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Trouble comes in threes
DOES IT B*LL*CKS!!!!
Monday 12th July - wife's Scenic goes to Renault dealer for servicing - cost £170 (her request - no faith in my mechanicing ability) Dealer calls and states that the front discs & pads have had it and it requires new ones.
"ok" says I "how much?"
"including the service - £432" states (Robbing B*stard Dealer
)
"Just service the car" splutters I
I call local parts place and ask for all the bits and am told
"discs and pads will be £40 to you & we've got them in stock"
I go and get discs on the same day
Tuesday 13th July
Dismantle car and find that discs are not from a 2.0 RXE Scenic at all, as the ones supplied are 262mm Dia and I need 280mm Dia
Call parts places "Ah well typical Renault, if they run out of something on the production line they just throw on anything which fits" they state
"don't worry we think they are from a............1.9 TD Laguna Estate but we can't get them until tomorrow - they'll be here at 10am"
Wednesday 14th July
Unbeknown to me, our freezer in garage has died at some point in the night and now I have about £200 worth of steak defrosting nicely along with all the ice cream, bread, chicken legs, beefburgers etc
Wife now pi**ed off
- has no car - can't take my 'runner as I have to get parts etc.
Parts finally arrive at midday - wife has patients to see in the afternoon (nurse!!) and wants her car back.
Got the offside done - nearside wont come off - Bl**dy torx screw has rounded off - 2 litres WD40 later , a lot of swearing and some brute force it finally admits defeat and comes off. Time to get kids from school - covered in grease, muck and rust (no pun intented!) I go to fetch kids - As I am closing the garage door I realise there is a problem with the freezer - a quick inspection shows I am now in possesion of lots of defrosted items
Come home with kids - now changing n/s discs with the assistance of my 4year old daughter (she ends up dirtier than me - I cop it in the neck from wife) Finally get the car back on the road
Empty the freezer and salvage most things
Thursday 15th July
Have a look at the freezer, call Whirlpool, who want to charge £72 just to come out - "bye bye" says I.
Wife comes home for lunch and as we are stood admiring the flora in our garden I spot an enormous wasps nest spiling out of one of the bird boxes at the back of the garden by the childrens play area.
Go and have a closer look, get dive bombed and stung for being to nosey. Have to call man to come and remove offending nest, which he does and charges me £50
Friday 16th July
Pretty uneventful most of the day
Decide to change the wheels front to back on the Scenic (new tyres on the back - want them on the front) when Julie comes home from work.
Do nearside no problems - tightening locking wheel stud up - socket breaks!!!
(I'm beginning to REALLY hate this car!!!)
Now stuck with a car I can't get the wheels off. Decide to go in and have a stiff drink (or 3!!!)
Saturday 17th July
Try to find a tyre dealer who can get the locking studs off - find one who will do it for me on Monday (but I want it done today!!!!!)
(even look at investing in a proper removal tool but the only place I can get one is Halfrauds for £23) Having been unable to get it sorted and not wanting to spend more money on the problem I return home to the stiff drink bottle.
Decide to "have a go" myself at removing them. I grind down the reminants of the socket which gave me enough to get them all off. Put 4 standard studs in their place (S*d them - if somebody wants to nick a set of box standard Renault (pitted) alloys be my guest!!)
Sunday 18th July
Wife is washing/cleaning her car - doesn't happen very often so I encouraged her as much as I could. Decided to change the offside wheels over now having sorted the locking stud problem. All going well, rear wheel on, front wheel on tighten front wheel up............................ .............................. ....
AAAAGGGGGHHHH!!! Stud shears off!!!
Get the tool box, & drill out. Go to parts place and buy a Tap & Die set (been promising myself one for years - good excuse to go and get it now
)
Gingerly file down, centre punch and drill the stud out. Re-tap the thread, put on wheel and tighten up new stud. a ""10 minute - 2 hour" job.
Sunday 19th July
Wasps nest still there - got stung again - you'd think I'd have learnt not to go so close
Am due to go away on holiday on Friday - going to France - sailing from Portsmouth to St Malo - should I be worried?................
