Friday, January 4, 2013

Something for nothing

In the late 1950's I watched as Jimmy Mckay removed the head from his Morris minor side valve engine. He then set about and did a valve grind on his beloved little car. These were things that had to be done. Ten years later I was greasing the universals on the drive line of my Holden. Then came a time you had to replace these as there was no grease nipples, so out came the drive line and the universals were repacked. Haven't things changed with cars no grease nipples no repacking as the parts were not able to be dismantled for maintenance. Spark plugs lasted 100,000 so did the leads
The oils have a kilometer rating of 100 thousand kilometers tires much the same.
The roads are better and there is no dust to wear the parts.
Then some idiot comes out with the 10 thousand kilometer rule. Oils must be changed at 10.000 kilometers. Then this morning I went to Bob Jane to speak to them about a new tires and a wheel alignment as they did the last one. Very shortly into the conversation came the 10.000 rule and no warranty. Must be done every 10,000 kilometers costing $44 plus gst. This 10,000 kilometer rule is so these people can make money for doing a bad job in the first place by wearing out your tires.
Going back to the Holden I did the wheel alignment with a tape measure and a square in the driveway at home. The wheel alignment lasted the life of the car the oils lasted 1000,000 kilometers and the car was written off by a drunk driver whom hit it whilst it was parked on a straight suburban street.
These $400.00 service charges are for what, no greasing topping up the windscreen washer water and replacing the plug leads and the plugs.
I wish I could get something for nothing.

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