The one with the new car

It came to that time that the old car had to be replaced. Because it was 10 years old, had 180k kms on the clock and because there didn't seem to be a need to have an SUV any longer, not an AWD, 2.0 litre one for the number of kms that MrsPdubyah was making in the last few years.

So away went the Airtrek  and hello new (to us car)



The Airtrek has been with since just about new, we've never owned a new car,  and has done us well, ferried all sorts of things to all sorts of places, but at 10 years old it was looking a bit dinged and dented, and as much as it's sad to see it go, it was time.

To be replaced with this. a 1.6 litre Ford Fiesta. Which is very sprightly indeed. Also has a bunch of new features that will confuse and delight MrsPdubyah

including BlueTooth connectivity for her phone. Might have to get a phone with BlueTooth.  MP3 Connectivity. Might have to get her am MP3 player, and a radio that seems to have heaps of pre-set saved radio station options. She only listens to one of two.

Also has Cruise control. Ideal for the 7km journey to work.

This on the same day that the Holden Cruze had a meltdown with the Engine Immobiliser warning  suddenly appearing, this after not starting, then starting again, being driven with the light on



MrsPdubyah parked the car nose-out 'just in case'. When I went to retrieve it, having dropped off the new MrsPhilMobile, it didn't start, the bit lid popped open, the dashboard did a disco display the radio changed channels a few times and the hazard light just came on and stayed on.

The tow-truck man came along, made out like it happened all the time and to much better cars and took it away.

The Holden Garage says they'll try to get a look at it in the next couple of days, if I'm lucky. I'm not that lucky.

I've had issues with this car before, and this time

Oh and I don't think I wrote about the ABS warning sensor on both front wheels needing replacement, the dodgy radio that sometimes has a display and other not.

I'm hoping that it's just a new battery. It probably isn't

A day of much conflict and contrast.

In other news:

These arrived. Nike LunarFly 4 , This picture doesn't do them justice, the soles are also a pale blue. Might take my frustrations out on these and the pavement.



Or I might have a beer.

 

Updated:

The Holden Cruze immobilizer - it was the battery causing all the drama and setting off all the lights and bells, ended up costing me twice as much as just a battery would since the technician spent an hour plugging in the computer diagnostics.

So far then, Left and Front side ABS sensors have broken of their own accord, Both interior chrome door handles replaced after the chrome flaked off and ended up cutting MrsPdubyah on one occasion, Brake Rotors, Brake pads front and rear, new battery, not bad for a car with only 90K Kms on it. Must nearly be time for 4 new tyres.

The Lunarfly 4's are awesome!

The beer has been a mixed bag.

 

As I get older I get different - the birthday gift from Holden - the update

Holden in Australia rang me today, well a spokesperson did, to talk about my 2009 Holden Cruze, someone in their PR department, who knows, I didn't write his name down. Anyway...

According to the person I spoke to, and you'll get that this is my version of his words paraphrased;

• It's normal for modern cars to have rotors replaced at 60,000 kms


• The brake pads are in constant contact with the disks constantly wearing them down to keep them from warping. (for real)


• Of course it uses rotors quicker than an older car, they're modern, its a modern braking system. (for real)


• Advised that the Mitsubishi Airtrek (which he'd never heard of as a model) has never had rotors and has 160,000 on the clock was because it's older! And regardless must be lighter on the brakes because it's a 4wd SUV


• "Having worked for VW and other manufacturers I can assure you that this isn't unusual" a pitiful plea from authority.


• "You brought you car second hand, what can you expect?" (I've had it 2 years and done 40,000 kms, it been serviced 3 times at the same dealership, he tried to convince me that I'd only done 17,000kms nothing like research)


• He did concede that he'd never heard of this problem, that it sounded unusual, but it was expected.

I did point out that it was a 1.8 litre, mid-sized car, not some V8 performance car. It's a town car, a commuter car, it's a shopping basket.

He did offer to pay 50% of the costs of the Rotors/Discs, on condition that I remove my FB wall post. I told him to email me and I'd consider it. I told him how miffed I was, and resentful that a new in-warranty vehicle was supplied from the factory with items that clearly were never going to make a warranty period. I told him that I wasn't happy and that it was a poor excuse that he was offering up.

I will consider his email should it ever arrive. I'm happy to remove the Facebook wall post to their wall.

Really I'm ok with Tyres wearing out, I get spark plugs, oil filters, air filters, transmission oils. They're what you expect to have changed. I'm even ok with brake pad wear at 60,000 km (although there was no indication that they were low), but I'm not ok with having to replace the rotors/discs because the man at Holden says that "it's normal, and it's the modern way"

Oh and Giltrap Holden North Shore are a super dealership, they really set a benchmark in customer service and go far beyond what you expect from a car dealer. Can't recommend them enough.

