PeteB

Supper

Italy

My air suspension has collapsed at the front only. My drivers pack is minus the ops book but I couldn't get any further than the OP. Anyone able to give me a heads up on what might be the best diagnosis?

The arrow points to a banjo fitting, should be off the shelve for a pair of 'doughty' seals. See if they 'nip' up first.

My front dropped today and I got to start to look at why and how much etc. My Q7 is the S Line and the MMI button doesn't give me different settings. At least, I haven't found any - the book is missing and I'm checking youtube etc for clues. I'll acquire a book too! I think a service manual is available too. The switch for your tail gate maybe bust or is there a fuse? does the button at the front work okay? Does the key fob work?

Not a good day on the whole! I elected to go to Caz's to walk our Alsatian rather than do 'man' thing like go to watch Tigers play Sale at home or go back to the Pod and watch the Ford Fest. On top of that, there was the endless round of domestic chores washing cleaning etc that needed doing. Anyhow, Tom and I set of in the Q7 so Woody could get some social activity at Clumber PArk or somewhere, got about 20 mins away from home and just got onto the concrete section of the A46 and there was a clunk and the front went all funny and bouncy! Some warning lights came of the dashboard an the front part of the air suspension has collapsed! Got it back home and set of in the Ranger....dog was pleased to see us and he is a really good tempered dog too. He got a long walk around the fields and through the village and we left to get back to Shepshed in time to watch the end of the match. Now doing some stuff on this forum and other web pages to check to see what has broken and how to fix it? I like to have a go at fixing things so let's hope that it isn't mega money and dealer only type thing! The jobs keep stacking up! Seen a basket case of a W8 which would get down Santa Pod nice....ebay dreaming?

Trust

Santa Pod was good. A right mash up of cars attending the Ford Fest tomorrow, and a variety of other stuff. Something for everyone! The 06 Bentley was a treat to see and no slouch either! A good mix of Audi stuff, proper drag racing stuff and a host of really well engineered cars in good weather made for a good day. I might make a bid on a W8 if I can flog the hot rod just to do a few things like Run What You Brung! Tom met up with his car mates, I left them chatting to watch from the top of the stand, something made me turn around and look at the queue in the prep lanes. Tom had paid up and signed on! He did a 16.7 second pass at 89mph terminal! The car is at 215k miles, with an old cambelt, sketchy service history and only 70psi compression....thank god it lasted! Caz reports that Crete is stormy, wet and thunderstorms. He he he!

Paradise

I just noticed the auto edit! It wasn't a swear word, but, I'm glad this forum has that facility. I've left a few groups and forums because of !Removed!, swearing etc. We all now it exists and where to find it, but we don't need it thrust at us without a thought for who might see it. Some 14 years ago, Tom was looking at a Mustang forum and left the page open. I looked at it briefly after he had gone back to his Mother's and a thread said 'look at this guys!', I pressed the link to get taken to a hardcore !Removed! site. Not good....!Removed! american idiot!

Well that is another week just about wrapped up! Stir crazy from sitting behind the laptop! I know that this stuff needs to be done and researching for foreign machinery dealers that may underwrite second hand units for us was always going to be hard but it does take an inordinate amount of time with speculative emails and an online translator! We got an Autumn sale flyer sent out to all the UK dealer reps, including the folk in Devon who ain't officially part of the team until November, but I sent to the mob that we finishing with too.... I just had a chat with the man who does most of our finance deals and I got offered a £10k loan over 60 months and it'll cost some £800! I might have to have a bit of that and do the bathroom and garden wall project! That is !Removed! cheap! I'd rather spend the money on a toy car mind. Anyone want to buy the Hot Rod? That needs going and replacing with another sort of retro ride with get up and go! Taking Tom to pick up his less than healthy Subaru tomorrow and might go on to Santa Pod as it is a 'run what you brung' which is a source of entertainment and ideas! Wished I could get a straight liner just for fits and giggles....But, if it has !Removed! or tyres, it cost loads, be temperamental and break your heart!

Asphalt

Pea

floater

George

Yesterday was a day of paperwork, phone calls and chasing around with details from show enquiries. My team of dealers up and down the country have to deal with these. I'm not an office sort of person - I'd go stir crazy at a desk job but it has to be done. I managed to do my expenses for the credit card and only had one missing receipt too! My cash ones are few and far between nowadays, I've even got around to using contactless with my phones now! I benefit from working at home and can then stay focused and undisturbed, If I go to the factory, their seems to be an endless amount of disturbances and people needing my time - it is good to go there and talk to folk but I could not be there everyday! I'm not one for politics and cliques either. I got to populate a list of all the 'used' stuff and now the demo fleet is to be renewed so I got an autumn sale to advertise. The dealers will get a 'round robin' email later, once all the hour meters have been read etc. Some dealers pay attention and others flick it into the weeds and just ring me when the have a deal on the go! I also got the record/minutes of the sales meeting done and circulated. That is a minor miracle of recall and blather with a healthy dose of cut and paste! The Ranger went into the local Ford people for a recall, water ingress into an 'electrical distribution pack', they allowed two days for this and it took two hours! Back on the road tomorrow for me! I think next weeks diary is full too with site work and demo stuff.... The only blot from yesterday is my problematic colleague rang. He was contacted by a competitor (who used to be a dealer for us until they swapped brand), there is a strong rumour being circulated that I am leaving and he is to be the sole UK rep! I ain't had THAT email or discussion yet! There is another chap with the same name as me (and lives in the same county) who works for my East Midlands dealer who has been approached by a competitor of his, so maybe the drums are sounding about the wrong chap changing jobs!?!

Quality

My elastic band is still holding mine together, best get a set ordered! The last lot didn't turn up so I had to get my five quid back!

Spears

Spaniards

Gareth, if you cannot have fun in your job and at least some for success, whatever that may be in your role, get out and do something else. I point out to my kids that I only have had three jobs in my life. One temp job as a postman at Christmas, then following a disastrous education (my fault), carried on the summer job as a labourer doing tree work to end up as the MD and employing 12. When that ended, (thanks to blind procurement and the now ex-wife) I went to work for the company who supplied two of my three woodchippers. Long, hard hours and plenty of driving but it is what I do. In short, two jobs that I enjoyed, was good at and got sufficient remuneration. I count myself lucky in that respect. I'll be trapped behind a screen for the next few days playing catch-up on the sales meeting notes, show enquiries and putting things in the diary! I got another Scottish trip to do but must remember to collect her and the daughter from Manchester Airport on the 2nd!

Instructor

Teacher

Traffic

Ordinarily Gareth, I would agree with you. Someone who smiles is more likely to buy something from me than someone who frowns when asked the question "can I have your order?". I'm for a happy life and an easy life! So I try to laugh at work and get those around me to be happy. In some cases we interview well and sometimes the position is sold well. In his case, I don't think "we" were aware of the baggage. I also think that I wasn't consulted at the time because the thought was that I would object to loosing the best patch, the wealth generator. In truth, that would have been the case! I had worked that patch for several years and know the effort to involved in developing that area, those relationships, those sales, so to start again is a PITA! But, in terms of career development, change is good if you make it happen. I appreciate that a new manager has his own style but the knowledge generated over countless days, months, years was tossed into the weeds. Another, experienced sales representative, pointed out that the knowledge was free and was still tossed into the weeds. Soul destroying to still come across people who I developed a friendship with have changed make because "noone came to see me or phone me". Guess I am the old fashioned company man who bleeds company blood......