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

[StevenRB45]

2 weeks into parenthood and the worst possible thing happened….
The coffee machine broke

If you aren't smashing at least 5 cups of cold instant a day...is it even a baby?


Any way as an adult I have totally not been watching prices of these..

It's dropped from 150 to 115 quid..not cheap at all but..oooh I'm sure my son would love it. Obviously I'd need to build it for him...

 

[portland_bill]

Had a session in a Kia Niro full electric today. Quite nice, does the job well, comfortable and drives/handles well.
But. It is a year old, with just under 7000 miles on it. The front tyres are just over 2mm tread remaining, so being replaced soon. That'll go some way to reducing the runnig cost savings then, replacing tryes at that rate. The rears are better of course, but at the current state, look like they'll last for another 4000 miles.
With electric cars being heavy, hence the high wear rate, I don't suppose the tyres are cheap.

 

[StevenRB45]

Had a session in a Kia Niro full electric today. Quite nice, does the job well, comfortable and drives/handles well.
But. It is a year old, with just under 7000 miles on it. The front tyres are just over 2mm tread remaining, so being replaced soon. That'll go some way to reducing the runnig cost savings then, replacing tryes at that rate. The rears are better of course, but at the current state, look like they'll last for another 4000 miles.
With electric cars being heavy, hence the high wear rate, I don't suppose the tyres are cheap.

Is it rental though?

Leccy cars tend to come with rock hard eco tyres as standard..but they are a high torque application so if it's been flat out the entire time it'll wear them out like any car would.

To be fair if they're wearing at that rate the particulate emissions in use will similar to a routemaster bus (hyperbole..just in case). Which is one reason we shouldn't be replacing 1000kg+ cars with 2000kg+ cars and calling it fixed.

 

[portland_bill]

Its a company car, provided by a lease company, who are resisting the change of tyres until right at the limit. Presumably they have been caught out by these unexpected costs, and will have to adjust lease rates on later contracts.
This driver is one of the most gentle I've met. Ask the following traffic how they feel, most were not happy at the leisurely progress. (Did get him to speed up a bit and relieve the stress and risk from behind) So these tyres have had the gentlest of lives. His driving style was not artificial for the training session.

Keep wearing the masks, not just for covid, but for tyre particles too.

 

[StevenRB45]

Its a company car, provided by a lease company, who are resisting the change of tyres until right at the limit. Presumably they have been caught out by these unexpected costs, and will have to adjust lease rates on later contracts.
This driver is one of the most gentle I've met. Ask the following traffic how they feel, most were not happy at the leisurely progress. (Did get him to speed up a bit and relieve the stress and risk from behind) So these tyres have had the gentlest of lives. His driving style was not artificial for the training session.

Keep wearing the masks, not just for covid, but for tyre particles too.

Many years ago I read an article...which I believe was about the previous Peugeot 208 concept version...so pre that car.

In that it went to great depth about the virtuous circle of efficiency. So you build a light power train (which in this case was a concept version the current 3 cyls PSA use), that means the body can be lighter, and the suspension can be lighter and the brakes can be lighter as can the crash structures. If you make it more aerodynamic then the powertrain can be less powerful..making it lighter again..knocking on everything else.

The fact that everything can be lighter means less material in at that start and less recycling at the end and less wear on components through out the life cycle. As well as less energy/fuel needed to power it though out.

Amazing how few car manufacturers are not even paying lip service to that in the drive for 0 tail pipe emissions.

 

[portland_bill]

Amazing how few car manufacturers are not even paying lip service to that in the drive for 0 tail pipe emissions.

It starts with batteries, and electric motors, both of which are heavy. That means a heavy structure, and heavy suspension, and heavy wear to suspension and tyres. At least brake wear is minimised if the driver makes best use of the regenerative braking. It is quite fun being able to slow and stop without touching the brake. (Although mobility scooter owners have been using this for years.)

 

[StevenRB45]

At the burning dinosaurs end of the spectrum...