Related articles

• Cruze keeps Holden ticking as profit falls (news.com.au)


• As I get older I get different - the birthday gift from Holden (pdubyah.com)

As I get older I get different - the birthday gift from Holden

Today is my birthday, it should be a day to smile and indulge.

Last year we went to Queenstown for a visit, this year on the weekend we went to the beach house, where the weather was fine and dandy and I ate too much, drank too much and did too little. Had a great time of much relaxation, did some Gentleman fishing, and went to a party, had a BBQ breakfast and sat around.

But today I'm at home, taken a day off work to be communing with myself.

I also put the philmobile  into the Holden  garage for a service. Doing the right thing, keep the service plan unto date. It's not an old car, November 2009 was when it was first registered, and I brought it in August of 2010. It's now got 60K on the clock. And i presume it's still under a manufacturer warranty. Like I said not old by any definition of old cars.

Things to do on your birthday include then not putting your car in for a service, since they rang me shortly after with the news that it needs about $600 dollars worth of brakes and rotors. It seems they rotors are made from tin foil or something, and of course are "wear and tear" and not faulty and therefore not warrantable parts. Farcical. Added to the other "parts" that you need for a service and I was in for $1,302 today.

I looked up the trade in value, and it's worth between $18,000 and $23,995 depending on if it's an auction or from a dealer. $600 would be about then 3% of the value of the car.

Quandary is to keep it, and be frustrated at the expense, or trade it  in a fit of pique for a whole new bunch of expenses, or having spend the money wait a year to get some of the value from the expenses. I'm not sure MrsPdubyah is going to be best pleased when she looks at the Visa card bill later.

You know I'll still be driving it in a year.

Tempered with this is that I just brought lamb shanks and they're in the slow cooker and about 8 hours away from being ready to eat. I might be in a better mood by then. Might. If not at least I'll be tasty.

I support the All Blacks....

Well no, I appreciate them, but being English I'll support England first. Sure I know the names of the All blacks, and can even pick some of them out from their pictures. But it's not really support is it.



It's like the Ford/Holden thing, you pick one that you support, but when it comes down to it you're picking based on it being a V8 supercar not the Ford Fiesta, or Holden Vectra, and most likely you show your support by driving Nissan or Mazda. (I prefer Ford, I drive a Holden).

Support for a team though, if you get the support thing you'll  know that it's a lifelong thing, you don't chop and change as it suits. I'll always follow Crystal Palace, always. I'm a Ford man. I'll never stop following North Harbour, and the Warriors will be my pick to win every time.

If you support something you do always, loyally. But you know what you can't just pick the national team, that's just being patriotic, You can support national team if  it's Wellington Phoenix, Breakers or Warriors, but they play in Australian competitions so that's a bit different.

My support of Crystal Palace, it's like a tribal thing, You pick your colours, team name, mascot, ground, sometime based on locality (almost always based on locality) and that's it you're in. Some of you might think you support Manchester United, or Arsenal, you don't you follow them, it's different (ok if you're English and they're you're local team then you can, I concede). In NZ you're a follower. And in NZ you don't get many opportunities to tribal up (unless it's city based rivalries.)

But I'll tell you what you can't do, create some competition, in this case Netball, and come up with some schmanzy names like the Mystics, Sting etc and expect it to catch on. There is no connection to anything, you can't just invent names to suit a franchise you must have a base line and existent place to build from. I can't get the Netball name thing, that's whacked, and for that reason I can't see myself supporting something I don't or can't connect with.

What would separate the follower from a supporter? Well it's not wearing the replica jersey. It's a life long thing, you can't waiver. Patriotism isn't support, support is following your team, thick and thin. The All Blacks will always have support and carry a nation that's not in dispute, but if the number of shirt sales depends on their success, and not how much you want you want to look like them then that's not support that's like a disapproving parent and a child.

So I support England, and anyone playing Australia (in any sport). And I always will.

Athiesm and Man made climate change

I don't believe there is a god. That's pretty much it. I don't have to believe there is one, and I find it hard to reconcile while people have this crushing need to believe there is one, when it is clearly contrary to all the evidence. Then of course we read it through different eyes.

I don't believe in man made climate change. I believe in climate change of course, you'd be daft not to at least grasp that there has been a progression of the seasons, and that there appears to be growing extremes of weather.

Religious types. particularly the Christian types, are pretty much the same as Climate Changists. They both cast you as "unbeliever" thereby labelling you as someone who is counter or contrary the "norm". It is not normal to be a Christian, ask any Buddhist or Muslim for instance.

and man "must be" "has to be" responsible for climate change, no if's but's or maybe's about it. Definitively and absolutely it's man. Man has to be the centre of things, it's what God would have wanted.

