gjm

The insurance companies have never stopped their backdoor campaigns to have motor insurance made compulsory. With rate hikes like these, more and more people will simply not bother. The rate hikes being seen now are in part due to Cyclone Gabrielle. Company underwriting in most cases happened a couple of months after Gabrielle blew through, right in the middle of some of the most expensive (to the insurance companies ) period of claims in their history. Underwriting costs went through the roof, and the companies are looking to recoup their costs by raising premiums across the board.

Banks. ANZ in particular. Slowly closing High Street branches, reducing the hours they are open. The terms of the account Mrs M and I have mean that for transferring significant funds between account, we both need to be present. Can't do it during the week due to work, so we'd make a day of it, go to Napier and do other things too. 200km round trip, But the Napier and Hastings branches are now closed on Saturdays. Stroppy letter written to the bank trying to display just how inconvenient - potentially disastrous - this is. Accounts will be moved... As soon as we find a way to do that, and a solution which allows us access to our money.

Yes! Apologies.

I think @pramodp1621 is in Auckland at the moment? He might be able to help?

'orrible things.

This was a "Dad - can you just change my oil while I'm staying with you?" and I found I had enough for a planned changed, but not enough for two changes on different vehicles.

I have decided that I need another motorcycle. New Years resolution - whatever. This'll do.

F%^&^&g b@5t@rd5 ! Guess who bought Penrite HPR 5w40 very, very recently?

Could be your images are too large. Keep the file size down and it seems to work OK.

Anyone know of an updated version of this doc?

Just a little job. Changing the engine oil and filter on Miss M's F20 116i. Strange how that needs doing when she comes home... The engine undertray 'flap' that on any other car is released and removed remains attached, folding down towards the front of the car; the direction almost any home mechanic will approach the area from, so it's in the way. Doesn't have the usual sump plug, with a 17mm head, as found on so many cars. This one has a vertically installed socket needing an 8mm hex/ Allen key, so you cannot avoid getting oil all over your hand when removing it. (Remember the flap that's in the way..?) And the last person to work on the car (not me!) didn't read the torque spec sheet. I had to use an 18" extension to the normal 3/8" drive ratchet to get the sump plug undone, and then I had to put some serious effort into it. When it released with a loud >CRACK!< I thought I'd broken something - the plug itself, the ratchet, the sump... Fortunately, no. The oil is pretty black, even though the car is nearly 3000km inside the BMW specified service interval.

I've been using Hankooks for some time - they don't cost the earth, and deliver 90% (sometimes more) of what the best tyres do. Certainly much, much better than Linglongs, Supercats, and similar.

I had Nankang NS2s on a Mercedes 300SE. Could easily break traction, slide, anything except grip in both wet and dry. Keeping it straight and not spinning the wheels was far more of a challenge. Conversely, we ran some Black Lions for a while, and they were better than some premium brands. But that's not typical. You don't always get what you pay for - there are some very poor 'expensive' tyres - but it is usual that as price increases, grip, wear and noise improve.

Christmas is great. The pressure to get a car sorted eases, which is just as well given the dearth of anything vaguely decent at a sensible price at present! Have found a 630i... The brief 645i idea was quashed after more research because while great when i is running, it's natural habitat (according to more than one review) is in a workshop. That's not going to work. The 630i I found has a N52 engine. Not impervious to issues but much better. It also has an early iDrive which can be an issue - I need to do more reading/learning around that. Very nice-looking car, and originally designed for the sort of use I'd need. Whether it'd continue to be good at that over a longer period is also something I don't know. Also found a nice-looking E46 325i, M54B25. Considered a Lexus IS350, but don't think budget will go to a decent example. 2007 Mercedes C220CDi looks promising. The very sensible suggestion has been a Mazda.

I've no idea of half the terminology used when discussing radar detectors. I know this as a result of reviewing options - my lengthy commute takes in a mix of SH, dual carriageway (y'know, the bit where people who do 85km/h accelerate to 105 before slowing at the end again) and non-SH roads. Limits are typically 100km/h or 80km/h, and while the people with cars festooned in pretty lights tend to found on the SHs, they also pop up in the most unusual places. I can only assume they were looking for somewhere quiet to have lunch, but will ping a couple of vehicles to justify their being somewhere less well-travelled. The Uniden R7/8 is popular here, but some older devices also seem capable of doing good work. Online reviews rave about the Escort 360C, but I can see that price is a good reason not to buy. The Uniden R8 is hardly cheap, but the 360C? Wow. Eye watering. I have some reading of the RD forum to do.

I would have expected a 'fit for purpose' requirement which so many of the cheap 'soft' screens just aren't especially when some more complex requirements are brought into play. That said, they are insurance companies and are the demon brethren of the hellbeasts known as real estate agents. So they've probably wriggled around anything that means they should do something properly.

Had a similar damper issue with the E46 320d - lots of vibration that quickly got worse. Fortunately I was close to my favoured workshop at the time and got the car there without any separation occurring. The bolt that holds this on is *TIGHT*. On shipping - bought 4 tyres for the Mrs M-mobile from New Plymouth yesterday afternoon at 3.30. They've arrived in Hawke's Bay.

Hardly small change. But probably a good deal for the buyer.

'End of life' sales are awful. I've seen perfectly good cars declared EOL, with cancelled rego, when all they need is some TLC. This one may need more than that.

It's something that is a consideration, and Andy and I have spoken.

E46s look awesome on stock 16" E90 rims, too. The slight difference in offset really improves the look.

We now have to ask why my search for Mercedes diesel under $7500 didn't bring this one up. (Quick rant about TradeMe search?!)

Insufficiently soft target.

Can't get any traction with the seller. (Worthy of a rant thread entry.)