The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

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The Bad

Accor – Hydro Majestic

For some time now I have noticed that you can enter a shop and be totally un-noticed, service is not offered or it is really poor service. So now I am going to log these events. Of course I will also note when there is good service.
The one that really springs to mind is the Hydro Majestic which at the time was run by the Accor group.

Pedders

Another heavily advertised franchise that I would never go back to is Pedders – they replaced shock absorbers in our Camry and it has never been right since.

The Good

There are plenty of good ones around, so I need to mention them.

Fat Boy Pide

Aux-In Hack for 2005/06 Subaru Legacy/Outback with 6-CD changer

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The following info was found at the following link which was unavailable at the time
Aux-In Hack for 2005/06 Subaru Legacy/Outback with 6-CD changer

About a year ago I bought a 2005 Subaru Legacy wagon with an in-dash 6-CD changer. It’s proven to be an excellent car, but it has one nagging flaw: there’s no way to connect an iPod to the stereo. The usual way this is done for factory stereos without aux-in jacks is to use a kit to convert the CD changer input to an aux-in, but with the changer integrated into the stereo that’s not an option. Another option would be to replace the whole stereo with a 3′rd party unit, but the Subie’s stereo is integrated with the heating and AC controls

When all else fails, there’s the option of using an FM modulator connected directly to the antenna input for the stereo. Amazingly enough, Subaru made even this option painful by using a non-standard antenna cable! Metra now sells the cable you need to make this work, but the sound quality for FM modulators is only marginally acceptable. Oh, and don’t even mention those FM transmitters you find at Target–those just sound awful!

However, thanks to a couple of enterprising hardware hackers at legacygt.com my problem has been solved. A fine gentleman known as centerpunch made the whole thing possible, and another called jazzymt made it easy. The install requires you to dismantle the stereo and connect a circuit with an aux-in between the CD changer and the main stereo circuit board. I did the install myself this afternoon and thought I’d share some tips for anybody who wants to try it themselves. But first, the standard disclaimer. These tips are based on my experience with my car. I’m not an expert, and I don’t know your car. Maybe they’ll work for you, maybe they won’t, but don’t blame me if you break something trying to follow what I’ve written here.

There are three pieces of trim that will make your life difficult.

  • The emergency-brake cover. This is the first thing you’re asked to remove, and unfortunately it can be really tough to get out. It’s hard to get a hold of because the driver’s seat obstructs it. (It helps to lower the driver’s seat completely if you have power seats.) The cover is held on by two clips, one at the front and one at the rear. If you’re clever maybe you can figure out how to unclip them. If you’re like me, on the other hand, you just have to grab the edge and pull straight up, really hard.
  • The Silver ring around the shifter. (I have the automatic transmission, and this might not be a problem if you have the manual.) Prying that thing out was quite frightening. There it is, right in the middle of the cabin, all shiny, just waiting to be scratched, bent, or otherwise befouled. The trim underneath it gives a little too easily as you try to pry the ring up. It’s scary stuff. To defeat it, here’s what you need to know:
    • To pry up the ring, use a well-padded flat head screwdriver, and twist. To pad mine, I used the felt pad from the armrest cubby underneath the screwdriver and two playing cards on top of it.
    • The clips holding the ring in are on the sides, at the top and bottom. The one on the lower right is not quite at the bottom, but about an inch from the bottom. Dont pry anywhere else or you might bend the ring! Be as gentle as possible, and work each clip a little bit at a time.
  • The arm rest console. This damned thing was the bane of my existence the first time I removed the stereo. There are two bolts inside the console that are easy enough to remove, but the two clips up near the shifter would not let go without a serious struggle! I was very concerned that I was going to break the console if I pulled with the amount of force required to detach those clips. I thought about drilling out the clip that’s visible, but that wouldn’t have helped with the hidden right-hand one. In the end, once again, brute force did the trick and nothing broke. Just pull straight up, really hard, and don’t blame me if it breaks for you.

Here are some pictures that I took the first time I took apart the stereo, back in January. I’ve always found it helps to know the locations of the clips holding the trim in when I’m trying to take something out.

Our Subaru Outback

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Am writing this letter to Subaru Australia – wonder if I’ll get a favourable response?

I am asking for your assistance in regard to a warranty problem. I purchased a Subaru Outback 3.0 Premium MY07 recently (26 Jan 2009) and while in most regards it is in excellent condition it has one annoying “feature” that I think should be handled under warranty. Its gets a shudder in the transmission when the steering wheel is turned. This is most noticeable in reverse when turning but also noticeable when turning a corner or driving along a curved road.
I booked the car in to Tynans Subaru service centre in Wollongong (on the 18 Feb 2009) and described the problem to them. I received a call later in the day explaining that they would need to change the oil in the transmission and diff – suspecting that this may be the cause of the shudder problem – while this sounded like a reasonable suggestion, I was taken back when they suggested that it would cost me $220 for them to confirm their suspicions. There is no guarantee that this will fix the issue and I do not believe I should have to pay anything for something that may or may not have been caused by a Subaru service agent. 

I can provide more detail if you are willing to help.

regards

Travelling in Thailand

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Well we had a holiday in Thailand – actually we just stayed in Phuket – one week in Patong at Than Thip villas and one week in Kata.

Streetscape on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee RoadTeam of workers going homeThis is the main road in Patong.

A fisherman's home This is the home for a fisherman.

Trip to James Bond island - waiting on the boat We had a trip to James Bond Island and some of islands where you canoe through a cave

Bend your head

Ego maniacs in Canberra

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In Australia we have an abundance of politicians who want to keep their power – they don’t do that much that is useful. We currently have a prime minister John Howard who many including myself are hoping will be ousted in the next elections. Problem is he loves being in power.

It is my hope that we will make him pay for his sins – some have called him our elected dictator.

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Extend mobile ring time

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(Originally from here)

Hi folks. I’m sure I read a post just the
other day on extending the ring time on a mobile before it would divert
to voicemail. Blessed if I can find it now.

There is an old thread on this topic, but it’s archived now.

The
question does seem to pop up occasionally, so I thought I’d put in here
what I know of the subject. I had this very question today for my new
Vodafone service.

It seems all networks support only options
between 5 and 30 seconds, in 5 second increments. So, in each case XX
is a number between 5 and 30 that is a multiple of 5.

Vodafone
* * 61 * [voicemail no] * * XX # SEND (for diversion to voicemail)
* * 61 * 0414122000 * * XX # SEND (for diversion to CALLminder)
Diversions (call-forwarding) and cancellations, and call barring can also be set using GSM dial codes.

B Digital
* * 61 * 321 * * XX # SEND

Optus
* * 61 * 321 * * XX # SEND

Telstra
* * 61 * 101 * * XX # SEND
or
Contact Telstra Mobile on 125 111 for assistance. (Real helpful.)

3
* * 61 * 0430005333 * * XX # SEND
or
* * 61 * 333 * * XX # SEND

Feel free to add any others!

posted 2007-May-16, 10pm AEST
edited 2007-May-17, 9am AEST

User #40634 1510 posts
Whirlpool Enthusiast

kylemcd writes… Telstra
Contact Telstra Mobile on 125 111 for assistance. (Real helpful.)

Or you could go into a Telstra Shop.

(Anybody with access to the Helpdesk platform will be able to change the diversion time for you).

posted 2007-May-16, 10pm AEST

User #7176 1458 posts
Whirlpool Enthusiast

Telstra is**61*101**30#EDIT: Its the same for all networks **(Diversion Code)*(Diversion Number)**(Delay)#

On most handsets your able to change this in call diversion settings.

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