Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[EssEllTwo]

Originally Posted by Seeker

My smart meter is informing me that I have exceeded my weekly budget. I didn't know I had one. Oops.
I'm assuming it means I have used more than the monthly amount I pay Bulb/Octopus (whoever's in charge) and the house is still only 64°F.

I thought you programmed in your budget in to the little box yourself? Have no clue really since I told em to naff off, perfectly happy with my existing meter. Just that every time I see my Dad's one it always says he's over budget.

[redtrummy]

My undeerstanding is they are programable by the consumer. We are over budget too but not interested in delving into the menus

[maviczap]

Had my first solid meal last night, since last Thursday afternoon.

Dry toast & flat Pepsi don't count

Not a nice tummy bug

[garynortheast]

Originally Posted by maviczap

Had my first solid meal last night, since last Thursday afternoon.

Dry toast & flat Pepsi don't count

Not a nice tummy bug

Urgh! Not good Mav. Hope you're on the mend now.

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by garynortheast

Urgh! Not good Mav. Hope you're on the mend now.

I am now Gary, thanks. However its not struck me down at the best of times, as I am looking after my wife, following her 2nd replacement knee op.

Thank goodness for her friends and daughter visiting whilst I was ill

[Seeker]

I bought an infrared thermometer from ebay. It doesn't work - just gives a U6.1 code when trigger pulled. I contacted the vendor and explained it was defective and they sent me a youtube link on how to use it.

I watched the video but since mine doesn't work it didn't help, surprisingly. You pull the trigger, it displays a targeting red laser and the temperature is displayed whilst the trigger is pulled. Mine doesn't do any of that.

I explained again to them that the targeting laser light doesn't come on and there is nothing displayed (except the occasional U6.1). Today they asked for pictures of the unit and its packaging. Since I kept it all - I can play this game.

The themometer is made in China (of course), I'm not saying it's cheap but the supplied AAA batteries have started to disintegrate. That's a first.

I think that's why China has such a great economy - you buy two of everything to get one that works.

[garynortheast]

My bloody car has started making some hideous noises from around the area of the front offside strut. I suspect the spring has broken. Thing is, I don't want to spend any more money on it, as the nearside sill and rear wheel arch have rotted through, and the car spends most of it's time in limp mode with the engine management light on. I need to scrap the heap of sh1te but thought I might have a few more weeks to find a replacement of some sort.

I want to get a smaller, petrol engined car from no earlier than 2009, on which I pay the £30 per year vehicle tax. I don't have much of a budget; around £1500 is the max. There are vehicles out there that meet the requirements but most of them are at, or around the 100,000 mile plus mark.

My question here is, on a relatively modern petrol engine car, is 100,000 miles actually that much. Bear in mind that my SV has well over 100,000 miles on it and I tend to think m/cycles have a harder engine life than a car.

[rowdy]

100,000mls on something like a Toyota Yaris or a Suzuki Swift is ok.

My gripe of the day are garage forecourts. Both our Subarus run on super unleaded. Why do most of the smaller garage forecourts insist on only having one sul pump on the forecourt, at the first pump of a line of two pumps.
You get some numpty that pulls up short to the first pump so you have to wait for him to bugger off, or you are waiting behind another sul user leaving the front pump unused, then when they go you then pull up to the first pump, again leaving the front pump unused, while a queue forms behind leaving you feeling like a bell end for holding everyone up.

[redtrummy]

Gary for what its worth all but one of my cars achieved 100K plus - the present 150k but it is a diesel. All but one started to rot away, and the present one is on that slippery slope now. If the body work is sound and has 12 m MOT you may be lucky,mine had sound engine/gearboxes when they passed on, however one major problem and it could be the final curtain. I hate buying cars (or anything to be honest)

[Sir Trev]

Gary - our '93 2.0 petrol 8v Cavalier had 120k with perfectly happy drive train before a numpty drove into it one night, leaving it considerably shorter... Bodywork was starting to look a bit tatty at 13 years old but it was great to drive and so reliable in the ten years we had it. The '16 2.0 16v Mondeo we replaced it with had about 100k on it when we sold it and again it was a good driver and relatively tidy all round for ten years old.

All down to good maintenance I reckon.