amazes me how mechanically ignorant people can be.
The tyre must have been illegal when he bought the car (in a desperate rush because his previous car was crash-damaged and he needed another to get to work the next day).
I left him walking down to Halfords to see if they could help, but I notice that the car is still there, resting on its flimsy jack, this morning.

Edit:
He said that the garage always asked him for the locking wheel nut key on his old car, but he never knew what it was for !
Checking the MOT history, it fails every year and only the failure defects get repaired. Interestingly the annual mileage shown on the MOT goes: 136k (2019) > 143k (2020) > 123k (2021). Maybe the speedo was replaced or it's a mistake ...

portland_bill said:

I spent a few years bashing software developers to find ways to make oour systems do what we needed, rather than what they wanted. Mostly successful, but such hard work. Been away from that for 18 years, don't miss it at all.

Click to expand...

It's technically not my job...but as said earlier it's very much a problem rich environment.

So you have two choices...whinge endlessly about things or actually attempt to improve them. As most of the department prefer option 1 and I'm very much option 2 you end up taking on a lot.

Way I see it, I have some huge things to put on my CV now...I've also moved up in a department where everyone else is still doing the same job they were the day I turned up.

But realistically I don't want to go any higher in the tree..and the job I'm doing is Maternity cover. So when she comes back may well bugger off to do something else.

Currently having a morning of "plotting".

If the gearbox on the Mazda needs work which is what it currently sounds like that isn't going to be cheap. As I've said previously that car pretty much exists as a family hack only, I don't need to commute so it's literally used only at weekends, holidays, ikea trips, tip runs, days out that's it.

C3 exists for a light bit of family work (wife uses it week days if she needs to take him out) otherwise it's a commuter car. It's also not really big enough for the stuff I use Mazda for...frustratingly it's nearly big enough, but not quite. We very rarely use both cars at the same time.

So what to do? Not sure, if I'm honest going to pop the Mazda in for some fault finding. But if the bill runs a grand or so it's worth maybe 2ish and the underside looks like it was found underwater so while I do love that car, sentiment only goes so far. I'd happily just run round in the C3 but long term it's not big enough to do everything we use the cars for.

But there's an interesting thing in that I did a trade in value on the C3...9250, even knocking a grand off for the condition/them over egging it to get you in the door. That puts 15k cars within easy reach...but would have to be a car we both like. Which given my wife loves "Orville" as he's known would be a hard sell. But Orville needs taxed, insured and mot'd currently..so she's also looking at some bills she'd probably prefer to share.

So yet again we end up looking at "fat orville" i.e. a C3 aircross as a single family car. Could pay the difference off in a year or so.

Hmm....the other option being sack the Mazda off and just keep the C3 for a bit. We've not got any family holidays planned etc so could get by as long as we don't go to IKEA.

So yeah...opinions? very much thinking out loud.

Opinions..

How long are the inflated car prices going to last...?

Industry press think Chip Shortage is with us for another 12+ months... but demand will surely level out sooner

Plenty of cars not being driven: worn out

People who now dont commute have bought that gas guzzler they always wanted

Although December can be a good time to buy a used car.. if you have the money free

My thoughts on the chip shortage would be:
Even if the chip shortage ended how much incentive do manufacturers have to flood the market with cars and return to heavy discounts?

If they can sell fewer at a larger margin that is a much better business model especially with electric cars on the horizon where they aren't necessarily going to make much on servicing. Also bumps their used prices up so they can make more selling the cars again.

Suspect the market "adjustment" may well be long term, but another way to see it would be that under a normal Circumstances a Citroën C3 is not a 9 grand trade in ever even at 24 months old never mind 48 months. Same way as if you're looking at a new house and the value of yours has increased, there's good chance the one you're looking at has increased as well.

I don't know, the decision to keep 2 cars has always been easy because the Mazda although old was no bother.

Now it's acting up a bit it becomes a harder to justify especially now I'm working from home full time.

Once the garage has had a look at and done some proper exploration I'll have more of an idea but currently seeming a lot of work for very little use.

Could always run C3 for a bit and see where the market goes suppose.