106
General Car Chat / Re: Maybe that debris she idiotted did break it...
« on: 12 November 2023, 12:24:01 »
cable-tie stitching?
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107
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 10 November 2023, 17:33:33 »
CSMA provider is Britannia Rescue. My experience from the sharp end is they were the one that caused the least problems to us doing their work - things like not having to wait 90 minutes for authorisation to recover the car that were common with others. According to my boss, they also paid promptly....
108
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 09 November 2023, 18:48:33 »Don't expect a single recovery of more than a couple of hundred miles. There are excellent reasons, both for you and the workers, why this is the case.
One of my kit car mates broke down in Glencoe once. IIRC, he was with the RAC who sent a local company out. They loaded his car up and drove back to his home in Egham in one hit whereby he gave the driver a cup of tea and he headed back off up to Scotland!
That sort of thing was why the AA & RAC used to farm out long recoveries to contractors, who used the recovery tacho exemption to do them. Their own drivers stayed within the rules for some reason
The furthest I went was Wallasey, starting at what should have been the end of my day. Dropped her of about 30minutes into my birthday.
109
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 09 November 2023, 16:25:44 »The bigger, older service providers that everyone has heard of do still care about their reputations, and at least try to give good service.The RAC clearly don't. Last time it took them 7hrs to turn up to tell me what I needed to know, then left me on the side of a dark road for 6 hours without a car, and would happily of left me there all night.
Hence currently with the AA. But the cost has risen from under £90 (joint personal cover) to well over £150. Which is getting a bit silly.
I didn't say the RAC succeed!
The truth about what you pay is that it's about a third of what it ought to be. Which is one of the reasons why the actual service you receive has got consistently and progressively worse over the last 25 years.
110
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 09 November 2023, 13:36:21 »....
I'm tempted but who do they use?
Local companies
That doesn't sound great especially if the owner of the local repair facility is away on holiday or down the pub.
there'll be more than 1 local comapany
No, but they used to use an accurate definition of local
111
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 09 November 2023, 13:35:15 »Been with Autoaid for years and found them pretty good when Ive needed them. Seen some recommendations recently for Autonational and 2gether who I had never heard of before.
If I told you what I think of those, the swear filter would melt and TB would need new computers
112
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 09 November 2023, 13:33:47 »....
I'm tempted but who do they use?
Local companies
Not for about 15 years! - South London, Kent, Surrey and most of Sussex are all done by a company based in Croydon. The south coast is covered by another from Brighton.
113
General Car Chat / Re: Breakdown cover
« on: 09 November 2023, 13:30:10 »
A few things to consider:
If you're expecting a man to turn up with a van full of tools and the time to spend working on the fault, join the AA or RAC. Just don't expect that service after about 19:00 hours, because then you'll get the same contractors every other service uses.
Those contractors vary in ability. They're not paid very much, they're probably not as local as you think, margins are so tight they squeak and you are not their customer. Draw your own conclusions.
Those contractors work for most of the services, at the same time. They might have people sitting around waiting for work when your job comes in. They're much more likely to have several jobs lined up for each driver.
The bigger, older service providers that everyone has heard of do still care about their reputations, and at least try to give good service. The newer, smaller ones are a real crapshoot. Some them are oppsing useless - one I did work for was so bad that I never had a job that they didn't cause problems from the moment they sent us the job to reluctantly paying the invoice.
If your vehicle is covered by the manufacturer's warranty, then most jobs are going to be a simple return to whatever dealer is nearest. The contractor who collects your car has nothing to do with the courtesy replacement. Actually, that's not quite accurate; the courtesy replacement procedure often doesn't start until your car is removed!
Don't expect a single recovery of more than a couple of hundred miles. There are excellent reasons, both for you and the workers, why this is the case.
I've been an AA customer(and member before the sell-off) since I was 18, and have never had bad service apart from their renewal policy. If I was going to choose another provider it would be National Breakdown, but that's based on experiences from several years ago.
If you're expecting a man to turn up with a van full of tools and the time to spend working on the fault, join the AA or RAC. Just don't expect that service after about 19:00 hours, because then you'll get the same contractors every other service uses.
