gjm

Not my circle but looks like part of an EMS.

I have one that looks like that - mine is red. You really don't want to carry it far. The release was a bit snatchy to start with but gets better with use. Only thing I might like (aside from it being lighter!) is to have a quicklift function, but I can easily live without that.

SJ is a fab guy - as Kyu said, he'll be back on Monday.

Bought new tyres for the front of Miss Ms car. Seem to be in constant cycle of service and/or repair at present! Oh well. Better go look at another this arvo. That way we'll keep one working...

The issues are twofold. SH2, SH51, SH50 (etc including SH1) are maintained and managed by NZTA. NZTA are useless - they fail at planning, they fail at implementation, they fail at contract management. They seem to rely on others for quality control. These are the guys who bought a 4-lane wide stretch of land through Hawke's Bay, past Napier, then had a single carriageway road built. In the centre of that strip of land, so any plans to expand will disrupt traffic in both directions. Why not build to one side? There's no answer to that, suggesting it was purely and simply a cock-up. They then decided that the road they'd had built was unsafe, so they disrupted traffic for months which wire ropes were installed down the centre. And in some places, down the sides. Regional roads are managed by District Councils, and there's no single source of funding, no overall control, no single contract management operation. It's done district by district (not even region by region). Downer seem to own many subsidiaries who too often deliver a sub-standard service on regional roads. This isn't a criticism of those working on the roads although I've seen some individuals who are pretty useless too - when you see the same person sitting, standing, leaning, smoking, playing with a phone and generally doing anything except working, day after day, regardless of the time you pass through, it's hard to see what they are bringing to the job. It's the fundamentals of the operation - the techniques, design and implementation - which are at fault. Once that's been decided, Mr Roadworker is left with little option but to follow instructions. And NZTA must bear the brunt of the blame for that. Big government group, apparently not overseen (that job must currently fall to Michael Wood?) and with no apparent expectation of improving delivery.

I've had two weeks sick leave, and a week of annual leave before that which was booked for me - I'd actually work at least 10 hours of that week but they booked me out on annual leave for the whole week in my absence. Something else to sort. Then there was a 'recommended' 8 more days annual leave taken over the Christmas period. Exactly what I wanted to do before Christmas. Agreed it with the doctor - then the 'cafe' meeting took place where that was vetoed by a manager and I was (effectively) told not to return to the office until after Christmas.

Next week sees a general return to work, assuming doc says that's OK when I see her. Sadly the thought of that is not helping at all, and it'll be difficult to resolve the feelings engendered during the few days ahead. Need to work. Need income! But my health and wellbeing is uppermost in my mind.

The spending is there. (AFAIK) The quality of the delivered product is not.

Assuming the N42 (which killed smaller displacement E46s) didn't get to the E9x, then yes. Of course, the N46 was based on the N42... I mean, FFS, BMW! 4-pot cars were the winner in good form in the old days, meeting 6-pots toe-to-toe and outperforming them for handling and maintenance. Had you truly made sufficient advances to rule them out later? Nope. And yet... 😢

N46 2.0 engine. Price seems a bit high...? Nice enough car, but having recently missed one with less distance, fBMWsh, (black, red leather) at a smidge over $10k this looks a little pricey.

The left (rear) reversing bulb on Mrs M's Baur is refusing to light. Swapping the bulb into another position - indicators, same purpose on the opposite side - shows it is fine. The right reversing bulb does light, suggesting it is not a gearbox switch issue. All other bulbs light correctly. So, likely to be a cluster wiring issue. Anyone able to advise how to dismantle the cluster unit? There are retaining clips over a plastic panel, but even once the clips are released the panel will not come apart. I'll check the wiring in the meantime. According to the diagram I have, it's the 'BU/WT' wire that provides the feed to the cluster(s) and a WT (white?) wire that provides power to the bulb(s). Earth is common.

It's been a bit iffy for some time. Perhaps a couple of years? Didn't appear during WoF time, so that's been OK. I'll pull the passenger seat and see if there's damp underneath - the previous issue with the evil demons that possessed the dash seem to have been moisture related, so oxidisation is a possibility.

A question for our Mercedes but relevant to other marques too. Many cars, as they get older, see under bonnet insulation either peel away, or dry out, flake, and fall on to the engine. Can't be fixed - buy new insulation and fit. So what adhesive is most appropriate? One suggestion is 3M 5200 which (as far as I can tell) is a marine adhesive. Any other recommendations?

PFL, I think. Square corners - same as the E24 (iirc).

Just seen a pair of fog lights advertised for $300, reduced from $400. They must have the unobtainium reflectors and sapphire crystal lenses.

Similar, though not the same, issue here. Airbag light is sometimes on. Could be driving along and light is on, then off, then on again. Nothing has so far shown up on a scan.

Not had snow, but it's been cold the last few days, especially in the evenings.

Following Harm's @leichtbau pic I remembered seeing this... https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/monaco-monza-macao-wellington-1990/quotes

1989 Schnitzer team on Wellington seafront for the Wellington 500. Winners Emanuele Pirro (he did that a lot!) and Robert Ravaglia (on the left, car no. 1), and Steve Soper and Fabien Giroix (right, car no. 10). And the entirely indispensable support team. http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1989 Wellington.html

Hasn't replied to my PM, or (as far as i can see) any other questions. There's a build thread on here somewhere, I think?

ONE Apus tipped 1800 containers, out of China, into the sea earlier this month....