Grumpy old man (The things I hate)

[Bper]

28 minutes ago, Mjolinor said:

Ah, as well as the aural impediment you clearly need specsavers too.

 

[Bper]

1 hour ago, Haliotis said:

This is the dilemma.  If you are unfortunate enough to employ a rubbishy independent garage, it usually results in heartbreak and cost - often equating to a total that exceeds what a dealership service/repair would have cost.

I feel sorry for those truly reputable independents, who have to work doubly hard to prove their integrity, plus the fact that our doubts just drive us further into the hands of the dealership garages.

My late father-in-law was a garage owner.  His son was in business with him, and took over when he retired.  But when the son retired, his son, who was also a mechanic, had no interest running the business, and instead worked for another quality independent in a different area.

Modern cars are intensely technology-loaded, and franchised dealership engineers have to go on refresher courses to keep up with the developing technologies.  I have never heard of car makers having facilities for independent garage engineers to attend refresher courses, so how do these people acquire the necessary knowledge to be competent in servicing/repairing the modern motorcar?

Suppose this is the initial dilemma if you choose the independent route: finding a garage that will not only do the job properly but also not overcharge. Recommendations are generally a good way to find one, but if that fails, it often comes down to trial and error and in some cases costly.🫤
 

[Haliotis]

I’d go back to a horse and buggy but, knowing my luck, it would probably drop dead on me when I was miles away from home.☹️

[Bper]

Just going through my invoice on the service and it says under parts as the last item Battery transmitter. Not sure what this relates to is it the key fob or a TPMS Battery any ideas?

[Cyker]

It'll be the Battery in your remote key - It's supposed to be replaced every major service, but I'm pretty sure mine has never been replaced as it's in a silicone case and there's no way they'd be able to replace it without me knowing because it's virtually impossible to get the damned thing back in the case!!  

But its always there, £5 to replace a 50p Battery.

I've got 2 of them now as I normally ask them to give me the Battery and they usually do, and even give me the right one now! (The first time they gave me a CR2032 which is totally the wrong coin cell, but now they give the correct CR2450)

It's overkill anyway as these batteries should last for years - Even in my Mk1 and Mk2 I never replaced the fob batteries in the whole time I owned them so I don't know why it's on the service sheet!

I keep the spares in my glovebox just in case, but my fobs have still got the original cells 3 years running and still a strong 3.3v!

[Bper]

3 minutes ago, Cyker said:

It'll be the battery in your remote key - It's supposed to be replaced every major service, but I'm pretty sure mine has never been replaced as it's in a silicone case and there's no way they'd be able to replace it without me knowing because it's virtually impossible to get the damned thing back in the case!!  

But its always there, £5 to replace a 50p battery.

I've got 2 of them now as I normally ask them to give me the battery and they usually do, and even give me the right one now! (The first time they gave me a CR2032 which is totally the wrong coin cell, but now they give the correct CR2450)

It's overkill anyway as these batteries should last for years - Even in my Mk1 and Mk2 I never replaced the fob batteries in the whole time I owned them so I don't know why it's on the service sheet!

I keep the spares in my glovebox just in case, but they've been 3 years running and still a strong 3.3v!

Thanks. Since it's listed as inclusive, I suppose they have to include as many items as possible to justify the cost of the service. However, I don’t understand why two bacon sandwiches and a cappuccino are part of the invoice.😂👍

[Cyker]

Blimey, last time I looked at a loaded Yaris 130 Premiere it was £23k, I had a look just now and it's £29k!!  

At this rate it'll be liable for the "premium car" tax by the end of next year!!!  

[Eddie G]

14 hours ago, Haliotis said:

This is the dilemma.  If you are unfortunate enough to employ a rubbishy independent garage, it usually results in heartbreak and cost - often equating to a total that exceeds what a dealership service/repair would have cost.

I feel sorry for those truly reputable independents, who have to work doubly hard to prove their integrity, plus the fact that our doubts just drive us further into the hands of the dealership garages.

My late father-in-law was a garage owner.  His son was in business with him, and took over when he retired.  But when the son retired, his son, who was also a mechanic, had no interest running the business, and instead worked for another quality independent in a different area.

Modern cars are intensely technology-loaded, and franchised dealership engineers have to go on refresher courses to keep up with the developing technologies.  I have never heard of car makers having facilities for independent garage engineers to attend refresher courses, so how do these people acquire the necessary knowledge to be competent in servicing/repairing the modern motorcar?

Part of the reason i like my 1.5 ICE engine Yaris so much as it's less complex but would only use a recommend garage and/or one i have used before.

