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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

varesecrazy said:
The reason they chirp in the night?

The temperatures drop.. so battery output falls

If you manage to ignore it until the morning.. the heating has cut in and it stops chirping
Click to expand...

Aaaaah, light bulb moment. Yes we have our heating set to go off overnight. Your explanation is obvious, I just didn't think of it! Modern house with thin interior walls and a wife who is a disturbed sleeper so not the slightest chance of ignoring it!
 
andydiver said:
Yeah the wired ones are definitely a good enforcement as we have all sometimes not replaced batteries.
I keep spare PP3 batteries for ours all the time and will replace all 3 if one pips, if not before - smoke alarms are by far the cheapest and most lifesaving piece of electrical home equipment ever designed.

We have one on the shelf in the kitchen dated 1997 by a previous owner. It goes off when we use the grill (only a little clear fat smoke!) so it briefly gets put outside. For the occasional cost of the battery like having it on a hair trigger in the house.
Click to expand...
1997?
If so it should have been replaced long ago
They recommend a maximum of 10 years lifespan for them
 
Nice trip up to Derwent Reservoir Park before work.

It's lovely drive up into the Pennines (only 30 mins each way) and son had a blast at the park as well.

Did feel rather out of place being the only bloke there who wasn't clearly a Grandad..also turning up in the oldest car in the car park and the only none SUV.

But at least I get to enjoy the country roads on the way, within reason given 2 year old on board, but sunny day, good roads, long lines of sight...that and if I ever went up in winter I'd be the only one to actually get back out of the valley given all the 4x4s were of the 2x4 summer tyred variety.
 
"Beep" it went, "Service due 10dd".
That was a surprise.
Car was registered January 2006. I bought it March 2010, when it was serviced before collection. Since then it has demanded, rightly so, a service each March. So why now.
Been a busy time, early 2019 was a bit silly, when I did a lot of suspension work, new rear beam, and new front struts, with all the stuff that goes with that lot. Car not used during extended 'maintenance', so service done quite late in the year.

Dilemma. Only done 5600 miles since this time last year.
a) Leave it until March, to reset the annual job as was, but have to do the job in colder weather.
b) Do it now, and then annually at this time, with potentially easier weather.

I suppose now makes sense, and after a few years I'll get used to it.

I wonder if I can program the computer with a reminder that says, "Clean me you lazy oik."
 
walked into our new 2nd euro car pars place today its closer to me. guy behind the counter said did you used to drive a blue punto, i said yes, he said you used to come to colchester motor factors din't you i loved that car, i said that was a long time ago he said yes i was 17 when i worked there i am 34 now :eek:

If he gives the same standard of customer care colchester motor factors gave we could have a decent ecp. that will be a first
 
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dave said:
walked into our new 2nd euro car pars place today its closer to me. guy behind the counter said did you used to drive a blue punto, i said yes, he said you used to come to colchester motor factors din't you i loved that car, i said that was a long time ago he said yes i was 17 when i worked there i am 34 now :eek:

If he gives the same standard of customer care colchester motor factors gave we could have a decent ecp. that will be a first
Click to expand...
Good service from ecp?


Probably like winning the lottery ?
 
Neighbour's stepdad was fitting blinds for her. Needed a saw. There was my junior hacksaw hanging on its hook, just what he needed, so all good there.
But. The large hacksaw should have been hanging next to it, but it was not there. Not apparently fallen off. Not on the bench, or on the floor in front of the bench (sometimes put there between cuts because bench is covered in 'stuff').
Took a good ten minutes of searching to find it. I have a worklamp on a tall tripod stand. It has little hooks for a cable tidy. Saw was hanging on one of the hooks.
What fool put that there?

Need to tidy it up, but don't know where to start.

On another note, filters and plugs arrived for the service on the Panda.
Very windy today, and forecast same for tomorrow. Don't think I'll be draining oil in high winds.
 
Now I know you shouldn't stereotype...but came back to my car after todays outing with munchkin.

Found an elderly gentleman in a large nearly new German vehicle using my passenger door as a rest for his door. He at least had the good sense to look sheepish when greeted with a cheery "excuse me!"

It was the side with baby seat in as well so I'd actually parked with 2 wheels nearer the line on the drivers side so I had space to fully open the back door. So he'd had to fully swing the front door open to contact my car.

I don't massively care so other than a Paddington bear esque hard stare and a mild talking to off he went...I love having an older car, even if he had creased it, it wouldn't be the 1st one...or the second or third.

Decided to do tyres before I left as it's dropped about 15 degrees since last time they were done and I didn't have time before I set off. All 4 were 2 pounds down so got the foot pump out and started, bloke in Mazda 2 of similar vintage to mine came running over the car park to offer me use of his compressor as he thought I was stuck with a flat with the little un.

At least there are nice people out there...just possibly not in German saloons.
 
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Drove the doblo for the first time properly after passing an mot, car drove well for a 400 pound car.
Eml on because egr not opening all the way, which I'm not bothered about except for the bleep every 5 minutes which I think is to tell me the light is on.
 
StevenRB45 said:
Now I know you shouldn't stereotype...but came back to my car after todays outing with munchkin.

Found an elderly gentleman in a large nearly new German vehicle using my passenger door as a rest for his door. He at least had the good sense to look sheepish when greeted with a cheery "excuse me!"

It was the side with baby seat in as well so I'd actually parked with 2 wheels nearer the line on the drivers side so I had space to fully open the back door. So he'd had to fully swing the front door open to contact my car.

I don't massively care so other than a Paddington bear esque hard stare and a mild talking to off he went...I love having an older car, even if he had creased it, it wouldn't be the 1st one...or the second or third.

Decided to do tyres before I left as it's dropped about 15 degrees since last time they were done and I didn't have time before I set off. All 4 were 2 pounds down so got the foot pump out and started, bloke in Mazda 2 of similar vintage to mine came running over the car park to offer me use of his compressor as he thought I was stuck with a flat with the little un.

At least there are nice people out there...just possibly not in German saloons.
Click to expand...
Do you get many nice people in german cars full stop, lol? I do notice that the german blandmobiles tend to be the worst driven. [emoji52] My best mate notices the same phenomenon too.
 
varesecrazy said:
I was amused : bemused the other day

Around 20:30 in the outside lane of M4

A SUV with no lights on..
Well it had DRLs..

Nothing at the rear.. it had been dark for an hour..

Digital dash lit ok no doubt.. ;)
Click to expand...

It's not like it's beyond the wit of man to solve it.

Several PSA models have rear DRLs...something which I've always thought should have been compulsory.

If the conditions are bad enough that the front ones are required you probably need the rear lit as well. That and Auto lights don't always pick up fog so even if your car offers an auto option can end up in stealth mode at the rear if you aren't paying attention.

This is one the reasons we have the C3, wife used to drive back after a 12 hour shift in a micra with no lights until she got the last section with no street lamps :eek: She also has no interest in fog lamps...I've explained how the work about 20 times...

So a car with autolights, drls and the rear is lit at all times is the best I can do to protect other road users!
 
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