What's made you grumpy today?

[PuntoHowTo]

The Toyota has these...I'm still on the fence if they are a help or hindrance.

They work 98% of the time as indeed do the auto lights. But occasionally they do randomly decide to main beam someone.

Of course not been flashed though as at least with them being halogen and also projector there's no obvious change in the light signature (Citroën a second set of bulbs light up) a mirror just alters the beam pattern.

I think as a result people don't realise they are being main beamed as it's still about half as bright as the usual eye scorching led set ups.

Auto lights in fog...yay at least the Citroën has drls on the rear, no such thing on the Toyota so I fully imagine at some point my wife will be driving around DRLs only.

The Golf has LED tail lights which are literally always on it seems, they come on with the DRLs so never have to worry about the back.

The Auto main beams are exactly as you describe, they work most of the time, but occasionally try to blind some poor sod coming towards you. They are quite bright on the golf and after an hour of driving and not thinking about it, you suddenly find yourself wondering why that crazy person is flashing at you.

The Mini is a different kettle of fish. If you turn the electronics on without turning on the engine or anything else in the car the lights still come on. This was fun trying to negotiate the channel tunnel when you can't have the radio on without the lights coming on, and you're not allowed to have your lights on.

 

[Cheest]

Success. Finally. Can you guess which one caused the problem?

I just ordered a couple of extra studs and nuts that should be here Saturday.

 

[portland_bill]

Auto main beams can be clever, but also dumb at times, I'd still prefer to make my own decisions.
I've had many auto main beams dip when a road sign reflects at me, reducing my view ahead, when I'd have chosen to keep the main beams on.
Many newer cars now tie the wipers and headlamps together, so that if it rains, the auto wipers come on, or if the driver turns them on, the computer now also adds the headlamps, which is a good idea. However, some also add the auto main beams, which seem to work on contrast of light and dark, and in daylight rain or fog, there is none. So on go the wipers, and on go main beams, and unless the driver spots the little blue light, they just dazzle everyone. Honda Civic is a real pain for this, but I've experienced it with others too.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Success. Finally. Can you guess which one caused the problem?

I just ordered a couple of extra studs and nuts that should be here Saturday.

The one on the left. Its clear the other one was no bother and that you showed it who was boss LOL . I was at least expecting to see some rust or crud on the threads! That is really mad!

 

[Cheest]

Getting old ain't for wusses.
Took Buster to his favorite new walking place this morning. Cold enough to kill a Floridian. Half a mile into the walk, I gambled on a fart...and lost.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Getting old ain't for wusses.
Took Buster to his favorite new walking place this morning. Cold enough to kill a Floridian. Half a mile into the walk, I gambled on a fart...and lost.

Oh deers! Youth of the world take note. Gambling.... Draw backs far out weigh the benefits!

 

[StevenRB45]

Auto main beams can be clever, but also dumb at times, I'd still prefer to make my own decisions.
I've had many auto main beams dip when a road sign reflects at me, reducing my view ahead, when I'd have chosen to keep the main beams on.
Many newer cars now tie the wipers and headlamps together, so that if it rains, the auto wipers come on, or if the driver turns them on, the computer now also adds the headlamps, which is a good idea. However, some also add the auto main beams, which seem to work on contrast of light and dark, and in daylight rain or fog, there is none. So on go the wipers, and on go main beams, and unless the driver spots the little blue light, they just dazzle everyone. Honda Civic is a real pain for this, but I've experienced it with others too.

This is just that famous software though.

So many cars these days are infuriatingly helpful and don't allow you to customise due to either poor design choices or legislation requirements.

Citroën links auto wipers and autolights...but has no automatic mainbeam so no problem. Toyota not determined if it has a lights and wipers link yet or if it's always just dark and raining. But on that there's auto lights...and auto main beam as separate functions. So you can have auto lights without auto mainbeam via a menu.

But with auto on the dim/dip on the stalk activates the auto function not the mainbeam so if it's mainbeamed someone you can dip it in the same way as you would if it was manual lights.

But one thing I have discovered about my particular car is that it occupys a sweet spot in terms of model and year that unfortunately won't happen again. So it's a car with the safety gear which someone paid for, because they did it's on the V5 because it's on the V5 it's 2 insurance groups lower than one without it. This was only available as an option for about 6 months. Because it was a cost option it has off buttons for everything that are on/off and remember your choices because it wasn't mandated and things like the sensitivity of the assists can be tuned to personal preference.

