General Chat

I have not worked on a car since my forty-third birthday and I never was much good at it but I like to hang on to what knowledge I acquired.

My ears were never too good but that still doesn't stop me listening to the engine neurotically on any journey I take, in any vehicle and am not driving at the moment due to the cataracts.

Starting when OH found the biggest pot-hole h could to bump over in my two-seater Smart,she sometimes loses power (he says) but it feels to me like she is not in top gear.

Searching in the very dark recesses of my memory, I had a little think about automatic gear-boxes and thought I might know what was wrong.

I never would have taken on an automatic gear-box and there is no hope of my doing it now so we contacted our mechanic. I said "I think the annulus and planets are not engaging properly" and he said " I can't do it because it is not showing any lights on the dashboard it won't come up on the computer".

I am probably wrong about it anyway, I was never very good and have had the spit problem explained to me on many occasions but now I feel that I have been left behind in a past era as well!

My sister had a problem with her car, took it to a couple of mechanics, they told her what the problem was and what it would cost to fix, I have to say she has an ample bust and is blonde, she told them what the problem was and that she is also a car mechanic when she told them this they asked her to leave.

The garage who would not change my brake pads because the discs were so worn they would be dangerous. I could not afford new discs so I took it home, went to the scrappy (y second home), jacked it up, off with the wheels and not a thing wrong with the discs!

The same garage hugely exceeded a quote on Fred's car too.

Not long afterwards, they went out of business and the owner wrote to Fred offering his services as a mobile mechanic!

I just wonder if all diagnostics are through a computer now.

Does nobody suck in air through their teeth anymore?

It sounds like, nowadays, if a light doesn't tell them what's wrong, they can't workI it out for themselves!
Ex and I had an old Morris Van.
We'd overhaul the gear box one year, the engine the next - whether they needed it or not!
If anythng was wrong, we'd be down the scrap yard to get a 'new' engine or gearbox
:-D

It seems that, locally anyway, we no longer have mechanics, they are now vehicle technicians.

If you can operate a computer, you're in. :-0

a philosophical thought; if a vehicle malfunction can not be diagnosed by a computer, does it (the problem) exist?

I don't drive, never have driven, so no point asking me anything about a car.

OH much prefers manual, and so that is what we buy ............. some are still available, though if we need a new car a manual might not be possible.

He sticks to the same mechanic as long as he can ....... he's currently with only the 3rd one (son of the 2nd one!) since we came to Vancouver over 50 years ago, and he's been with him for over 20 years.

Once and once only, OH tried to do something with the car .............. he was hitching up the trailer to go to the cabin we then owned, and couldn't get the electrics connected. No trailer lights, no can go. So he tried and tried and tried.

Nothing succeeded, so he finally drove car and trailer down the street to the mechanic's place of work.

Brad took one look at the car, then looked at OH and said "xxxx, you stick to what you do best, teaching, and we'll do what we do best, repairing cars".

Only a little while later, everything was connected, trailer lights working, and mechanic paid.

NB ............. every mechanic he's had has been good, and never overcharges or suggests something needs doing when it doesn't.

Sylvia, I've never driven - it didn't stop me cleaning the spark plugs, connecting cables etc :-D

When we went to car auctions, I took great pleasure in lifting the bonnets of certain makes of moggie, and pressing the secret 'start' button :-D :-D
Many 'not in the know' were very impressed! :-D :-D :-D

maggie .......... :-D :-D :-D

I was never mechanically minded enough to be interested.

My "job" at car shows and when looking seriously at a new car, was to get into the back seat, and announce whether there was enough leg room!!

Maggie saying about overhauling the gear-box and engine has made me realize how much I don't know anymore.Not much more than suck, squeeze, bang blow these days.

Last night, before I dropped off, I tried to remember the lay-out of a manual gearbox. All gone, have to Google it.

I am technically totally inept so could not even be a technician these days.

Sharron, I wouldn’t know where to start.

Almost 55 years ago, OH showed me how to change a tyre in case I ever needed to do that.

The only time it happened - many years later - a motoring organisation came out with a new tyre for me as my car did not have a spare. As far as I know, if new cars come with anything similar, it is a temporary tube that will take you to the nearest garage and not much further.

Times they are a’ changing. :-D

I love that diagnostic machine that garages have now. A sick car??? :-D

I had to be taught, Jot Louise and my Smarts don't even have spare wheels.

When OH and I were first engineered together by his controlling mother she was forever dropping hints about getting discount at the local jeweller ( any girl would do for him as long as she got the white wedding!).

Being good boy and doing as he was told, he duly asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Well, there were a couple of books that I needed but my hearts desire was a trolley jack.

Can’t go wrong with a trolley jack, Sharron. :-D

At least, I don’t think there’s a variety of them.

On the other hand, a piece of gold jewellery with a ruby stuck in somewhere would not be so good if the preference was for silver with a sapphire, :-D

Did your ma-in-law have someone working in the local jewellers picked out for her boy? :-D

I think one of the reasons for new cars not having a spare wheel as 'standard' is weight.
We bought a s/h Yeti 18 months ago as a replacement for a Civic that was past its sell-by date. A waggon for our two dogs. No spare wheel, just an electric compressor and a cannister of gunge.
This was the first time ever that we had a car without a spare. So I asked for one to be supplied. £260 later the wheel was in the car. Wheel-wise a Yeti is the biggest car we have had. And that spare 'weighs a ton' - maybe the weight of a very heavy suitcase. That weight would surely have an impact on the new car test figures?

First or all, Joy Louise,she has never become my ma-in-law. People have been to refer to her as my future mother-in-law and I tell them that, no, she is my future ex-boyfriend's mother!

She made the wrong choice and we have been holding off her control for thirty-four years now nearly.

As for who sh has in the jeweller's, I have no idea. I owned no jewellery then and the same now. Was advised to not wear it when I was training and had no use for it anyway. I do own a trolley jack though even if it gets no use anymore!

You’re right Inky. Even on 0-60 figures alone the car’s performance ought to look better. (Lower weight, less drag?)

No manufacturer of any kind of product ever misses a trick, do they?

Sorry, Sharron, I know you’ve said that before but I gave her the ‘honorary name’ as it was quicker to type. :-D.

I’ll try to remember to refer to her as your FEBFM …. of course you’ll realise I’ll never remember that in a couple of days time. :-D ;-)

Just put 'The Great She Spider'.

:-D :-D :-D

Please don't insult spiders!

:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
At a quick glance then, I thought JoyLouise was putting the name 'HMS Warspite' forward as a name for Sharron's FEBFM :-D :-D :-D
It sounds very appropriate!