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

[PuntoHowTo]

But you'd take a huge chink of money off the value, and then being good honest sales people, mark down the car for resale stating that it hadn't been fully looked after

More often than not they were wrecked and sent off to auction, with the damage being billed to the customer who returned it.

Rarely would we return them to sale, only if it was a particularly sort after model.

Then it would be automatically priced as per glasses guide.

And it would get a service and new MOT before sale

 

[Cheest]

Whoa! A freaking cold morning in NE Illannoy. When I crawled out of bed, it was 13F(-10.5C). When Buster dog decided he wanted to go for his morning walk, it dropped to 10F(-12C). We went out anyway, but even Buster said "Screw this" after about 20 minutes.

 

[bugsymike]

Whoa! A freaking cold morning in NE Illannoy. When I crawled out of bed, it was 13F(-10.5C). When Buster dog decided he wanted to go for his morning walk, it dropped to 10F(-12C). We went out anyway, but even Buster said "Screw this" after about 20 minutes.

I did see a very light dusting of frost last Saturday in some fields in Sunny Devon.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

but even Buster said "Screw this" after about 20 minutes.

Buster lasted longer than I would in that, buster would get let outside and let back in again when his sad face appeared back at the door.

One of our dogs gets so cold (part chihuahua) that it has to have a jumper on in the house just to stop it shivering sometimes.

 

[bugsymike]

One of our dogs gets so cold (part chihuahua) that it has to have a jumper on in the house just to stop it shivering sometimes.

Does that mean you have "air pump heating", just to prime another discussion.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Does that mean you have "air pump heating", just to prime another discussion.

lol no just a wuss of a mutt. Just moved an now have a 1600 litre tank of oil in the back garden so definitely not “green” at the moment. House is nice and toasty in the morning and evening.

No chance of me buying a heat pump at the moment.

 

[vexorg]

One of our dogs gets so cold (part chihuahua) that it has to have a jumper on in the house just to stop it shivering sometimes.

The chihuahuas I've seen next door stand and shiver in the summer!

 

[StevenRB45]

Currently pretty Glad we sorted the heating out....

Tomorrow's commute may be fun given the roads are covered already and the forecast is snow for the rest of night continuing through rush hour.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Almost certainly the 3cyl Ecoboost. Quite fragile in later years, and also if not driven sympathetically, or oil changes are missed. The wet cambelt does like fresh oil.
If it becomes an eyesore, your local authority website will probably have a way to report an abandoned car. Or watch with anticipation, as the owner tries to source a good replacement. Replacements are available, good ones, a bit rarer.

Oh deers. I had a 1.0 Focus as a company car a while back. I used to drive it shall we say unsymapthtically as it made such a sweet noised when you hammered it mercilessly. I was glad to see the back of it as the mpg was awful and my monthly bill was as high as those driving 3 litre cars. Im sure it made a good used but though.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Currently pretty Glad we sorted the heating out....

Tomorrow's commute may be fun given the roads are covered already and the forecast is snow for the rest of night continuing through rush hour.

Pandas spurn snow!

 

[StevenRB45]

Pandas spurn snow!

I have no concerns given its got a set of winter rated all-seasons on it and the worst ones on the rear have 5mm.

However other drivers are the concerning variable, mainly of the 2 tonne SUV variety unaware that 4wd and summer tyres cannot stop on snow as well as they hope.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I have no concerns given its got a set of winter rated all-seasons on it and the worst ones on the rear have 5mm.

However other drivers are the concerning variable, mainly of the 2 tonne SUV variety unaware that 4wd and summer tyres cannot stop on snow as well as they hope.

Ok I suppose, but youd be better off in a Panda. EVERYONE WOULD BE BETTER OFF IN A PANDA!

In fairness I have never been stuck or stopped by snow in a wide variety of front wheel drive cars so with good tyres apart from its being a notPanda im sure it will be fine. Panda 4x4 is just amazing in snow. If head ruled heart I would just have 2WD though, not living in the highlands

I have the same fears about the thoughtless drivers out there. We need skid pan training to be part of driver training I think.

 

[StevenRB45]

Been through snow deep enough with 2wd drive that I was ploughing with the front splitter, any more than that and I may consider staying at home.

Be the first time since pre-covid I've had to commute in snow but wife has brought back many times in snow storms no bother without a particularly sharp set of winter driving skills. However she usually commutes in the wee hours when there's no one else doing something daft..

 

[The Panda Nut]

I meant to add that Noop - )Panda 4x4) He spurns most things.

Range Rovers
All other lesser big 4x4's
Snow ploughs
Hills
Alps
All other mountains
E10 petrol
Mud
Leaves
Rutted tracks
Water filled ditches
All 2 WD cars and trucks tractors
Motor bikes, bicycles
Sports cars
Leaves
Ice
Politicians
Car park barriers
Parking tickets
Pollution control zones
All German cars
Hot weather
Cold weather
Chips without salt and vinegar
cats of all sizes and flightless birds
and well just about everything really. Hes the exact opposite of me and he spurns that too. So nobody be offended by him we re both the most raional and reasobable people there are. Yes Noop is a person

and he likes fire engines. I keep telling him hes barking mad.