Mentally it feels like I'm forever putting petrol in the car. Now few reasons for this...Firstly I'm used to having a car I was using exclusively and was barely using it...you put a tank in it was still there 3 weeks later. Secondly the fact its dropped everytime you get in makes it feel like it disappears in the night.

I'm also getting used to the fuel gauge and mileage as the trip computer is a compulsive liar by about 10-20%. Mazda if you got 260 in the first half of the tank you were on for 44+mpg..if you were barely scraping 200 it was going to be a 35mpg tank.

Currently it feels like I filled up yesterday and it's on just over half a tank...and has done less than 200 miles.

However restarted using fuelly and it helpfully tells me it was actually 10 days ago.

That'll be it then fuel economy is terrible as it's not even averaging 10 miles a trip and the snow and ice means it's spent a good chunk of time idling waiting to defrost.

Must fill it before Easter weekend as we've got a longer distance trip planned for the Friday, then a wedding Saturday...and I'd rather not be paying further inflated bank holiday prices or scratching round trying to find a station with petrol when it's on fumes.

 

[StevenRB45]

That'll be it then fuel economy is terrible as it's not even averaging 10 miles a trip and the snow and ice means it's spent a good chunk of time idling waiting to defrost.

I've clearly not got a handle on this at all..

Filled it up...from half a tank it took 21.5 litres...it's a 45L tank so the gauge seems accurate unlike the Mazda one that read empty with 10L left. Final mileage number was 215..so despite trip computer reading 42.1mpg that works out at 45mpg.

Pleasant surprise in the opposite direction...

 

[portland_bill]

It's a lovely sunny bank holiday, so everyone is outside, making noises.
With the usual undisciplined dogs barking, there was an additional bark. Thankfully, just a visitor, and the dog was told to be quiet, and obeyed. Two neigbours could learn something from that, but won't.
Then the noisy motorcycle. A guy across the road is often visited by his brother, with a very loud motorcycle, and as they do, needs to rev it constantly before leaving. Now neighbour has got one too. Or did, for today. Took it out of the garage earlier, let it tick over noisily for a while, then revved it a few times before leaving. Why do so many need to make their bikes noisier, the manufacturer has spent a lot of time, and science, makign it develop the right power with acceptable noise. A loud exhaust will usually lose power as it upsets the gas flow, unless as much R&D has gone into the replacement as the original. Unlikely.
A few minutes ago, motorcycle returned. Felt the need to rev it a few times. Then his young daughter (5yrs old?) had a go, standing beside the bike, twisting the throttle. Blipped a few times, then a scream, off the rev limiter, and a bang. Oops. Bike is now in the gargae, and he's cleaning an oil puddle off the drive. Big OOPS!

 

[Cheest]

Re:Loud Motorcycles.

On this side of the pond, you'll hear, "Loud Pipes Save Lives" from the loud bike crowd. It's been proven countless times to be bullsh!t, but what do I know. Myself, I like 'em quiet. I have stock cans on the Ural. Under 30 mph, the cam drive and tires make more noise than the exhaust. The old Honda has take off Harley cans on it only because NOS replacement mufflers were more than I paid for the bike. It has a deeper mellow tone than stock, but not obnoxious. Take off Harley mufflers are dirt cheap, too. Seems like the pirate wannabes swap the stock cans on their new $30K machines for something like Screamin' Eagles or straight pipes, then the Harley dealers throw the take offs in a pile. Cheap SOBs like me walk in and get a pair for about ten bucks.

As far as an obnoxious exhaust goes, my Jeep kind of falls in that category. And I didn't intend for it to be. I was expecting something like the Borla system we had on our old Audi 1.8T when I replaced the system. Instead I have an annoying drone at 65 mph. Oh, well. That's why I have a load stereo in the Jeep. My neighbors each have a vehicle that will drown out the Jeep, though. Guy across the street has a 68 Camaro with a big block that can rattle windows and the guy next door has a 55 Chevy with an LS6 that's just a bit quieter than the Camaro. Good thing is neither guy is a revver. Once the cars are warmed up, they roll away. Then nail it when they get on the highway.

