So I'm having a few weeks of complete and utter panic; re-mortgaging, going on holiday, having work done in different areas of the house in a way that is seemingly never ended and the list of "jobs" are getting longer each week (and some are by no means small), plus also work seems to be never ending, long days and things not going as planned with some project deliveries, so I'm a stress bunny.
You would think then that weekends (for those when I'm not doing DIY) could at times be relaxing and stress free......
Friday PM - Lets go shopping....
Mrs E has the bright idea given our current lack of time to do some late night shopping, never again. It was painful, expensive and the store staff were obnoxious and rude, especially when I pointed out I was shopping and they turned all the lights in the refrigerated isle off, but then again I was grumpy and tired. I loses the receipt for some stuff I was taking back too and 30% on the original cost for the refund (on a gift card), so instead I gets back £18, out of pocket again, then succeeds in spending £140 in store.
Saturday AM -Trip to to Boots
Easy enough, I just needs some bits for going away, yes? well no, I manages to forget to pick up my bag and a towel I had just bought. Not the end of the world but a tenner is a tenner.
Saturday PM - Off the Halfords...
Now this is where it really gets fun....
My ECU has been whinging at me this last week to replace the "Parking Lights Bulb" whichever one that is, even after looking through the manual I'm no wiser, so before I went out I do the normal switch on the lights get Mrs E to press every button possible, and low and behold my left tail light is out (my lights are weird there are two tail light bulbs either side, so I assumes parking light; more on this later) - seemingly BMW see fit to have a bulb for everything and more than is really needed.
Nips into the Halfords (It's opposite Boots) spends ten minutes faffing around because their so called car bulb guide is utter bollocks, after a chat to the assistant and she looks on the computer picks up the new bulb (£3) and goes out. Thinks to myself may as well just stick it in now. Bit of a pain to get the tail light holder out, but upon doing so looks to see it's not even remotely the same, so pulls out the one below it places it in the "blown" one just to be sure and it works. Great, goes to put the bulb back in so I can go change it in Halfords and drops the little bugger....but noooooo it doesn't just drop into the boot, it drops down behind the SatNav/CD Changer, which just so happens to be remnant of the Abyss. Changes the bulb and decides I will sort the other out when I get home.
After much swearing, goes home on the way decides that i will call Mrs E to say how shite Halfords are, wait a minute where the f**8#'#';#p hell are all my contacts.....DELETED, how, No Idea. Now for anyone that has done this you will know just how inconvenient and annoying it is.
Gets home, dismantles the Sat Nav/CD, can't reach the bulb because of where its dropped, well not without taking half the side of my car apart....GRRRRRR!! after 20+ minutes finally reaches it with a long screwdriver and bluetack. Phew.
YAY Sorted....Not....turns the key "Check Parking Lights" ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Long story short, not immediately obvious but my car has "Angel Eyes", the reason why they are called so is because they look like this:
They are not as noticeable as above, and amber which is almost impossible to see especially in daylight.
Decides to have a look for the bulb given everyone that has ever changed them online seemingly points out you have to dismantle the whole light assembly! Good God!
Luckily, not the case with mine, finds them but the way the holder is setup, it makes it virtually impossible to remove the bulb (basically they are designed to melt at the locking position to seal the bulb in, or some bizarre crap like that.
Off to Halfords again....another session with the guy, shows him the lights on the car, he immediately knows the ones I needs. Great. £6 each and I now need 2 to keep the intensity the same on each side.
Gets home, decides I will try to get the bulb out; Stanley knife, kitchen knife and a set of pliers later it cracks open, bulb comes out easy enough! Wohooo I'm a genius. Goes to fit the nice shiny £6 bulb, but wait the bullets are offset, but mine are not! ARGHHHHHHHHH!! At this point decides to pack all my crap out and go back but in doing so knocks the knife into the engine, oh poop I exclaim! but wait it didn't fall out the bottom...hmmm...
Oh no, the whole underneath of the car is sealed........and I can see the knife but I can't even reach it, or get to it because there is a fooking 3.0d engine in the way.
Several arguments, lots of dirt, prizing, screwdriver lodging and shouting at Mrs E to put here hands in that hole, not this hole that hole, what whole she exclaims as I shove her hand into the engine bay, I ends up taking the whole plastic protecting piece underneath part of the car off, knife drops out. Puts it all back together, sorts out pre-organised salesman meeting for some patio doors, races to Halfords....
Takes them back to the guy that said these are the ones, scratches his head sees they are different this time and then I even get assistance from two others, equally scratching their heads.....
Anyway finally they decide, yes these are a definitive replacement (despite me pointing out they are only 4w and I'm sure the others are 10w)....and at £2.50 for two instead of £12, i don't argue.
Gets home, goes to replace the bulb....wait where is the plastic/rubber cover for the bulb housing....yes you guessed it....somewhere in the fooking engine.
Tries one, it works, not bright but I did point that out and really by this point couldn't be bothered and just though as long as it isn't bugging me on my dash I will leave it until when I come back off holiday.
Now, tell me that weekends are peaceful.