 

[Greasytrucker]

A new carer for my partner drives a 2018 500. First time I saw it, about 10 days ago, the driver's window top half was covered by a plastic bag, held on with sellotape. I guessed that the window regulator had failed.
Today, car is in same condition. Perhaps if left long enough, it'll fix itself.

Another carer had a Mazda 2. Difficult to start, sounded rattly when it did run. Then one day, she faild to arrive, and another carer arrived later. Next time we saw the Mazda owner, she has a different car. Still old and rattly, so that'll get worse then.

You stay out the way of the carers round here, you can spot them a mile off, lots of them seem to have P plates on. Can’t drive for toffee!

 

[StevenRB45]

I meant to add that Noop - )Panda 4x4) He spurns most things.

The car has a laissez-faire attitude in our case...the driver not so much but I feel like when pointing the car at whatever you happen to point it the most you would ever elicit was "do I have to? Followed by a put upon sigh".

This may or may not be related to it having a life of random forest roads, mud, bits of tree, snow, salt etc etc...someone at some point loviny "clearanced" a cross brace underneath possibly getting it down a steeper than expected grass bank...also it has many other "character" features including a hole in the ac rad fins (no damage to the unit itself) where a stick went clean through.

This concludes my presentation entitled "this is why I can't have nice things".

 

[portland_bill]

You stay out the way of the carers round here, you can spot them a mile off, lots of them seem to have P plates on. Can’t drive for toffee!

I think many of them are new to this country, driving on their home country licence, which they can do for a year. Saw the one with the duff window yesterday, seemed very slow entering the main road. Most of them have several dents on their cars.

 

[portland_bill]

Neighbour has a 2013 Civic. Late yesterday, she texted asking about headlamp bulbs, as one had failed, hoping to replace it herself. I gave advice, but she still came home with one out. She'd found online vids, but they turned out to be for the earlier version, and made it look easy.
So up with the bonnet, inspection light ready. RH headlamp, dipped beam is hiding behind the screenwash filler neck. Pop out a plastic rivet, remove neck. Stand on head, with right hand squeezed into cavity under wing, restricted by the brake pipes at the ABS unit. Cover twists off, easy. connecter gives up ok, although cold fingers hurt a little. "Release clip" says handbook, without description of how. Pic is tiny, and gives no clue. Experience helps, as all done by feel, and clip lets go and hinges down, remaining captive. All good so far. H7 bulb lifts out easy. I have spares, bought for the Doblo, so that's easy. Bulb in, clip reengages by magic. Even looking with a good mirror, I cannot see how or why, but it is clever. Connector on, tested, then replace cover and screenwash neck. A win, but not many inexperienced people would cope.
Best to fit the pair. So neighbour is enthusiastic to have a go. LH lamp has better access. She gets the cover off, and the connector off, but no chance of the clip. I changed the bulb, she refitted connector and cover, still not really understanding what she'd done.

She's had the car a couple of years now, not been under the bonnet before! Screenwash refilled occasionally by her dad, apparently. So tentatively we lifted the dipstick. Looking a little black, but nearly at the max. A lucky win. She mentioned about topping up when the light comes on, oops. That is why her last car failed. I explained the difference between pressure and quantity, she understood. Hopefully we can lift the bonnet monthly. I will nag.

Someone had clunked the front left corner while parked. DRL had disappeared inside the bumper. She fished it out, and it seems to hold in place, not clipped, but now a bit bigger than its hole due to reshaped bumper. If it stays, all good, if not, looks like I'll be removing a Civic bumper some time soon.

 

[vexorg]

She mentioned about topping up when the light comes on, oops.

In fairness, a lot of cars do have a level warning light too.

Are you sure there wasn't a hidden screw somewhere and the whole headlight pops out?

 

[portland_bill]

In fairness, a lot of cars do have a level warning light too.

Are you sure there wasn't a hidden screw somewhere and the whole headlight pops out?

Like my neighbour, many owners never lift the bonnet. When the oil runs out, owners want the manufacturer to pay for the new engine. So they started fitting level sensors, to protect themselves. Once proven, they are now deleting dipsticks, saving a few pennies. At service time, drain the oil, refill a known quantity, no need to measure. Hopefully the record of required quantity does not get lost.
This Civic only has the pressure light. As did her poor suffering i10 before that.

Handbook suggests bulbs can be replaced without removal of the lamp. I've since found a parts diagram online, and it looks like only one bolt holds the headlamp in, but the bumper may prevent easy removal. The one bolt is visible, but there are lots of plastic rivets on the covering plastic, so quite a fiddly job.