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Topics - Grumpy

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General Discussion Area / Star Trek Type Light Show in my Cam Cover

« on: 24 June 2008, 19:28:06 »

Managed to track down a hesitant pick-up from idle to
nr. 2 ignition lead breaking down. So I thought I'd try
and get some visual confirmation, as I've done in the past,
when it went dark.

So, started it up after sunset with the black 'Ecotec' strip
removed.

What a light show.

The nr. 2 runs along clipped to the cam cover. It was like a cascade
of blue/white sheet lightning running the full length of the
lead and up the internal valley of the cam cover.

I moved the lead away from the cam cover using an insulated
screwdriver, and it was just like being on the bridge of the
Enterprise in 'Star Trek The Next Generation' when the alien
life force bursts out of the instument panels and flashes around
the bridge.
It was flashing electric blue/white between all the other leads
and various points in the cam cover valley.

It was better than watching a son et lumiere.

No wonder SWMBO, who mainly drives it these days, was complaining
that the car didn't seem to run right.

General Discussion Area / Info required on Laptop Minimum Spec.

« on: 04 June 2008, 12:27:53 »

There seems to be a fair few Oofers on here with detailed
computer knowledge, so I would like to take advantage of
that.

Although I normally use a pentium desktop, running XP,
which seems perfectly adequate, I also sometimes use my laptop.

My 6 year old laptop is struggling to keep up with modern
resource hungry requirements. So as they are now so cheap
to replace, I thought I might treat myself to a new one, rather
than trying to upgrade this one.
Murphys Law states that as soon as I've spent the money
upgrading the old one, it'll vanish in a puff of smoke.

All the ones I see now seem to run Vista. From what I read
on Vista, it seems to be very resource hungry.
So would a minimum spec required to run it be a twin processor
and 2mb of Ram?
Or should I be looking at something higher than this?

I don't need the computer for running anything particularly heavy.
For instance, what I normally have open is two web windows.
One used for stock trading software and the other browsing
for news etc..
I also have open a couple of spreadsheets. One about 1mb in size
and the other a few thousand K.

All comments appreciated.

General Discussion Area / Merc 15 year old original exhaust just changed.

« on: 13 May 2008, 21:29:08 »

Just had the front exhaust section changed on my old 1993
Merc 190 2.0L Diesel Auto today. Not bad life for 15 years old and
148,000 miles.

I know it's the original fitment as I've had the car since it
was 2 years old.

Must be getting difficult to get some bits for these cars now.
I went to a major countrywide exhaust center and it took it 6 days
to get the bit.

I spent most of the time there with all the fitters admiring it
and asking me loads of questions of how I've kept it looking
and working so good. They reckon they hardly ever see any of
these now.

Went to get a picture to post on here, and was surprised to find
that I only have one from about 5 years ago. I've posted it after this
and assure you it still looks exactly the same. In fact it looks better
now as I use a different car polish.

I wish Mercedes still built their cars the same as they used to build this
model. They are just like any other car now, sometimes even less
reliable and many of the 'E' and 'C' models rust with poor thin paintwork.
Eeek! Rust on a Merc! Unheard of in the old days.

Never had anything gone wrong on it. Always serviced it myself
and it's never failed an Mot. Just replaced normal service items.
Brakes, battery, glow plugs, filters etc..

No ecu's or electronics. No ignition system. Just a pump and a
Diesel Engine mated to a so far faultless auto box.

148,000 miles and still uses no water or oil. Shows what
good regular servicing can do to a well engineered car.
I've kept it entirely original, just as came out of the factory.

SWMBO reckons she's going to bury me in this car, like
cowboys used to get buried with their horses.

Sorry there's only one picture, but it's all I've got.
Must rectify that.

General Discussion Area / Council Officials

« on: 25 April 2008, 19:06:17 »

http://www.virginmedia.com/news/uk/uk-story.php?storyid=23997252

Yet another report of a 'soft target' being ~~taxed~~ fined by ~~Tax Collectors~~ 'Officials'.

This time a young mother and baby for a bit of sausage roll. All I seem
to read about are young women, mothers, children etc.. being targeted.

As well as the above case, I've read about a young girl leaving a
lolly stick on a wall, a young woman removing her flip-flops before
resting her feet on a train seat, a woman walking her dog on a beach
and being wrongly accused of her dog leaving a 'present'. The list
goes on and on, I'm sure you've all read them.

I never seem to read about Feral Youths, Gangs of Hoodies, brawny
body builders with a small penis walking their bull
terriers/ rotweillers being targeted by these so called officials.

Is this selective reporting by the media? Or have we all got it wrong?
Maybe it's not the lowlife pond dwellers that are to blame. Perhaps
they should be vaunted and held up as paragons of virtue, to be
used as examples that every citizen should strive to emulate.

The real cause of society's woe, the threat to our way of life, is actually
young women, mothers and children.

I mean, these brawny officials, walking around in pairs, are fearless,
truthful, upholders of the bye laws. Dispensing justice with an even
hand...........aren't they?
So it must be true.

Remember. Every time you see a young woman, mother or child
walking or skipping along the pavement towards you. Save yourself
and cross rapidly to the other side of the street.

General Discussion Area / Be Careful about 'Naming and Shaming'

« on: 27 March 2008, 17:14:43 »

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/forumdisplay.php

Just so you are all aware, be careful about 'Naming and Shaming'
garages, ref the experience you have had with them, as you may
find that you may be leaving 'OOF' open to litigation.

I know that some will be up in arms about Freedom of Speech etc..
but this is the Real World we live in, not a mythical Internet World.

General Discussion Area / SWMBO's slowly taking over my Omega

« on: 24 October 2007, 18:52:33 »

Bad move on my part this week.
SWMBO's been driving my Omega to work, this week, whilst I
took my time doing a few jobs on her 14 year old diesel Merc.

Been getting comments all week, such as:
"Isn't it smooth and comfortable."
"It's so quiet I can't hear the engine. I keep thinking the engine's
stopped when I come to a halt."
"I can't feel the speed bumps in this car."

Told her tonight I'd finished the Merc, and that she could take it to
work tomorrow. Thought she would be pleased as she seems quite
attached to it, but her faced seemed to fall and she mumbled something
along the lines of "Do I have to."
I pointed out that the Omega is due it's MOT and I'd booked it in for
tomorrow.

Having a brew, a little later, I could see that her cogs had been whirring
away and she said, "You know, that car doesn't get used enough. It won't
do it any good sat there."
(She really must have been listening to me, sometimes, when I chat about
cars instead of politely nodding and saying Mmmm at the right times.

)
"If I took it to work for you, it would do it good and keep all those mechanical
gubbins you keep talking about working well. I don't mind. Honest."

I think I've now been well and truly stitched up by my own words.

What's the betting, that from next week that the Merc will suddenly start
getting obscure and nebulous faults that are next to impossible to replicate.

"I'll have to drive yours until you've fixed it, dear. You wouldn't want me
to drive around in a suspect car. Would you?"

I suppose I might as well give in gracefully, now, and save myself weeks
of aggro.