Monday 12th July - wife's Scenic goes to Renault dealer for servicing - cost £170 (her request - no faith in my mechanicing ability) Dealer calls and states that the front discs & pads have had it and it requires new ones.
"ok" says I "how much?"
"including the service - £432" states (Robbing B*stard Dealer
)"Just service the car" splutters I
I call local parts place and ask for all the bits and am told
"discs and pads will be £40 to you & we've got them in stock"
I go and get discs on the same day
Tuesday 13th July
Dismantle car and find that discs are not from a 2.0 RXE Scenic at all, as the ones supplied are 262mm Dia and I need 280mm Dia
Call parts places "Ah well typical Renault, if they run out of something on the production line they just throw on anything which fits" they state
"don't worry we think they are from a............1.9 TD Laguna Estate but we can't get them until tomorrow - they'll be here at 10am"
Wednesday 14th July
Unbeknown to me, our freezer in garage has died at some point in the night and now I have about £200 worth of steak defrosting nicely along with all the ice cream, bread, chicken legs, beefburgers etc
Wife now pi**ed off
- has no car - can't take my 'runner as I have to get parts etc.Parts finally arrive at midday - wife has patients to see in the afternoon (nurse!!) and wants her car back.
Got the offside done - nearside wont come off - Bl**dy torx screw has rounded off - 2 litres WD40 later , a lot of swearing and some brute force it finally admits defeat and comes off. Time to get kids from school - covered in grease, muck and rust (no pun intented!) I go to fetch kids - As I am closing the garage door I realise there is a problem with the freezer - a quick inspection shows I am now in possesion of lots of defrosted items
Come home with kids - now changing n/s discs with the assistance of my 4year old daughter (she ends up dirtier than me - I cop it in the neck from wife) Finally get the car back on the road
Empty the freezer and salvage most things
Thursday 15th July
Have a look at the freezer, call Whirlpool, who want to charge £72 just to come out - "bye bye" says I.
Wife comes home for lunch and as we are stood admiring the flora in our garden I spot an enormous wasps nest spiling out of one of the bird boxes at the back of the garden by the childrens play area.
Go and have a closer look, get dive bombed and stung for being to nosey. Have to call man to come and remove offending nest, which he does and charges me £50
Friday 16th July
Pretty uneventful most of the day
Decide to change the wheels front to back on the Scenic (new tyres on the back - want them on the front) when Julie comes home from work.
Do nearside no problems - tightening locking wheel stud up - socket breaks!!!
(I'm beginning to REALLY hate this car!!!)
Now stuck with a car I can't get the wheels off. Decide to go in and have a stiff drink (or 3!!!)
Saturday 17th July
Try to find a tyre dealer who can get the locking studs off - find one who will do it for me on Monday (but I want it done today!!!!!)
(even look at investing in a proper removal tool but the only place I can get one is Halfrauds for £23) Having been unable to get it sorted and not wanting to spend more money on the problem I return home to the stiff drink bottle.
Decide to "have a go" myself at removing them. I grind down the reminants of the socket which gave me enough to get them all off. Put 4 standard studs in their place (S*d them - if somebody wants to nick a set of box standard Renault (pitted) alloys be my guest!!)
Sunday 18th July
Wife is washing/cleaning her car - doesn't happen very often so I encouraged her as much as I could. Decided to change the offside wheels over now having sorted the locking stud problem. All going well, rear wheel on, front wheel on tighten front wheel up............................ .............................. ....
AAAAGGGGGHHHH!!! Stud shears off!!!
Get the tool box, & drill out. Go to parts place and buy a Tap & Die set (been promising myself one for years - good excuse to go and get it now
)Gingerly file down, centre punch and drill the stud out. Re-tap the thread, put on wheel and tighten up new stud. a ""10 minute - 2 hour" job.
Sunday 19th July
Wasps nest still there - got stung again - you'd think I'd have learnt not to go so close
Am due to go away on holiday on Friday - going to France - sailing from Portsmouth to St Malo - should I be worried?................
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