Month: February 2007

Service Complete

Wow, Brecht was on form today. First they give me a brand new ’07 MC automatic to drive as a loaner, and then they call lunchtime to tell me all the work is done. I’m a little bummed, had been hoping to drive the ’07 for a while longer but no reason not to go pick Carrie up this early.

Something new, for me at least: I got an email with a summary of the work that was done this trip.

Item Pay Type Item Status Concern Correction
24 Warranty Done CUSTOMER STATES INSPECTION 1 SERVICE DUE PERF INSP 1 AND DID ADAPTATION TESDT DROVE FOR 2.1 MILES
25 Warranty Done WARRANTY TAX WARRANTY TAX
26 Warranty Done CUSTOMER STATES LIGHTS BEHIND THE CLIMATE CONTROL, ON DASH ARE OUT R/R CLIMATE CONTROL UNIT KNOB SYSTEM
27 Warranty Done CUSTOMER STATES LEFT FRONT SEATBELT TWISTED UNTWISTED SEATBELT
28 Warranty Done CUSTOMER STATES FRONT WIPERS POOR CLEANING REPLACED WIPER BLADE INSERTS
29 Warranty Done CUSTOMER STATES REAR WIPERS POOR CLEANING NO WORK DONE

I like item 29. Of course the rear wipe action is poor – there is no rear wiper on the convertible!

Best MPG Ever! Well, Almost.

Thanks to some kind of tail wind on Friday the trip computer was showing me 27.0 mpg when I got home from work. The gauge was just below the first mark and read 175 miles. I’ve never seen either of these things with Carrie, before. Woo hoo!

But this morning going back to San Diego the wind on the desert floor, up the hill and almost all the rest of the way are fierce. 50 miles into the drive at the top of the hill the mpg has gone down to 23.5. My “half tank” mileage was a lousy 215 miles so what I thought was going to be a record tank ends up being a normal one. Final mpg on arrival at work was 25.8.

When I went to the first AMVIV in my ’02 MCS I got 31 indicated mpg so I am hopeful to see something decent on Carrie for AMVIV 4.

The Regular MINI Service Booking Rant

Finally time to book the Inspection I for Carrie and that means getting fed up with Brecht as usual. It only took me two days of calling to get someone to pick up the phone so they are improving, but I am sure it shouldn’t be that hard. Whilst giving my details I am asked how many miles on the countdown – 625. Well I can’t have the inspection done until that is below 500. I say that by next week I will have done at least another 300 miles but she says I can’t schedule until I am at 500 to go. I say wtf? A few seconds on hold and my booking is taken but be sure to be below 500 when I come in on Tuesday.

Its 130 miles home on Friday, 130 miles back to San Diego on Monday plus 30 miles to the dealer so thats 300 already. I’ll probably be close to 0 when I actually get there.

Sheesh.

My Action Name and a New Myth to Try

First, I bet everyone is having fun with the Hammer and Coop website. I’ve seen a few action names posted so thought I would add mine – Pulverizer Seawolf. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Second, my Dad swears blind that you can increase the range of your remote key by pointing it at your head. The idea is that you get just far enough away from the car that pointing and clicking the remote does not work. But if you point it at your head and click then it will work, if you haven’t gone too far. I’m not sure how close the remote has to be to your head but he says he’s tried it and it works.

Mythbusters – opening the car via a cell phone

A miscommunication at the weekend left the wife and I stranded at the mall with the key to the Camry locked in the boot. She was able to find someone to give her a ride to her house to pick up the spare key but I said I would stay behind as I thought we might be able to open the car remotely over the cell phone.

Now, if you think about this it doesn’t seem like it would work: holding the door opener to a cell phone and transmitting the signal over the air to the waiting vehicle. But I was sure I had seen a program a few years ago where they proved that this worked so I figured it was worth a go, would save Teri having to drive back with the spare key.

It doesn’t work. I have no idea why I think I saw a program that proved it did.

30,000 miles and new tyres

Carrie drove her 30,000th mile this morning somewhere around Jacumba. She had new tyres fitted on the weekend, no more run-flats and the ride is definitely improved, as it was with the previous MINI.

In other news, it looks like I have finally sold the Jeep. Almost all the proceeds will go to shortening the payment schedule on Carrie but I may siphon some off for a new head unit. Apart from the poor quality of the sound of the stock unit, I quite fancy one that can do iPod and XM as well. I already have XM via the CD changer converter so hopefully whatever I find can handle that too.

One of the Problems with the R56

…. is that in order for us to buy it we need to be feel like our existing MINIs are no good, or at least somewhat inferior. And so that of course is what I read from MINI, and MINI-apologist sites like MotoringFile, and I am instantly turned off the new vehicle. Of course the new MINI does have improvements over the current generation, as technology has moved on, but I hate being made to feel like I bought a unrefined, underpowered, piece of crap.

Which I certainly did not.

Running Near Empty

I don’t like it when the low gas light is on; my wife drives me crazy by letting the needle get real close to empty when we’re in the Camry. Its never in doubt but for sure I get real antsy.

So yesterday driving to the apartment the needle is real low, light is on. OBC says 30 miles. Traffic is bad so consumption is terrible, OBC goes down to 20. I change plans and get off the freeway thinking a gas station must be near but I have to go through several miles of residential streets. 15 miles now, heart is racing, I decide that I will fill up no matter what price I find (local gas station that morning was 2.57).

I see a gas station and its 3.09!! Holy crap, I figure I’ll push it rather than buy gas there. It was so deserted that I’m not even sure it was open. Another two blocks and the next place is 2.67, good enough for me and Carrie gets filled up. I think that is the lowest I’ve ever run the tank and I did not like it.