New car for that Asian guy.

[Bauer]

SPLCHK

[VTRacing]

Haha!

[bengatta]

BIGJMP

[NeilPearson]

brokeback

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Forum Fiend v1.3.

[VTRacing]

Well that has some connotations I'd rather not emphasise...

[bengatta]

Well that has some connotations I'd rather not emphasise...

You can put that on the front, and MNTAIN on the back...

[SE1Z]

LVEHER

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[VTRacing]

I was thinking HOCUS Focus.

[Santaria]

LVEHER

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Leave her? Judging by VT's facebook he's in far too deep!

[VTRacing]

LVEHER

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Leave her? Judging by VT's facebook he's in far too deep!

That's what she said.

[bengatta]

I was thinking HOCUS Focus.

Don't ruin it... I'm enjoying a topic that does not have any political implications...

SPANKD

[w00dsy]

Can you put a hashtag on a number plate?

[bengatta]

Can you put a hashtag on a number plate?

But nobody will want to ride with an Asian rally driver?

[Santaria]

Can you put a hashtag on a number plate?

But nobody will want to ride with an Asian rally driver?

#illridewithtonymartin

Sent from my Nexus 5

[bengatta]

Can you put a hashtag on a number plate?

But nobody will want to ride with an Asian rally driver?

#illridewithtonymartin

Sent from my Nexus 5

Nice one Mick...

[VTRacing]

CARNTS

[bengatta]

CARNTS

We have had an offline discussion and we are unanimous in our agreement... This will make a great number plate...

[VTRacing]

So here's a cautionary tale, and it could easily go into the Stupid of the Week thread...

I took the Focus up to the first round of the QRC a week or two ago, and unfortunately within a few kilometres of getting on the dirt road leading to the event I got a right rear puncture. It seems the low profile tyres don't like embedded rocks in the road. I never even felt the impact that caused the puncture, but it has sliced the inside sidewall so it's completely borked.

So, I investigate how to change the tyre, and this involves using the special socket keyed to the locking nut on the wheel. No problem, I fit the space saver spare and with some trepidation I continue to the rally. I didn't bother putting the jack and tyre lever away in their spaces because I knew I'd have to get them out again once I got the tyre replaced. Surprisingly, the space saver copes fine with the rocks.

Upon returning home, I'm tidying up the boot and having a look at the damaged tyre and the other stuff in the boot when I realise I can't find the little socket the undoes the locking nut for the wheels. It's nowhere in the car, so I can only assume that I left it by the side of the road when I put the damaged tyre and the jack away in the boot.

No matter, I think, I'll just head down to my Ford dealer and see if they can source a replacement socket for me, and get the tyre replaced.

They tell me that it is impossible to order a replacement socket, and spew some story about how the car is built in Germany and they can't identify which socket they need. The impression I get is that they think only a total muppet would lose the socket. They're probably right.

Ok then, I ask, can you just remove the lock nuts from the other wheels and replace them with normal wheelnuts? I don't really care about having lock nuts, since they're more trouble than they're worth. I'll just take my chances that no-one wants to steal the wheels from my car.

Sure, no problem, they say, our service department has master sockets which will undo the locking nuts. So I leave the car with them to sort it out.

Anyway, I get a phone call later saying that in fact their master sockets are totally different to the locking nuts on my car, and that the service chief initially didn't believe that the nuts on my car were factory fitted. I mention that the car was sold from their dealership in December with the aforementioned wheelnuts in place, and that they should sort their shit out. I can't keep driving around on the space saver...

They have no information on how to remove the locking nuts from the other wheels, but they can remove the space saver because the nuts sit proud from the wheel and they can get grips onto the locking nut. They replace the wheel, change the locking nut for a normal nut on that wheel and give the car back to me.

So at the moment I'm still waiting for a response about how they are going to solve the problem. I have three wheels that have a locking nut on them, and if I happen to get a puncture on one of those wheels I have no way to remove the wheel...

Now I know there are backyard ways to remove the locking nut, but I am just dumbfounded that a factory Ford dealer does not have any way to remove the wheel from a customer's factory Ford Focus ST if the socket has been lost. And it has been a week since I asked the question, and they still don't have an answer for me.

tl;dr I lost the socket to undo the locking nut on my wheels, and Ford has no clue how to get my wheels off without it.

[Vilante]

Isn't that amazing? It just goes to show that these big companies are just being run by hacks like you and me

[w00dsy]

I swear some people in service departments are full blown morons. I worked in the offices of one in Geelong and was surprised to see about 10 apprentices and only 2 fully qualified guys doing all the servicing. Yet they charge a mint and claim you could void warranty etc if you go elsewhere. My own mechanic said the same thing happens in most dealerships, his mate is the main guy in my local Ford dealership and even he doesn't recommend them. They have a couple of kinda qualified guys and a load of young labor. And then they try and upsell shit you don't need or charge you for things they didn't actually do. It's in for its 1500km service, looks like you'll need new wipers and brake pads. Idiots.

[VTRacing]

I totally agree. I have no faith in dealership mechanics, they have too many cars to service and too few experienced staff.

I'd be extremely hesitant to send any car for service at a dealership. Too many apprentices, in too much of a hurry.

However, I would have expected that they would be best placed to find out get hold of this socket.

[Cursed]

Considered going for a drive to see if you can find the socket?

[VTRacing]

Yes. :-)

But I'd probably get another puncture!

[Exar Kun]

That's pretty horrible. And this is from the Ford that is supposedly turning over a new leaf in their service departments (loan cars for all etc).

[bengatta]

You might find a cheaper car, you might find a more popular car, but we can't understand why you won't buy a ford...