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35356

General Discussion Area / Re: Tyre wear

« on: 21 March 2007, 16:57:45 »

I don't suppose the tyre had got a slow puncture and has thus been running flat?

Even so, that's a lot of wear in a couple of weeks and you would have noticed the lack of grip, I'm sure.

All the suspension parts still straight? Don't suppose the MOT inspector jacked it up on a tie rod or something?

Any signs of something having shifted underneath? Subframe mountings, collapsed bushes, etc?

It would take something to be degrees out to cause wear that rapid.

Are the out of shape wheels a clue or unrelated?

Kevin

35357

General Discussion Area / Re: OUTRAGED!!!  What can I do about it?

« on: 17 March 2007, 22:01:17 »

Just a thought... Is there any trace of paint on your car from whatever damaged it?
Or a trace of your paint on a fence post or similar at the garage?

Might be worth having a look round tomorrow while mr.6'7" is having his sunday roast. With camera, of course!

Kevin

35358

General Discussion Area / Re: OUTRAGED!!!  What can I do about it?

« on: 17 March 2007, 16:13:12 »

I would make a written complaint to VOSA and follow the other channels suggested. It's quite possibe that the muppet who answered the phone is a call centre droid and didn't have an option for handling that type of call on the screen in front of him. If your car has been damaged during the course of a mandatory test required by the government and VOSA are the agency responsible for administration of that test of course they have some responsibility. I am sure there are requirements for testing stations to avoid and rectify damage to cars submitted for test and if this station has proved to be lacking in that respect you could at the very minimum trigger VOSA to inspect them and cause them some grief.

It would be usefult to trawl the VOSA web site to see if there is anything regarding responsibility for damage caused in the course of an MOT test.

Kevin

35359

General Discussion Area / Re: OUTRAGED!!!  What can I do about it?

« on: 17 March 2007, 14:13:17 »

As RonaldMcBurger said, complain to VOSA. Threatening their status as an MOT testing station should make them sit up and take note. Imagine the business they would lose if they lost that status.

Follow up the other channels too, though.

Kevin

35360

General Discussion Area / Re: Just what the Omega needs ...... yea right!!!!

« on: 19 March 2007, 22:28:42 »

Yuk! I wouldn't let that POS within a mile of my car!

Manufacturer spends loads of money mapping a sophisticated engine management system only for some muppet to try fooling it with a resistor and a relay.

Kevin

35361

General Discussion Area / Re: A new point of thought. A guy thing.

« on: 19 March 2007, 17:03:31 »

Mrs TheBoy is quite good at finding bits in our local scrappy Smiley.  As long as its dry and not too cold....

Bizarre, isn't it? Emma likened the required skills to those of finding a bargain in a sale at TK Maxx. The services were limited to location of parts, sadly. Strictly no wielding of spanners, especially in the presence of oil, mud or the likelihood of spiders.  

Kevin

35362

General Discussion Area / Re: A new point of thought. A guy thing.

« on: 19 March 2007, 10:56:25 »

I suppose my wife is reasonably into cars but not really interested in what's going on under the bonnet.

One day she decided she was coming with me to the local breakers yard.  

I resigned myself to the fact that it was going to quicly turn into a handbag shopping spree and that I'd have to rummage for the bits I needed some other time. Not so! I described what I needed (all sorts of bizarre bits. Fuel injectors, ignition modules, etc. etc.) and what cars she was likely to find them in and she put me to shame! She scoured the place in record time, clambering over all the wrecks. She found everything I needed and loved it. She even found a nice jack which the owner grudgingly sold to us, mumbling that he normally removes them from all the cars as they come in.

As to long distance relationships we did that for a while (Alton to Wellingborough - not exactly intergalactic). The problem is just seeing each other eats into all the time and money you once had available for hobbies like playing with cars. I stuck it for 9 months but at the end of the day you need to decide if you're happy to stay as you are, maybe losing the car, if one of you is prepared to relocate, or neither of the above.