Those contractors vary in ability. They're not paid very much, they're probably not as local as you think, margins are so tight they squeak and you are not their customer. Draw your own conclusions.
Those contractors work for most of the services, at the same time. They might have people sitting around waiting for work when your job comes in. They're much more likely to have several jobs lined up for each driver.
The bigger, older service providers that everyone has heard of do still care about their reputations, and at least try to give good service. The newer, smaller ones are a real crapshoot. Some them are oppsing useless - one I did work for was so bad that I never had a job that they didn't cause problems from the moment they sent us the job to reluctantly paying the invoice.
If your vehicle is covered by the manufacturer's warranty, then most jobs are going to be a simple return to whatever dealer is nearest. The contractor who collects your car has nothing to do with the courtesy replacement. Actually, that's not quite accurate; the courtesy replacement procedure often doesn't start until your car is removed!
Don't expect a single recovery of more than a couple of hundred miles. There are excellent reasons, both for you and the workers, why this is the case.
I've been an AA customer(and member before the sell-off) since I was 18, and have never had bad service apart from their renewal policy. If I was going to choose another provider it would be National Breakdown, but that's based on experiences from several years ago.
114
General Discussion Area / Re: 'Smart' water meters
« on: 04 November 2023, 16:26:08 »
About a month after ours was fitted, Dad got a call from the water company asking if our usage had changed because the meter reckoned it was about ten times what it usually was. As the answer was no, they came and investigated. Which flagged two separate problems; the new meter was leaking(it's under a cover in the pavement) and they'd swapped ours and the neighbour's meters/supply 
115
Omega General Help / Re: Alternator
« on: 02 November 2023, 17:36:19 »Second hand parts suppliers have a nasty habit of doing that.it had what looked like a blue paint line between the screw and bodyAs in threadlock? I would expect threadlock on that sort of thing
No, it was over the top of the screw head onto the body like an anti tamper mark.
Also very common in aviation where you can't wire lock fasteners. Torque Seal is one brand. My boss bought it in four different colours, so we could tell who had done the work.
116
Omega General Help / Re: Oil Change
« on: 02 November 2023, 10:44:24 »When I went for my MOT I asked how much to do an oil change. A conversation started about the cost of oils. His and his wifes cars are both Mercs and he used to pay £30 a gallon for the oil he uses (Synthetic) same oil he is now paying £57 a gallon.
He suggested I get my own oil and filter, bring the car in and he would sort it for £30 (cash) .
£30 for an oil change where you supply the bits?
WTF is the car, some sort of bastard Audi/Mercedes/Citroen/Alfa/Lotus combination?
117
General Discussion Area / Re: Multi Tool - Advice
« on: 30 October 2023, 11:46:55 »Hoovers,, buy a Henry. Look at Professional cleaners use, they won't use Dyson or Shark it's either a Henry or some German make.
We found that Henrys were the only cleaners the window fitters didn't destroy in minutes. The preferred method for the ones that were, was falling out the back of the van on the way home from the job
118
General Car Chat / Re: Cambelt
« on: 30 October 2023, 11:44:20 »
Considering the mileage covered, I would give it another couple of years especially if it's not going to be used much.
There's no point in only changing some of the parts.
This advice is worth exactly what you paid for it
There's no point in only changing some of the parts.
This advice is worth exactly what you paid for it
119
General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?
« on: 21 October 2023, 12:32:07 »Yesterday got an MOT pass on the black Omega.
Advisory for front chassis legs, both sides have previously been plated where the engine subframe mount point strengthening plate is. I think some time stripping all the underseal back to see what horrors are presented is required. I think the biggest issue will be if the leg is getting thin by the steering box location.
I'd be more concerned about the rot spreading backwards along the chassis rails into the bulkhead and floor, which is a much more involved repair. While you're poking around with a screwdriver, check the horizontal fronts of the rails from under the bonnet.
Realistically, serious rot in any of these places is a car killer.
120
General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?
« on: 20 October 2023, 22:24:09 »Exactly, doesn't want constantly reminding of his mistakeHow many more times are we being told in t/v news and newspaper reports that 'X' was formally known as twitter.They do it to wind Elon up.
He changed it to X to wind everyone up in the first place.
There must be a masterplan there somewhere?
I doubt there's a plan at all.