In early 2017 all the safety gear became mandatory, and flat rate road tax came in. So if was registered 5 months later I'd be paying 5 times the road tax...and a lot of the various tuning and off buttons that remember your choices disappear.

You need these things to get good ncap these days but as a result they end up being compulsory and some of them are crap.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

In early 2017 all the safety gear became mandatory, and flat rate road tax came in. So if was registered 5 months later I'd be paying 5 times the road tax...and a lot of the various tuning and off buttons that remember your choices disappear.

You need these things to get good ncap these days but as a result they end up being compulsory and some of them are crap.

I am reluctant to update the golf for a number of reasons but one is that it is all relatively simple, I'e
Manual handbrake.
turn key starting (no buttons or keyless entry)
the lights while auto, flick the light switch in the normal place one click and now they are fully manual.
Wipers are auto. But you can set them to off. You can set them to auto, which is also the intermittent you can also set the sensitivity with a dial to tune the auto wipe to how you want it to work.
Click the wiper control again and you have a normal continuous wipe speed and one more click for monsoon weather all manually selected, but leave it in auto and it does a pretty good job of increasing in speed to match the rain especially if you have it dialed in.

Front and read parking sensors.
No stupid self parking, self braking features.
you can't buy a decent diesel anymore,
you can't buy a decent small convertible anymore.

£35 a year road tax.
60mpg.
No manufacturer built in trackers, or telemetry devices.

There is a lot to be said for owning a car from the 2015 - 2017 period before a lot of stuff started becoming common place.

 

[irc]

Went to a Vauxhall dealer today, looking for some parts for a 2007 UK market, UK supplied Vauxhall car, actually sold via that very dealer.
Its now a Stellantis dealer, but still sells Vauxhall cars, so shouldn't be a problem...
Wrong!
After a number plate lookup, with no results returned (it found the car OK, but showed no parts available for it), we tried the VIN. Apparently the car doesn't exist on their shiny new Stellantis parts system.
I do hope they aren't losing FIAT records too.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Went to a Vauxhall dealer today, looking for some parts for a 2007 UK market, UK supplied Vauxhall car, actually sold via that very dealer.
Its now a Stellantis dealer, but still sells Vauxhall cars, so shouldn't be a problem...
Wrong!
After a number plate lookup, with no results returned (it found the car OK, but showed no parts available for it), we tried the VIN. Apparently the car doesn't exist on their shiny new Stellantis parts system.
I do hope they aren't losing FIAT records too.

Very odd.

I have been able to buy bits for my 98 Punto with them even sending some bits over from Italy, so The fiat side of things is still seemingly ok.
Though I did see on another thread on here, they have dropped much older models from the system entirely.

 

[The Panda Nut]

3 filthy Pandas need washing, and I just have not got the strength at the moment. Also, carting electrical conduits, that are way to big for Noop. They waggle up and down when poking out of the rear window so I have to take 1 at a time and there are are a lot to take over I really dont want to put the cross bars on the roof but may need to relent.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

MRI results are in for my hip joint and well…. My hip is knackered, multiple issues causing the pain I’ve been getting some related to bone, some related to soft tissues, but have been told I have to do 6 months of conservative treatment before they will refer me to the specialists And have been told I could need surgery on it to correct the bone issue

 

[The Panda Nut]

MRI results are in for my hip joint and well…. My hip is knackered, multiple issues causing the pain I’ve been getting some related to bone, some related to soft tissues, but have been told I have to do 6 months of conservative treatment before they will refer me to the specialists And have been told I could need surgery on it to correct the bone issue

Whats the matter with Fiat Forumers old bones, Is this Fiat induced? Can we get a group discount on bone replacements. If so hip hip hooray. (Sorry) I did meet the safety officer from a replacement joint maker a few years backbut I havelost his number. Sorry to hear of your woes. At least it should be fixable PA Jock seems to be doing well.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Whats the matter with Fiat Forumers old bones, Is this Fiat induced? Can we get a group discount on bone replacements. If so hip hip hooray. (Sorry) I did meet the safety officer from a replacement joint maker a few years backbut I havelost his number. Sorry to hear of your woes. At least it should be fixable PA Jock seems to be doing well.

I’m driving up to Edinburgh to steal his hip as his seems to work.

