Good @Liriodendron, and you can catch up on the bits you missed on BBC2 on Sunday morning.
On Friday morning, after 10 days with no internet and new poles, fibre optics and junction boxes going up all along our country lane, OH called Orange and asked about compensation for lack of service - fixed phone, internet, TV - for 10 days and, lo and behold, it was back within the hour.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I'm grumpy about my service and repair bill too wild edges. Needed new brake discs and pads, service, oil etc, £684. What with that, car tax, insurance, breakdown cover and fuel I think I'll get a ruddy bike and be done with it. I jest of course, I'm far too old to be tootling about on a bike, just have to grin and bear it. Glad I haven't got your estimate though.
@Uff I've just replaced my rear discs and brake pads myself for all four wheels and an oil filter, air filter and oil change and the total cost for the parts was £135.63. The whole job took me about 2 hours on my drive way with basic sockets and spanners. A garage with hoist and trained mechanics should be able to do that in at least the same time or less. The labour charge sounds very excessive to me. Get another quote or two if I were you as that's not a fair price at all.
Parts for 2009 Honda Jazz.
Rear Discs £38 each, Rear Pads £25.49, Front pads £38 , Oil £23, Oil filter £3.72, air filter £7.42
Front discs which were not done in my service are approx. another £38
If you can't do the work for yourself, you are stuck with either local garage or main dealer costs. For my car the costs are much higher. Rear discs £85 per wheel , pads £70 per wheel, air filter £30, oil filter £12. Labour at our local garage is £90 per hour, at the main dealer £150 per hour. Prices are all for manufacturer parts, not 3rd party.
Ooh, that glass of red wine with my tea time snack was a bad idea. I’ve got all hot and sweaty, sorry, meant glowing. House is usually cool inside, but hot today, despite fan on the dining table in front of the east facing window.
Car is due its MOT and service next month. Out of warranty, so no incentive to take it back to the main dealer, where the inflated prices seemed to be needed to pay the wages of the ‘glamorous ‘ young ladies at the reception desk, and perhaps a clothing allowance to subsidise their inappropriate outfits and maintenance of their terrifying eyebrows! OH is worryingly considering doing some of the service himself. Used to do all that sort of thing when we were younger, very capable and even rebuilt the engine of our VW camper van when it dropped the head of a valve and made a hole in a piston. However, anything involving lying under the car these days is a no no, a block and tackle might be needed to get him upright again. Just got to find a reliable and trustworthy local garage.
The person who sold us out car had two inch long nails ( I'm really not exaggerating) . How she saw to bodily functions without permanent injury is a mystery. She obviously never did a hand's turn at home. She must have been paid well to fund her lifestyle or she was a parasite.
When I got my first car, aged 30 cos before then I'd lived in London and had no need of one, I signed up for a car maintenance class and learned to do a 13,000 mile service and fine tuning. My Chevette estate could and did beat a friend's TR7 from a standing start.
By the time we got to brake pads and changing wheels I decided they were a job for "a man who can".
These days I look under a bonnet and can find the dipstick and windscreen washer but the rest is a mystery. Even changing a light bulb requires fancy technology. Fortunately there's a chap in the next village who charges reasonable rates and is reliable for our old Zafira. As soon as the young Arona comes off warranty he'll be going there too.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
On Thursday they said thunderstorms at 5am Sunday and a whole 2mm of rain. Friday said they would come at 5pm with 1.5mm of rain. Today it will be Tuesday evening and 1mm of rain.
My breath is not baited.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Have the bill in front of me for the work done on the car. Brake discs £71.68 each minus 10% discount plus VAT, brake pads £38.22 plus VAT, fuel filter £37.27 plus VAT etc. The car is out of warranty now but the main dealer was in Carlisle (70 mile round trip) so I take it to the local garage (10 mile round trip) who service and repair a lot of this type of 4x4, it's farming country so plenty about.
Because of where I live I need a 4x4 as getting down the lane in winter I'm on a wing and prayer as it is. As I've said before, I choose to live here so I'll just have a grumble on here and God help me cos no one else will.
Posts
On Friday morning, after 10 days with no internet and new poles, fibre optics and junction boxes going up all along our country lane, OH called Orange and asked about compensation for lack of service - fixed phone, internet, TV - for 10 days and, lo and behold, it was back within the hour.
If you can't do the work for yourself, you are stuck with either local garage or main dealer costs. For my car the costs are much higher. Rear discs £85 per wheel , pads £70 per wheel, air filter £30, oil filter £12. Labour at our local garage is £90 per hour, at the main dealer £150 per hour. Prices are all for manufacturer parts, not 3rd party.
Car is due its MOT and service next month. Out of warranty, so no incentive to take it back to the main dealer, where the inflated prices seemed to be needed to pay the wages of the ‘glamorous ‘ young ladies at the reception desk, and perhaps a clothing allowance to subsidise their inappropriate outfits and maintenance of their terrifying eyebrows!
OH is worryingly considering doing some of the service himself. Used to do all that sort of thing when we were younger, very capable and even rebuilt the engine of our VW camper van when it dropped the head of a valve and made a hole in a piston. However, anything involving lying under the car these days is a no no, a block and tackle might be needed to get him upright again.
Just got to find a reliable and trustworthy local garage.
By the time we got to brake pads and changing wheels I decided they were a job for "a man who can".
These days I look under a bonnet and can find the dipstick and windscreen washer but the rest is a mystery. Even changing a light bulb requires fancy technology. Fortunately there's a chap in the next village who charges reasonable rates and is reliable for our old Zafira. As soon as the young Arona comes off warranty he'll be going there too.
On Thursday they said thunderstorms at 5am Sunday and a whole 2mm of rain. Friday said they would come at 5pm with 1.5mm of rain. Today it will be Tuesday evening and 1mm of rain.
My breath is not baited.
Because of where I live I need a 4x4 as getting down the lane in winter I'm on a wing and prayer as it is. As I've said before, I choose to live here so I'll just have a grumble on here and God help me cos no one else will.