[PeteChat]

Major grump over a simple job - adjusting the clock! Why oh why do the writers of car handbooks make it so damned difficult to find what you are looking for 🤷🏻‍♂️

I did try to find adjusting the clock in the settings menus on the speedo/info screen - nowt there. Checked my idiots guide, nope not there either. Rummaged in that tiny glove box for the handbook and looked in the indexes (why 2?). Not in A for adjusting, or C for clock or even T for time. Sat and read through every entry in both indexes and found it 😃, under I for instrument panel. Went to the relevant page to read that the clock is adjusted on the Multimedia screen - please consult the Multimedia manual 😡 That’ll be the one Toyota don’t give you, it’s only on line!

Turned on the Multimedia screen, tapped the little cog, scrolled down to “date and time”, set time to automatic and both clocks changed to the correct time. Simples. So why didn’t the ruddy handbook tell me that🙄

My old cars had buttons under the clock😂

[Bper]

38 minutes ago, PeteChat said:

Major grump over a simple job - adjusting the clock! Why oh why do the writers of car handbooks make it so damned difficult to find what you are looking for 🤷🏻‍♂️

I did try to find adjusting the clock in the settings menus on the speedo/info screen - nowt there. Checked my idiots guide, nope not there either. Rummaged in that tiny glove box for the handbook and looked in the indexes (why 2?). Not in A for adjusting, or C for clock or even T for time. Sat and read through every entry in both indexes and found it 😃, under I for instrument panel. Went to the relevant page to read that the clock is adjusted on the Multimedia screen - please consult the Multimedia manual 😡 That’ll be the one Toyota don’t give you, it’s only on line!

Turned on the Multimedia screen, tapped the little cog, scrolled down to “date and time”, set time to automatic and both clocks changed to the correct time. Simples. So why didn’t the ruddy handbook tell me that🙄

My old cars had buttons under the clock😂

That's one of the things i like about my Auris it has buttons under the clock and everything else is definitely not techy. It seems to be the way with most things electronic. Its like our Smart TV it is either extremely smart or I am a dumb ****** trying to figure out why it's so complicated.😡

[Bper]

Renewed my car insurance today they quoted me £40 less then last year £223 fully comp with RAC. 

[Mjolinor]

8 hours ago, Bper said:

Renewed my car insurance today they quoted me £40 less then last year £223 fully comp with RAC. 

Did you do it through Quidco? My £125 was through Quidco , that's why it's so cheap, get £40 back off them. Also with the RAC.

As usual it makes no sense. Quidco comparison site returns RAC, a broker, but Ageas is the actual insurer so that is two middle men taking a slice and a lump back to me. Ageas must be on a pittance after everyone has dipped into the fund.

 

 

 

[Bper]

1 hour ago, Mjolinor said:

Did you do it through Quidco? My £125 was through Quidco , that's why it's so cheap, get £40 back off them. Also with the RAC.

As usual it makes no sense. Quidco comparison site returns RAC, a broker, but Ageas is the actual insurer so that is two middle men taking a slice and a lump back to me. Ageas must be on a pittance after everyone has dipped into the fund.

 

 

 

No, I didn't go through Quidco or any of the other cashback sites. I called the RAC four weeks before my insurance was due and was told I would have to wait for the quote. During the conversation, we had the usual discussion about increased premiums and the need to shop around each year for a better deal.

I mentioned that I’d received quotes from comparison sites that were £40-£50 cheaper and that if they couldn't match this, I'd go with someone else.Well, I don’t know if marketing or the renewals department listened to the conversation nearer the time, but it worked. I was surprised, as I can count on one hand the times over the years that I’ve stayed with the same insurance provider due to premium increases.

I used to get frustrated being told every year that the increase was due to the algorithm or assessors claiming the area I lived in had more recorded accidents. That means nothing to me, as I haven’t had a claim in over 40 years.Still, it will be interesting to see what happens next year. On the subject of cashback companies, I signed up for one a couple of years ago, but I waited three months to receive any money. The next time I used it, I was told that because I’d visited the site previously without completing the transaction but did later that day, I didn’t qualify for the rebate. I don’t use them now.☹️

 

[Bper]

If Kamala Harris wins the USA election, I think this will be a disaster for America. I am not a Trump supporter, but as he has served as President, surely that is more positive than someone who has elbowed her way onto the ticket. She should never have stood for the presidency and, in my opinion, should never have been vice president. The thought of it makes me grumpy.😡

 

[PeteChat]

12 minutes ago, Bper said:

If Kamala Harris wins the USA election, I think this will be a disaster for America. I am not a Trump supporter, but as he has served as President, surely that is more positive than someone who has elbowed her way onto the ticket. She should never have stood for the presidency and, in my opinion, should never have been vice president. The thought of it makes me grumpy.😡

 

The choice in America is the same as here, between a rock and a hard place 🙄

However, I cannot watch Trump on the TV without wanting to throw a brick through the screen 😡

[Bper]

15 minutes ago, PeteChat said:

The choice in America is the same as here, between a rock and a hard place 🙄

However, I cannot watch Trump on the TV without wanting to throw a brick through the screen 😡

Yes, that’s the problem. You would think, given that there are 344 million Americans, they could find two suitable people to run the country. Trump should have stuck to policies and what he achieved when he was president instead of making it personal. If Harris wins, who is going to take her seriously? Putin will laugh his head off, and China will be clapping their hands.

The world is in a dangerous place, and at least Trump will stand up to them. Look at the last four years of Biden's presidency. They, like us, need a complete shake-up of the type of candidates who run for the top job.😠

[Cyker]

Nah, if Trump wins he'd probably sell the USA to China and Russia and declare himself immune to prosecution for treason then take all the money and buy scotland  

 

[Bper]

I'm in a bit of a dilemma, the front discs and brakes are getting close to needing replacement, but the rear ones are still okay. I don’t know whether to change the rear as well to save the hassle of doing it later. I'm getting grumpy about this, as it’s getting harder to work on cars than it used to be? Darn age 🤬

 

 

[Cyker]

The rears normally last ages because the fronts do the majority of the work.

I guess it depends on how much the rears have left - If it's loads then don't bother, but if they look bad or will need replacing not that long after the fronts then may as well do both.

Can you get a discount for both vs front only?  

It's going to be weird for me too - I've never had to get the rears done before because all my previous cars used drums at the back!! (Which amusingly are making a comeback in some EVs!  )

 

[Mjolinor]

Be not grumpy about age. It is streets better than the alternative. (That's just a guess though, hoping not to find out for a while yet.)

 

[Bper]

5 minutes ago, Cyker said:

The rears normally last ages because the fronts do the majority of the work.

I guess it depends on how much the rears have left - If it's loads then don't bother, but if they look bad or will need replacing not that long after the fronts then may as well do both.

Can you get a discount for both vs front only?  

It's going to be weird for me too - I've never had to get the rears done before because all my previous cars used drums at the back!! (Which amusingly are making a comeback in some EVs!  )

 

I'm not sure if I can get a discount on both, but the need for brake replacements was picked up during the health check at the service. To be honest, if Toyota’s prices were more reasonable, I'd have them do it. But if I go through with them, I probably won’t be able to eat for the next five years! 😭I’ll likely just change the fronts for now and keep an eye on the rear.?👍

[Bper]

4 minutes ago, Mjolinor said:

Be not grumpy about age. It is streets better than the alternative. (That's just a guess though, hoping not to find out for a while yet.)

 

Look, I’m not saying I’m thrilled about getting older, but at least it means I can complain about the weather and the government, and as long as I’m still here to argue over the best cuppa and forget what I came upstairs for, I’d say I’m winning. They say age is just a number well tell that to my back.😂😡

 

[Mjolinor]

I am getting the hang of it now.

Rule 1: If you make a list of things to do then make sure it never has more than two items on for one day

Rule 2: Don't be disappointed if you only manage to do half of your daily list.

 

[Mjolinor]

Proper shafted this moanin.

Took out insurance on Smart car using all the usual comparison crap and settled on RAC.

In August I had my motorbike nicked. As the terms say in the small print I told my insurance company it had been nicked but I would not be claiming, it was not worth it due to additional costs for the next five years.

When I filled in all the details for quotes I did not include the Honda being nicked as it was not a claim.

Hastings direct stuck it on the CUE database as a claim so now RAC have me over a barrel, I either pay what they says or I start a long winded argument with god knows who to try to get the database altered.

This is major grump / stress / heart attack (again) stuff.

 

 

[Bper]

4 hours ago, Mjolinor said:

Proper shafted this moanin.

Took out insurance on Smart car using all the usual comparison crap and settled on RAC.

In August I had my motorbike nicked. As the terms say in the small print I told my insurance company it had been nicked but I would not be claiming, it was not worth it due to additional costs for the next five years.

When I filled in all the details for quotes I did not include the Honda being nicked as it was not a claim.

Hastings direct stuck it on the CUE database as a claim so now RAC have me over a barrel, I either pay what they says or I start a long winded argument with god knows who to try to get the database altered.

This is major grump / stress / heart attack (again) stuff.

 

 

How much was the increase?