I’m only in my early 40s so I really shouldn’t be this decrepit just yet the MRI report covered two sides of A4, I didn’t know it was possible to write that much about a hip

 

[bugsymike]

I was rearranging the garage for the winter months this afternoon. That's pretty much putting the Honda CX500, the mower, and the bikes I won't ride in the winter towards the back of the garage and moving the ATV into the second spot after Ural. I backed everything out and pulled in the Honda. I was patting myself on the back because today was the first time in years I've gotten that heavy fat pig up on its' center stand. The 3 times a week trips to the gym are paying off. I bring in the bikes and set them up next to the Honda. Then I bring in the mower...

...SUNUVA...

I decided, for whatever reason, to back the mower into the garage. And I backed it right into the CX and the bikes. The bikes went one way, the CX went the other. As motorcycles don't go down alone, it took down a 51 year old Solex mo-ped, an even older Raleigh Superbe, and the hermaphrodite B&S powered Honda. Thankfully, the Desoto stopped that one from going all the way down. My power washer and tiller are also under that mess.

It took me, Mrs.Cheest, a 3 ton floor jack, and a 6' piece of pipe to get the CX up so I could roll it out of the way and get the rest of the mess straightened up. It's all good now and I'm in my recliner with a heating pad on my back and I'm seriously thinking about an adult beverage of Scottish heritage. Just for medicinal purposes, ya know.

Keep up the good work, it's starting to look more like my garage.
You are still better as you can see the floor.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Whats the matter with Fiat Forumers old bones, Is this Fiat induced? Can we get a group discount on bone replacements. If so hip hip hooray. (Sorry) I did meet the safety officer from a replacement joint maker a few years backbut I havelost his number. Sorry to hear of your woes. At least it should be fixable PA Jock seems to be doing well.

I’m driving up to Edinburgh to steal his hip as his seems to work.

I’m only in my early 40s so I really shouldn’t be this decrepit just yet the MRI report covered two sides of A4, I didn’t know it was possible to write that much about a hip

Yup, it's been a great success and no, you can't have it, it's part of me now! I was out walking for nearly two hours today - took it out of me a bit but I'm by no means totally knackered. Had a phone call from the admin side people to do with how I financed it and they confirmed everything has gone through and they're happy and they'll be sending the final medical report to my GP in Forres. FORRES? that's near Inverness and miles away! Would you believe it? there's another chap with the same surname and first name as me who's also had a hip done but he lives up there. Well you folks had better make sure I'm not paying for his operation!

I was interested before I signed up for this, to be asked if bone removed during the operation can be used for other clinical/medical purposes. I agreed but am now wondering what exactly they do with it?

 

[The Panda Nut]

I’m driving up to Edinburgh to steal his hip as his seems to work.

I’m only in my early 40s so I really shouldn’t be this decrepit just yet the MRI report covered two sides of A4, I didn’t know it was possible to write that much about a hip

Just glancing at my medical record was an eye opener. So many pages of test results all it seems listing standard codes for different things. If I were a computer I might understand it...... If you do manage to knick Jocks hip, he will be able to pass unhindered through airport scanners again, so he migh be grateful LOL

 

[bugsymike]

I really feel for you. This used to be a really common problem over here however seems to be much less common now. I've noticed torque wrenches often being used for final tightening in many establishments.

Tyre places around here some years ago started using torque wrenches when Bedford ambulances were having wheels falling off, but I think they have given up on that practice these days.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Just glancing at my medical record was an eye opener. So many pages of test results all it seems listing standard codes for different things. If I were a computer I might understand it...... If you do manage to knick Jocks hip, he will be able to pass unhindered through airport scanners again, so he migh be grateful LOL

Unhindered through airport scanners? Nope! You'll have to take the knees too if I'm to get through them without them going bleep! Could be difficult with no knees and only one hip though?

 

[The Panda Nut]

Tyre places around here some years ago started using torque wrenches when Bedford ambulances were having wheels falling off, but I think they have given up on that practice these days.

Moral of the story is never let anyone else tighten your nuts... as the actrss said to the bishop.

The last time I did it was at a Vauxhall dealer. As it was a Vauxhall leasing company car under warranty I use the wheel brace from the car and wound it round and round until it was just a few mm thick, the nut stayed stationary. I returned it too them and demanded a replacement. A few other words were said about their skills. Thankfully we remained on speaking terms and they were good as gold thereafter. Pretty basic stuff tightening wheel nuts properly to proper engineers. (Not saying I am one though. I am just an ameter)