 

[varesecrazy]

Tyres..
Ive been wearing out my punto TA's factory fit tyres
So come the annual safety inspection I wasnt too shocked when the tyres got a mention

Damage down to the cord..!!
NOT what I was expecting :-(

Booked a new pair through
Asda ( walmart).. as they have been good before... no issues .. all paid and booked

Drop off the 2 x spare wheels at the usual place..
' we cannot do that anymore.. new policy'

Personally with Covid still around.. Im happier with 2 wheels rolled in and out.. rather than non.masked tyre fitters driving my car around

Asda were actually fine.. full quibble free refund.. Not Their 'new policy' it would appear

Anyway.. got the same tyres ordered via
' black and round'ish'.. similar money.. but £5 discount per pair bought.. all good


Dropped off the wheels 9:30 and collected 17:00

Come to move them around at home..
April 22 mould date.. great
January 21 WHAT..!!

SAME build..and same tread pattern
But 15 months apart?? Im not overly impressed :-(

 

[varesecrazy]

 

[StevenRB45]

That is rather random...clearly raided the shelves.

Remember being slightly put out when the C3 tyres were from different concurrent weeks .

Hope they don't age differently on the car.

 

[varesecrazy]

Im left wondering if the wholesaler sent a modern pair..
Then the fitting shop cleared some old stock while gaining a new one

Black and Round are supposedly investigating.. I will update this next week if I get any feedback

 

[StevenRB45]

Im left wondering if the wholesaler sent a modern pair..
Then the fitting shop cleared some old stock while gaining a new one

Black and Round are supposedly investigating.. I will update this next week if I get any feedback

You tend to find with the online retailers you get new tyres in my experience anyway.

Get sent out from a central depot to your garage rather than sit in a garage waiting.

Looks like a Conti..is it an odd size?

 

[portland_bill]

Warehouse staff not bringing old stock to the front when new stock arrives, and after some time, this has been done.

 

[Cheest]

Warehouse staff not bringing old stock to the front when new stock arrives, and after some time, this has been done.

We'd call that 'Facing the shelves' when I worked in a grocery store during my misspent youth.

 

[portland_bill]

We'd call that 'Facing the shelves' when I worked in a grocery store during my misspent youth.

Easier to do with tins of soup than car tyres. I can understand a warehouse person not bothering at times, especially near the end of a day, and having done the task with many others. Could have been the last ones that day, just couldn't be bothered.
Or it could be legitimate. One could be the last of that batch, and the other the next batch to be stocked. Just that far apart due to sales turnover. Whilst it may be a popular tyre size, it might just not have had that demand form that warehouse. Still disappointing though.

 

[portland_bill]

I've read posts by people who rave about snow foam, and I've people using it, although it does look quite messy. Noticed some on offer in ASDA a few weeks ago, so picked it up. (Car Plan Demon Foam) Got around to trying it this morning. The foam sprayed onto the car, but instead of covering the car like a blanket, as I've seen others achieve, it started to dissolve immediately, leaving patches uncovered. I went over the same areas several times before achieving reasonable coverage, but even then it was disappearing quickly. Went over the car with a wash brush, then rinsed it off.
Well, it got the car clean. But then, so does a bucket and sponge. I think I used a lot more water than usual, and somehow, got drenched from the waist down, not normally a problem with a hose over, bucket of shampoo, then rinse. No idea what happened there.
I used half the pot of foam, so will use it up sometime, but am unlikely to try again.
I'm left wondering if the hose pressure was too much, or too little, but only adjustment is at the tap, a very long way away from the nozzle. Their website has no FAQs, or frequent problems page, so no help there.

 

[StevenRB45]

Having decided to have a repeatable fault on the car on Friday...took it out today and obviously it pulled like a train with no flat spot or misfire at all.

The magic power of booking a garage appointment.