Sorry Mods. couldn't access the original thread (too long?) so thought I'd post this here.
The other day en route to Thurrock via the Dartford Tunnel I noticed what appeared to be a major problem with the instrument panel illumination on the MPV. As usual, I switched the sidelights on as I entered the tunnel and was surprised to find that the entire dashboard/control panel display remained unlit. No problem I thought, it's just the dimmer which needs adjusting. However I was horrified to find that adjusting this had no noticeable effect. My heart rapidly sank and any thoughts I'd had about the joys of owning a reliable Japanese car vapourised in an instant. All sorts of thoughts went through my head as I drove pondering what had gone wrong and was it going to be the first of many such problems in store. It was some minutes later when the bright sunshine disappeared behind a cloud that I realised I was still wearing my sunglasses!
All the feelings of immense relief were rapidly replaced with searing embarrassment. What a plonker!
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Yesterday - wafting along in the five watching out for other vehicles in paticular from a major road which meged from my left (signed as a road of equal priority) letting the odd car in (to avoid the BMW stereotype), lstening to some programme on the radio. Curses heard the sound of very looud siren, checked mirror, nothing, checked ahead, clear - v.odd - must be on the radio. Twiddle knob to no avail, suddenly dawns on me that the mother of all ambulances is alongside me trying to do the aformentioned merge.....imagine my horror, reaction was to boot the Beemer and pull up further up the road, red faced or what !
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Sunglasses - that's funny :-]
I had a bit of an over-reaction to the front speakers on my car not working - in vain I tried to work out what was wrong - then it dawned (a week later) on me that the balance was shifted towards the rear speakers.
What a plonker.
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Pushing my first ever bike (CB175) over three miles back to the shop where I had bought it three days previously. Complained to the owner that it had just cut out and refused to restart.
With a world weary deadpan expression he leant down and turned the fuel tap to reserve, then pushed the button and fixed me with a grin...
Oh dear!!
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When I argued with a mechanic who had just failed my Volvo's MOT on the sidelights. I argued that everyone knew the sidelights on a Volvo are always on and look, there are the lights - always on.
I was so sure of myself that I bet him a fiver I was right. He then came outside with me, changed the sidelight bulbs, and hey presto! Extra lights! Apparently on the 440 the dipped beams are always on too.
The nice man let me off the 20p bulbs, after relieving me of my £5. What a plonker!
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My late mother and I were travelling down to Cornwall in our Volvo 244DL Saloon about 20 plus years ago.
All of a sudden there was a really strange noise coming from what we thought was the engine. She pulled into a service station and got a mechanic to look at the problem. He said it sounded like the radio. No the radio was off. So she drove on and pulled into the next service station.
An older mechanic came out and said "It's your radio madam". When she showed him that the radio was off, he said "And the one in the passenger footwell?" She had a portable radio there that was actually swiched on and was not 'ignition proof'!
H
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Sunglasses. Me too.
Sporting my new specs (Reactolight types for the first time) we were on holiday in New Zealand South Island.
Up in the snow line and into the Homer tunnel. I just hit the brakes as it was almost a complete blackout. I had not recognised that my specs had really darkened down. I sat there like a **** waiting for them to lighten when all I had to do was take them off as my distance vision is not too bad.
Fortunately traffic was very very light.
This is a serious tunnel. It was the longest dirt road tunnel in the world at 1200 metres until they tarmaced it.
900 metres above sea level and 1:11 gradient and narrow.
They used to operate it an hour for one way traffic then reverse it for an hour. In March this year they put in roof lights so things are getting better.
Some pictures:
tinyurl.com/269wq
tinyurl.com/27m48
tinyurl.com/2ptul
and what not to meet
tinyurl.com/24xpc
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My latest...
Driving down a busy-ish main road, I flashed to let a car out of a side road to the left.
He came out, and then the car behind him abruptly followed. I did a quick beep on my horn, which I rarely do, but I felt this second car was taking advantage, and I'd had to brake pretty sharply when I saw him pull out.
As he finished his turn, I saw the tow-rope between the two cars...
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