gjm

Anyone got any useful tips on how to remove these little blighters? I assume there is a special tool that only BMW dealers and specialists have, but in the absence of that...?

Not this time. My tracking showed UK departure, NZ arrival, and H e l d f o r c u s t o m s... . . . . . . For 8 days.

Most of the trauma has come at the hands of an inept and slow customs "service" who sat on my parcel for 8 days, yet did absolutely nothing with it! YouShop hardly covered themselves in glory, but using MyUS for stuff bought in the UK would have presented its own challenges! (I know - don't shop in Europe...)

Yesterday it was the c-clips used to secure bundles of wires. One every 6 inches or so it seems... Great fun when they're on the firewall: slot head screw on the inside of the vehicle in the top of the footwell of the bulkhead, and a nut in the engine bay!

Tried - several times - to change the mid-fuel-pump and fuel filter on the 320d. Rain stopped play on several occasions, and left the work area awash more than once. Thought I'd be smart and remove the pump and filter as a single unit (with connecting fuel hose) and refit the same way. Finally got the cover off only to find the power connector for the fuel pump has some sort of fancy lock-it-together clip that you just cannot see the working of unless you are above it, which is where the floor of the car is. Eventually got that off, but more weather means that is as far as I've got. Other than swearing about BMWs ridiculous one-use-only crimp-type fittings they use on pipes on cars...

Much humour. I've been working on a Land Rover the last couple of days. Whose idea was it to use a slot-head screw on one side, and a nut on the other, necessitating 2m long arms so you can actually get to both sides? Haven't these people heard of captive nuts?

Do they consolidate multiple items from different vendors?

So... The courier tried to deliver... At 06.36 this morning, an hour before business opens. I've got the box here. Not sure I dare open it... (It wasn't opened for inspection by customs, so just wtf were they doing with it for 8 days?) Harrumph. (And other polite noises.)

This is the (hopefully) back-end of a saga of using NZ Post's YouShop service which has the benefit of being able to consolidate multiple packages from different sources before shipping on to NZ. It's probably fine if you're in no hurry, but they will always use national carriers. (NZ Post = Royal Mail = USPS, etc) Our local delivery driver does sign for stuff, provided it fits in the box at the end of the drive. She's not too keen on leaving her van, though.

That's a detail that's not in there. Same as age and references.

Finally Customs have released it! Out for delivery with the courier today. Or not... Because I live in a RD area, couriers don't deliver to private addresses, so I arranged to have the parcel delivered to the agent in the village. (A lot of people do this.) And... The agent is closed on Saturdays. FFS !!!

That's part of the frustration - there shouldn't be any fees, duties or similar requiring paying. The total value including all shipping and insurance is well under $300.

Well, part of that is true. It's not here. But it is still 'Held for clearance.'

Still not cleared customs.

The dark grey writing on a black background is making guessing what I've clicked on quite interesting!

The saga continues... Newly advertised role, applied for at 04.20 this morning. It was listed overnight. Followed up with a phone call to see if any of the additional information I offered would be useful... Recruiter says "Yesterday I put forward a couple of CVs for people they've said they want to interview. Apparently they're happy with those so I won't be sending any more, unless these fall through. They want someone quickly, you see..." I'd said in my initial correspondence that I'm available for an immediate start. I was very early, yet still a day late. Sooo sick of this. Went to WINZ yesterday. At least that meeting felt positive.

Is anyone heading north from south of Te Kauwhata (a mere moment from SH1) towards Auckland later today or tomorrow, and could give me a lift? I've just been told I need to collect a car from Green Lane, and the fabled new public transport system doesn't work out here! Sorted. I think! I'll know for sure first thing in the morning!

rying to think what I've got that might be useful to you... Discs pads are likely to be more useful to me than some of the things I have here.

I was going to predict "that'll cost a fortune" but ca't verify my thought as apparently "Classified expired".

Probably not. Eric fought against the hun in WWII ! Typically good kit, though. Sold in the far east under 'Dragon'.