(c) 2007 OmegaOwners Agony Aunts

 

Kevin

35363

General Discussion Area / Re: American V8 Beast - Anyone Like it...

« on: 19 March 2007, 11:08:54 »

The ABS and TC lights being on is a worry

With 300+BHP to the front wheels it'd want a functioning traction control system.   A good pair of biceps to stop it torque-steering off into the bushes as well!

It'd probably be a comfy barge for cruising around in but an Omega does that AND it handles reasonably well when you're ready for a bit of spirited driving!

I can't believe that's particularly entertaining to drive at the limit given huge power to the front wheels and front-heavy weight distribution!

Kevin

35364

General Discussion Area / Re: Air Compressor Oil

« on: 10 March 2007, 00:20:14 »

I know absolutely nothing about compressors but surely they're just like an engine running at lower speeds, lower temperatures and with no nasty combustion products to get rid of. I'd have thought engine oil would work fine. Special compressor oil is probably exactly that sold with a price markup. I wouldn't have thought the viscosity is too critical either.

Same as lawn mower oil. Mine gets treated to the same synth I put in the cars for less money than the "mower oil" you can buy at garden centres which is a straight grade 30 viscosity mineral oil sold for 5 quid a litre.  

Kevin

35365

General Discussion Area / Re: Mindless brings on furious!!

« on: 15 March 2007, 19:03:02 »

Words fail me.   What total disrespect for other people's property.

I hope the culprit is found (wishful thinking) and punished (slap on the wrist most likely) and that you get back on the road with the minimum of hassle.

Kevin

35366

General Discussion Area / Re: Autobahn not stormers

« on: 15 March 2007, 19:20:09 »

Take both and put the MX5 in your boot as a spare

Wouldn't fit on account of the expected volume of shoes and handbags to be packed.

I think she can follow me in the MX until about Munich. I know a good biergarten where I can wait for her to catch up. Then we'll swap cars, top down and I'll give the MX a good spanking across the mountain passes ;-)

Kevin

35367

General Discussion Area / Re: Autobahn not stormers

« on: 15 March 2007, 18:55:21 »

SWMBO wants to go to Italy on holiday...

I NEED to convince her that we should to take my 3.2 rather then her MX-5. Could be my last chance.
I'm not even going to try for the Westfield....  
 
Kevin

35368

General Discussion Area / Re: DAB

« on: 13 March 2007, 22:59:43 »

I like a wide dynamic range

That's the killer. MaxV6 will come along with the wisdom on this I'm sure but it seems to me that music is now produced to be a background distraction rather than something to sit down and listen to seriously. The result is that it's compressed into about 10db of dynamic range so you don't miss bits if you're not giving it 100% of your attention. This applies to all radio and tv broadcasts but also to a lot of CDs I've bought, including remasters of stuff that was originally produced extremely well from analogue recordings.

I must admit if I'm not listening seriously I love MP3 for its' convenience. I have a squeezebox and a server full of all my CDs ripped at a decent bit rate and it's great for casually hopping between tracks but I do worry that once CDs are gone the norm will be to buy music in 128kbit MP3 like quality - not that I'd buy it. It's worthless.

Kevin

35369

General Discussion Area / Re: DAB

« on: 13 March 2007, 22:38:20 »

largely because of over eager station controllers demanding to be louder than the other station...

Yep. Used to love listening to a decent FM tuner, especially before I had CDs. It was probably the best quality source I had, and the BBC were at least purists in terms of sound quality until recent years. Now it sounds like some chav has messed with the equaliser. Unlistenable on anything of any quality.

In addition, the ADs have to be emphasised even more, of course, so you're forever reaching for the volume control.

Same with TV. We have HD pictures at last albeit a far cry from what was being demo'ed in the early '90's but the quality of the progammes and production has gone down the toilet so it's not worth bothering.

Kevin

35370

General Discussion Area / Re: DAB

« on: 13 March 2007, 10:06:08 »

You haven't got something that occasionally interferes with it, have you?

Computer equipment is the most likely culprit. Might be worth trying to re-locate it but the real answer is a better antenna.

Kevin