So what have you done to your car today?

[Sir Tigger KC]

A/C gassed.  Brrrr! 

I'd actually forgotten mine was knackered.

Drove it and enjoyed the A/C! 

[Shackeng]

Picked up the used AR35 from the VX breakers in Swindon to fit to the TD. Dropped the front sump to find ATF fluid worse than used diesel oil. Dropped the rear sump to find several small 2-3mm pieces of ally and polished glass(WTF?) Box goes back for refund on Thursday.

[pauls]

Ran over to sereks todays to get my poly doughnuts fitted.
As usual great service and no hassle. Shame about the trip home smash on m1 so a nice cross counrty run following a white van who seemed to know where he was going. Followed him from huntingham to m25 watford jct. Only started to follow him because he was in front of me in the cue to get on the m1.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Paid a visit to my local VX dealer to try and purchase a cabin filter, a couple of check strap bushes, a pair of wishbone rear bushes and a box of latex gloves. I soon remembered why I try to avoid the place. I gave him a piece of paper with vehicle reg. description of parts and the part numbers. I was the only customer, but I left there 35 minutes later with a box of gloves and a cabin filter. The other parts wont be in until Tuesday.
Apparently the big hold up was that the part number for the boxes of gloves has been changed recently. 

[amba]

Yhink the truth is most main dealers only have a parts counter to be PC and demonstrate they offer a service.

Reality is they are probably looked upon as a nuisance factor and would sooner not have them.On the whole they tend to be manned by inefficient/rude and generally unhelpfull people who couldnt  be employed elsewhere within the dealership so are usually not " the sharpest chisel in the box "..Typical Joe soap who comes in of the street to get parts is normally treated as 2nd class or worse so probably been dealing with several large trade customers inbetween finding the small widget you needed,or worse saying its out of stock as cant be bothered to look any further.

This is only my opinion of the majority...not saying they are all like that ...I am lucky as my local dealers dont seem to fall into that description "most of the time "

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

This bloke was really friendly, but didn't seem very bright. I think his name may have been Tim. 

[amba]

Tim 20 watt 

[flyer 0712]

I finaly got around to doing my mig today...My desmond had..2 new monroe gas front struts.coil springs.dust covers..top bearings.top mounts..two new drop links..new discs and pads and wheel aligment ..gone is the brake shudder and feels and drives so much better now..well worth the time.money and effort.

[biggriffin]

Paid a visit to my local VX dealer to try and purchase a cabin filter, a couple of check strap bushes, a pair of wishbone rear bushes and a box of latex gloves. I soon remembered why I try to avoid the place. I gave him a piece of paper with vehicle reg. description of parts and the part numbers. I was the only customer, but I left there 35 minutes later with a box of gloves and a cabin filter. The other parts wont be in until Tuesday.
Apparently the big hold up was that the part number for the boxes of gloves has been changed recently. 

Go to your local motor factor for gloves and the pollen filter (Mann,oe), bet it's cheaper.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Local motor factor (ECP) gloves are crap and a fiver a box, compared to VX trade club gloves at £3.50 a box and better quality.
Cabin filter is one of the things I prefer to use genuine for. It might be daft, but I get bad hayfever and think genuine filters might filter the pollen better ?

[TheBoy]

Air filter is another I prefer genuine for, despite the price (), but when compared to most of the aftermarket ones I've seem, its worth it, as restrictions here can impact performance.

For pollen filters, as MigV6 says, I prefer genuine in the FL. Mrs TB is also a hayfever sufferer, and I'd rather by paying a little extra than constantly cleaning snot off everything.

Oil I prefer GM, as its stupidly cheap on TC, *and* its known to work well in Omegas, unlike some brands that mayo up more readily, which do the already marginal breathers no favours.

Brake pads and front discs, genuine, due to cost and performance.

Oil filters, I couldn't give 2 hoots about, though try to avoid no-name ones.  I change my oil so often anyway. If using cheapo spin-ons, inspect the seal thoroughly before fitting though.

Wipers, I have a preference for Bosch, but horrifically expensive. GM aren't bad, and stupidly cheap in the 10-packs.  Most of the no-name factor ones are utter shite.

Bulbs, I now use Halfords, convenient and cheap on trade. Their quality has hugely improved over the last 5yrs or so, so no more check control issues IME

Antifreeze tends to be GM, based on cost.


I think that covers most of the service pads I use, and why

[biggriffin]

Local motor factor (ECP) gloves are crap and a fiver a box, compared to VX trade club gloves at £3.50 a box and better quality.
Cabin filter is one of the things I prefer to use genuine for. It might be daft, but I get bad hayfever and think genuine filters might filter the pollen better ?

I didn't mean ecp even tho the pollen filter they supply, the Mann one is oe, as for latex gloves that's stemo area of expertise 

[TheBoy]

For latex gloves, I used to use the Kirkland Signature (Costco brand) Nitrile ones. Best of all the disposable ones I've come across, and suitable for medical use I believe.  But over a tenner for 2 boxes.

I now use the reusable type - the tight fitting material ones with the rubberised palm/fingers.

[biggriffin]

The problem's lots of us are finding now is so many dealers are no longer TC members, and the distance to a registered one is a bit far, and they won't deliver. Think our nearest is Kettering.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

26 mile round trip to my nearest one. As mentioned earlier though, I don't visit very often if I can avoid it, as they are shite.