Category Archives: Cars

Stuff about the cars

Cars, Focus Grumbling

The Cheapest Trip to Reg Vardy Ever?

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So after my discovery of another blown bulb at the beginning of the week, today the Focus went back into Reg Vardy for the second week in succession.

Unfortunately, it was confirmed as another blown bulb, again necessitating major surgery to the front of the car to change it. However, unlike last week, when it came to paying the bill, the service agent said that they were only going to charge me for the parts. Whilst they could, and I guess some dealers probably would, try to argue that the second bulb blowing was just coincidence, she said that they probably hadn’t checked the car properly when they were done last week. So they handed me a bill for a grand total of 78 pence, plus VAT, coming to a total cost of less than £1. Just the kind of garage bill I’m happy to pay!

Cars, Focus Grumbling, General

Another Headlight Bulb Blown?

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So having paid £32 for Reg Vardy to change the headlamp bulb on the Focus on Saturday, I checked out the lights when I put the car away tonight. However the pattern of the lights looked wrong. Taking a look at the light, although the main bulb was replaced and working, now the side light bulb that sits underneath had failed.

Whether it has blown, not been reconnected correctly or what, I’m not overly keen on going back to have it changed again, and possibly having to argue over paying another £32 to have Reg Vardy take it to pieces again. The simple fact is that nobody should have to pay that amount of money to have a bulb changed in the first place.

Cars, Computers/Technology, Focus Grumbling, Psion

Repairs

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PsiXPDA Box

This weekend we’ve had a couple of repairs.

Firstly there was the Focus Bulb change, which started off somewhat stressful when we arrived at the dealer to be told that they were only planning to asses the work that was needed, not actually do it. At this point I said that I had told them over the phone exactly what needed doing, at which point they said that they didn’t order parts in ahead of time – remember that all that needed doing was the replacement of a bulb which they could get at the Halfords round the corner. At this point, the service manager clarified exactly what the problem was, and it seems that the person who had taken the booking had written down that I wanted the whole headlight unit changed, rather than just the bulb. Perhaps the only saving grace this time round was that they did it slightly cheaper due to less time – I assume because the dealer is getting well practised at changing Ford Focus bulbs. Having said that it is still massively more expensive than the cost for doing the same job on my VW Golf – a task I can do myself in minutes.

Secondly, I also got my venerable Psion 5mx back after a visit to POS Ltd for a service and to sort out a problem with the sliding keyboard mechanism not shutting smoothly. The keyboard is held in place by a metal spring, this is held in place by a couple of small plastic lugs, and it seems one of these had broken, so POS took the old case off and replaced it with a new one. The new case is the same colour, aside from around the external voice recorder buttons, where the surround is now silver rather than black. The finish also feels slightly different, compared to the older plastic that remains around the screen. However the interesting thing, was the packaging in which it was returned – a box for a PsiXPDA, a machine that has a website, and is described on the POS site, but that doesn’t seem to be available. Looking at the spec on the box, the machine is essentially a classic Psion 5mx but with the manufacturer logo changed. I’m thinking that perhaps I’ll keep the box, as quite apart for being just the right size to pack a Psion 5, maybe if the PsiXPDA never sees the light of day it will be a bit of a collectors piece.

Cars, Focus Grumbling, General

Headlight Fun Again

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You may remember my rant two years ago about the idiotic design of the headlamp cluster on the old style Ford Focus – the article is by far the most popular on the site, and still gets comments two years later.

The bulb, following on from the fragile windscreens (the Focus currently has it’s fifth windscreen), and the general feeling of instability caused by the combination of tyres and suspension, oh and not forgetting the misfire, was ultimately the final straw that set me looking for a new car that in the end became the Golf. Now that has had one or two problems, but it still has the original windscreen, although it does have a small crack on it thanks to a stone chip – unlike the Focus, it has stayed a small crack. It also has the annoying dashboard light problem when it is cold, and of course it has that weird feature with the windows, but ultimately it is much better to drive.

Just in case I was starting to think that maybe the Focus isn’t that bad a car – the passenger side headlight has blown, almost exactly two years after it was last replaced, so I guess it’s another £40 headlight change from Reg Vardy – and a timely reminder of why I didn’t buy another Ford.

Cars, MobLog

Justice

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Sometimes there is a little bit of justice. This morning I was coming down the Barkham Road to work, and on the 40mph stretch stuck to 40mph as usual. As is often the case at rush hour I had an idiot behind me, who I can only assume was late for something. Suffice to say he was doing the usual driving too close, and periodically popping out to see if he could overtake. The moment of poetic justice though, was the point where he actually chose to do it. If you know the road, you’ll know that the stretch down the hill just after the Guide Dogs for the Blind building is straight, and with a clear view ahead, so this was the point he chose to roar past. Of course the other thing about the stretch is that it is in a built up area, often busy with children walking to school if this weren’t the school holiday, and has a number of fairly busy side turnings. As a result it has a 30mph limit and a speed camera. I have to say that there is a certain satisfaction when an idiot like that proves it even more by only spotting the bright yellow painted speed camera quite as late as he did… He did manage to slam his brakes on before the camera, but only just.

Needless to say, the idotic overtake and potential points on his licence didn’t gain him much at all, and I was not far behind him all the rest of my way to work. He just ended up following the car ahead instead of following me.