Quote from: Bealman on June 25, 2014, 07:54:43 AM
I went without aircon in the car for 5 years (imagine that in the Aussie summer... quite literally driving HELL), having been told by some supposedly car expert it would cost a fortune to get fixed.

When I went to a local auto electrician for an unrelated problem, he asked me if I knew the air on wasn't working. It was a stinking hot day, and I replied something like "you don't say"

Anyway he regassed it for $100 - about £50! Five years of suffering for £50!

Can you tell I don't know about cars? 

No one seems to know anything about cars. When I bought the focus the salesman was quite surprised to see that the first thing I looked for when looking under the bonnet was where the oil filter was and due to fact they have squeezed a quart into a pint pot what needs to come off/out to do the job. I will attempt most jobs on a car (general servicing, brakes etc, but I leave cambelts and clutches to a local specialist Ford place who do a good job.

It shocked me to learn that nearly 80% of the driving population cant change a tyre or could identify most of the things they need to under the bonnet! 

Richard

Richard

Hi

My wife's car doesn't have a spare tyre and she got a puncture. No problem I thought I'll take the wheel off and drop it in to the tyre place on my way to work. No jack or wheel brace. This meant she had to call out the AA who took the wheel off and then took the wheel and my wife to the tyre place then brought both back and put the wheel back on the car. Completely ridiculous, 2 hours for something I can usually do in 10 minutes.

Cheers

Paul

One reason why instead of the silly little bike spare that the Focus did have its now got a £189 full size alloy wheel (which fits perfectly you understand) in the boot. Some breakdown companies now charge a surcharge for this now. Of note was the bike spare that came out of the car weighed in at 13 kilos, the alloy that wet back in weighed 13 kilos! So much for weight!

A lot of cars don't come with spare wheel/jack/wheelbrace now - just a can of Tyreweld or similar. Fine for a small tread-puncture, useless for anything major or a sidewall puncture. Even if it DOES work just wait until you take that wheel for the tyre to be replaced and see what the tyre man has to say about the mess!

As for being surprised at you looking under the bonnet Richard that's all too common now, more and more people have no idea or inclination that they have to make periodic checks on simple fluids. As an example a mechanic friend of mine had a young lady bring her four-year-old Fiesta in that she'd had from new as it was "running funny". When he asked her when it was last serviced she looked blankly and eventually said "you have to have it serviced?". In four years the bonnet had never been opened or the car been near a dealers!  She's lucky it was still going!


Paul

Runflats are not popular though as they make for a rougher ride, stiffer sidewalls


Paul

Been there, seen it and got the t shirt. Motorbility ones are the worst as they get servicing paid for but many dont bother, thankfully most of them dont get many miles on them. I change my engine oil every 6250 miles which is half what is recommended. Might cost alot as it runs on synthetic oil but regular oil changes never do an engine halm!

Richard

hello

The air con problem was diagnosed (with a leak detector fluid) as a leaking pipe.

Kwik Fit were shocked at the price from Chrysler but I authorised the repair anyway.

Took Petie back to have the pipe fitted and a MOT retest. MOT passed with a Watts linkage I supplied - Kwik Fit fitted this free of charge. Pipe from Chrysler was wrong!

They got another pipe and I dropped in to check it was correct, it was, so yesterday afternoon it was fitted. I've driven for 4 hours today and its lovely and cool

Hopefully this will last!

Best regards
Michael