The Met Office forecast calls for clear skies and constant sunshine. Down South temperatures are set to reach 30 degrees. Instead we get a stiff breeze and scudding clouds and a maximum of 19 degrees . The Scottish weather hasn't got the message. Down by the sea the eider ducks and their brood seem to be enjoying the overcast conditions.
The blackberry bushes that line the field boundaries and provide safety and shelter for the birds are coming into bloom. We stop to watch three corn buntings darting in and out of the thickets.
'You've got a problem' says the farmer pointing to the back of the car. True enough a nail has managed to work its way into the edge of a rear tyre.
Down to KwikFit where we discover that 1) the tyre can't be repaired because of the location and angle of the puncture and 2) the electronic systems on our model require all four tyres to have tread that's within 2mm's of the others . Seems that ignoring this can cause 'expensive' electronic problems. No one mentioned this at the dealers. We have to order a complete set of replacement tyres at £350 each. A quick check on Google shows that this is indeed one of the ( expensive and impractical ) peculiarities with this model of car :https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1862822 . The manager comes out of his office and joins the group of fitters studying the tyre. He's a cheery soul. ' We'll need to order them in specially. Not often we see this make and model around here'. He offers us 15% off which is some sort of solace. Angus is once again surprised at how much things cost. We were forever changing tyres on the Skoda and Volvo in France but I can't remember them being more than a hundred or so Euros apiece. We also discover the car has a small built in battery powered pump that can be used to inflate flat tyres.
A reason to eats lots of fish :https://www.insidehook.com/longevity/omega-3-benefits-guide
Coffee is good for you :https://now.tufts.edu/2025/06/16/hold-cream-and-sugar-black-coffee-linked-lower-risk-death
Loneliness :https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/study-loneliness-doesnt-raise-mortality-risk
4 comments:
Surely you could buy a used tyre online for your car (or from Quick Fit from their UK branches who obviously take remove still good tyres and do ? with them) instead of paying for four tyres new tyres.
PS One nail =1400 pounds. I'd get a second quote.
Hari OM
Looked at from another p.o.v., if the tyres were going to present that much of a difference in the tread between the existing and a new, it suggests all four may have been nearing need of replacement anyway. (Doing what I can to ease the pain...) That is pricey, though - Brexit/tarriffs? My van tyres vary a lot in price, but the most I would expect to pay (with fitting) is £200 per tyre. And there are plenty brands that are cheaper. Or does that electronic system know if you go off-piste with the rubber used?! YAM xx
Modern cars can be extremely expensive to maintain and full of electronic gadgetry. One minor fault can create a maelstrom of trouble.
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