I find it unpalatable to be labelled unbeliever, as I would be if I was labelled "unclean" or "underclass" for instance, as I am sure it was unpalatable to be labelled "Jew" in 1940's Germany.

It's somewhat like the Ford/Holden thing that is prevelant in Australia/New Zealand. One side believes without a doubt that one V8 is better than the other. Regardless of any other cars made by them it's just about the name. There is no lucid argument as to why one is better than the other, it's based on personal preference and the winning capabilities of either on race day - in race cars that bear only passing resemblance to the road car version. But you get labelled as "Ford" person or "Holden" person even if you are driving a Mitsubishi - which quite frankly is what most of them do drive. Just illogical.

Just as it's illogical to be distainfull of theists or those that don't actually belive 'man' has broken the planet just based on your own preference.

Athiesm and Man made climate change

I don't believe there is a god. That's pretty much it. I don't have to believe there is one, and I find it hard to reconcile while people have this crushing need to believe there is one, when it is clearly contrary to all the evidence. Then of course we read it through different eyes.




I don't believe in man made climate change. I believe in climate change of course, you'd be daft not to at least grasp that there has been a progression of the seasons, and that there appears to be growing extremes of weather.

Religious types. particularly the Christian types, are pretty much the same as Climate Changists. They both cast you as "unbeliever" thereby labelling you as someone who is counter or contrary the "norm". It is not normal to be a Christian, ask any Buddhist or Muslim for instance.

and man "must be" "has to be" responsible for climate change, no if's but's or maybe's about it. Definitively and absolutely it's man. Man has to be the centre of things, it's what God would have wanted.

I find it unpalatable to be labelled unbeliever, as I would be if I was labelled "unclean" or "underclass" for instance, as I am sure it was unpalatable to be labelled "Jew" in 1940's Germany.

It's somewhat like the Ford/Holden thing that is prevelant in Australia/New Zealand. One side believes without a doubt that one V8 is better than the other. Regardless of any other cars made by them it's just about the name. There is no lucid argument as to why one is better than the other, it's based on personal preference and the winning capabilities of either on race day - in race cars that bear only passing resemblance to the road car version. But you get labelled as "Ford" person or "Holden" person even if you are driving a Mitsubishi - which quite frankly is what most of them do drive. Just illogical.

Just as it's illogical to be distainfull of theists or those that don't actually belive 'man' has broken the planet just based on your own preference.

I got a new car

[caption id="false" align="alignnone" width="320"] red car[/caption]

A red one. A Holden one.

It has more frippery than I can list, including a trip computer, Leather (Heated Seats) and a connector for a MP3 player.

It also apparently has a fuel consumption guide listed as 8.5 Litres per 100 Kms.

HA! I laugh at you. I've managed a 9.4 so far. And I'm not exactly Schumacher - and I'll tell you why.

The OCD part of me wants to (needs to) have some clarity and objective. So when the tip computer says my fuel consumption is 10.2 I need it to be 10.1. Then I need it to be 10.0 and then 9.9 and so on. Currently it is 8.9, and it's also saying I have enough go juice to go 648Kms.

I drive 30-odd kms to work and the same 30-odd kms home. Mostly in heavy traffic on the motorway. Alarmingly the fuel consumption at idle is horrific (I base this on the way the L per 100km figure keeps getting bigger, not on any scientific basis.

As I get nearer empty the chances of me getting the current 8.9 figure down -as an average to 8.5 diminishes - woe is me - this is stressful.

Still as I ponder this whilst sitting in my comfy warm heated leather seats I wonder how in earth they get to an urban cycle figure of 8.5 which seems improbable. Short journeys - such as I take on the weekend - seem to be very punishing, lots of stop signs and car-parks.

The only thing I can think of then is to go the long way to get the magic 8.5 figure - which means leaving earlier and spending more on petrol overall.

I may just give up.

BUT on the other hand it does have a connector for my MP3 - just a simple thing not a flash usb one, but I'm working on it. This has allowed me to listen again to some goodly music in the car. Which in the last week has included things like Gary Numan, Siouxie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Stranglers, Sex Pistols and other stuff like Massive Attack, Gorillaz, Pheonix Foundation and Fat Freddy's Drop.

Not all of this music is memorable or indeed much good, but I remember a goodly amount of the words so that must make them classics right ?

So there I am comfy in the aforementioned heated leather seats singing away - which is awesome but not as legendary as singing on the bus. I must be a sight to behold to the travellers - but I figured out if you wear a blue-tooth ear thingy you can at least pretend you're on the phone :-)