What you also have to remember, is that recently I had somewhat of a set too with Halfords because they ruined a £100 coat with some sloppy health and safety, COSHH etc and they decided it wasn't there fault because they couldn't be arsed cleaning the isle, so it made my three visits to the store just that tad more annoying.
You would think then that weekends (for those when I'm not doing DIY) could at times be relaxing and stress free......
Friday PM - Lets go shopping....
Mrs E has the bright idea given our current lack of time to do some late night shopping, never again. It was painful, expensive and the store staff were obnoxious and rude, especially when I pointed out I was shopping and they turned all the lights in the refrigerated isle off, but then again I was grumpy and tired. I loses the receipt for some stuff I was taking back too and 30% on the original cost for the refund (on a gift card), so instead I gets back £18, out of pocket again, then succeeds in spending £140 in store.
Saturday AM -Trip to to Boots
Easy enough, I just needs some bits for going away, yes? well no, I manages to forget to pick up my bag and a towel I had just bought. Not the end of the world but a tenner is a tenner.
Saturday PM - Off the Halfords...
Now this is where it really gets fun....
My ECU has been whinging at me this last week to replace the "Parking Lights Bulb" whichever one that is, even after looking through the manual I'm no wiser, so before I went out I do the normal switch on the lights get Mrs E to press every button possible, and low and behold my left tail light is out (my lights are weird there are two tail light bulbs either side, so I assumes parking light; more on this later) - seemingly BMW see fit to have a bulb for everything and more than is really needed.
Nips into the Halfords (It's opposite Boots) spends ten minutes faffing around because their so called car bulb guide is utter bollocks, after a chat to the assistant and she looks on the computer picks up the new bulb (£3) and goes out. Thinks to myself may as well just stick it in now. Bit of a pain to get the tail light holder out, but upon doing so looks to see it's not even remotely the same, so pulls out the one below it places it in the "blown" one just to be sure and it works. Great, goes to put the bulb back in so I can go change it in Halfords and drops the little bugger....but noooooo it doesn't just drop into the boot, it drops down behind the SatNav/CD Changer, which just so happens to be remnant of the Abyss. Changes the bulb and decides I will sort the other out when I get home.
After much swearing, goes home on the way decides that i will call Mrs E to say how shite Halfords are, wait a minute where the f**8#'#';#p hell are all my contacts.....DELETED, how, No Idea. Now for anyone that has done this you will know just how inconvenient and annoying it is.
Gets home, dismantles the Sat Nav/CD, can't reach the bulb because of where its dropped, well not without taking half the side of my car apart....GRRRRRR!! after 20+ minutes finally reaches it with a long screwdriver and bluetack. Phew.
YAY Sorted....Not....turns the key "Check Parking Lights" ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Long story short, not immediately obvious but my car has "Angel Eyes", the reason why they are called so is because they look like this:
They are not as noticeable as above, and amber which is almost impossible to see especially in daylight.
Decides to have a look for the bulb given everyone that has ever changed them online seemingly points out you have to dismantle the whole light assembly! Good God!
Luckily, not the case with mine, finds them but the way the holder is setup, it makes it virtually impossible to remove the bulb (basically they are designed to melt at the locking position to seal the bulb in, or some bizarre crap like that.
Off to Halfords again....another session with the guy, shows him the lights on the car, he immediately knows the ones I needs. Great. £6 each and I now need 2 to keep the intensity the same on each side.
Gets home, decides I will try to get the bulb out; Stanley knife, kitchen knife and a set of pliers later it cracks open, bulb comes out easy enough! Wohooo I'm a genius. Goes to fit the nice shiny £6 bulb, but wait the bullets are offset, but mine are not! ARGHHHHHHHHH!! At this point decides to pack all my crap out and go back but in doing so knocks the knife into the engine, oh poop I exclaim! but wait it didn't fall out the bottom...hmmm...
Oh no, the whole underneath of the car is sealed........and I can see the knife but I can't even reach it, or get to it because there is a fooking 3.0d engine in the way.
Several arguments, lots of dirt, prizing, screwdriver lodging and shouting at Mrs E to put here hands in that hole, not this hole that hole, what whole she exclaims as I shove her hand into the engine bay, I ends up taking the whole plastic protecting piece underneath part of the car off, knife drops out. Puts it all back together, sorts out pre-organised salesman meeting for some patio doors, races to Halfords....
Takes them back to the guy that said these are the ones, scratches his head sees they are different this time and then I even get assistance from two others, equally scratching their heads.....
Anyway finally they decide, yes these are a definitive replacement (despite me pointing out they are only 4w and I'm sure the others are 10w)....and at £2.50 for two instead of £12, i don't argue.
Gets home, goes to replace the bulb....wait where is the plastic/rubber cover for the bulb housing....yes you guessed it....somewhere in the fooking engine.
Tries one, it works, not bright but I did point that out and really by this point couldn't be bothered and just though as long as it isn't bugging me on my dash I will leave it until when I come back off holiday.
Now, tell me that weekends are peaceful.
What you also have to remember, is that recently I had somewhat of a set too with Halfords because they ruined a £100 coat with some sloppy health and safety, COSHH etc and they decided it wasn't there fault because they couldn't be arsed cleaning the isle, so it made my three visits to the store just that tad more annoying.
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