Cars and stuff?

[Dave_L]

Being ex-motor trade, I still have an (un)healthy interest in cars etc

Had me eyes on some new anchors for my car for a while, finally got and fitted them yesterday.

I'm half afraid to use them and make them all dirty!

[Dave_L]

More car stuff.....

£11k repair bill :p

http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/127250-accident-dont-do-what-i-did.html

[Tommy]

Just had delivery of my new Seat Ibiza.

My owd Punto finally bit the bullet (two weeks after £250 repair and MOT) as the engine casing split.

[Dave_L]

Scrappage scheme Tommy?

[Tommy]

Aye, only reason why I could afford a new car, and get rid of the Punto.

Only had a 5 week wait for it to be shipped from Spain

[Tony McC]

I didn't have you marked down as BMW driver, Dave.

Have you noticed that sticky-out lever to the left of the steering wheel? That's to control the indicators, you know, those orange flashy lights that all other car drivers seems to use when turning or changing lane on a motorway but seem to be absent from BMWs?

Nearly got bumped again today by a BMW-ess who didn't seem to know the flashing orange light on the front right-hand corner of the car meant that I intended continuing right on the roundabout and not, as she seemed to think, coming to a complete halt so she wouldn't need to break off from her phone conversation.

[Pablo]

And Dave feel free to have to courtesy to say thank you when us commoners give you right of way at junctions etc. I thought indicators were an optional extra on Beemers.

[dig dug dan]

who's skyline is that on that forum dave? cos i want it :p

my dream car, but not if its going to cost 11k!

[mickg]

I got to confess I had a beamer for 4 years and could I find where the dip stick was to check the oil....noooooo

so I went online and typed at google "dipstick for a bmw 2008" and got returned a comment someone had posted on a forum

"BMW have moved the dipstick to behind the steering wheel"

[cookiewales]

there not the ones that are on recall by bmw are they worth a check :p

[Bob_A]

I think BMW are resisting a recall.
Have a read
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/10/bmw_alloy_wheels.html

[Ted]

I had a funny accident yesterday.

I was driving down a street where it was five lanes wide and was it converging down to three lanes due to roadworks.

I pushed my car's nose in front of a brand new Toyota Landcruiser and all of a sudden the driver starts beeping me. Driving is quite a aggressive over here so what I had done is quite normal - Angolans always like to have a fight for space on the road it seems - and if you don't fight you don't get anaywhere.

Anyway, then this guy in the Landcruiser (Let's call him Mr Landcruiser) starts driving forward. I start beeping him as there is not enough space for him to move forward and he goes and scrapes his shiny new Landcruiser all the way down her side along the corner of my front bumper. We both get out and after I called him an idiot and he retorted with the same, but then a girl in the car behind me gets out of her car and comes up and confirms that he was the idiot and I did nothing wrong.

We all decide it is best if we untangle the cars so we can see the damage and then work out who is liable. So Mr Landcruiser asks me to gently remove my car. But Mr Landcruiser forgot to put his car in 'Park' and he also forgot to apply the handbrake. So when I removed my car, all of a sudden his shiny new Landcruiser sets off down the road with no one behind the wheel.

It goes and smashes into a brand new Toyota Hilux.

Now I am starting to get really worried as I am the foreigner and I am thinking I am going to have to pay for a Hilux and a Landcruiser to get repaired as I have had one scrape before which was completely not my fault but the police deemed me guilty.

Anyway Mr Hilux gets out and is none to chuffed with the huge dent Mr Landcruiser's car has placed in his vehicle's passenger door. And Mr Lancruiser is none to chuffed with his smashed headlight, indicator etc. Meanwhile the kind girl who was witness and was backing me up seems to have disappeared.

So anyway, Mr Hilux and Mr Landcruiser and I can not agree on liability. So Mr Landcruiser insists on fetching a policeman. I am getting quite worried now so I explain to Mr Hilux that it is not my responsibility to check that Mr Landcruiser has applied the handbrake. I said whenever you are stationary you should apply the handbrake. Mr Hilux says he thinks he agrees with me. I feel slightly more confident now as I see the policeman approach, that at least Mr Hilux might back me up.

We all tell our story to the police. I say in my view although I am annoyed with Mr Landcruiser he has only put a small scrape on my bumper and my bumper already has a few scratches so I not too bothered. I would prefer to just go and leave Mr Landcruiser to work out how he is going to fix Mr Hilux's pick-up. Mr Landcruiser however is insisting that I pay for everything. So the police confiscate all our documents and tell us to go to the police station. I didn't know where the station was so I follow Mr Hilux.

Mr Hilux and I arrive before Mr Landcruiser and the policeman so I use the time to ensure that Mr Hilux is going to suggest Mr Landcruiser is liable.

After 20 mins the policeman arrives and explains that he was late as Mr Landcruiser wanted a word in private. He said Mr Landcruiser will be along shortly. He said Mr Landcruiser was a complicated chap but had admitted to him that it was perhaps a little unfair to expect me to have got out of my car to confirm that Mr Landcruiser had indeed applied the handbrake. The policeman said so if you want to you can go. He said Mr Landcruiser and Mr Hilux will work out how much Mr Landcruiser has to pay Mr Hilux but you don't need to be here for that. And he gave me my documents back.

So I shook the policeman's hand and wished him good evening. Then I did the same with Mr Hilux. Then Mr Landcruiser appeared walking around the corner, having just parked. So I waited for him and went to shake his hand, thank him for finally having become reasonable and to bid him good evening. He refused to shake my hand. Then the policeman intervened and insisted he shake my hand. Looking at his feet and shaking his head he held out his hand and shook mine briefly.

So Mr Landcruiser was a complete twat but it did make me chuckle that the policeman insisted he shake my hand. The whole incident wasted about two hours though which was pretty annoying.

[Pablo]

Mr Landcruiser must have had a chat with Mr Baton I suspect.

[Dave_L]

there not the ones that are on recall by bmw are they worth a check :p

Nope, my wheels aren't the ones that crack, thank god.

[cookiewales]

thats good must say i had a bmw 530d sport one of the best cars ive had 2004 had runflats and no probs had one blow out only knew when computer told me was doing 100 plus in galway had to drive around at 50 for a week till new tyre came in have to say given the choice would have runflats all the time ,had x5 as well with them on no probs and was in ireland then working.the home of potholes and bad roads in the country exe northen ireland they have posh roads. now new wife and l200 double cab :p :;): :;): :;):