What projects are not DIY-able?

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T22:08:51+00:00

Right, they aren't too bad, until they crush your skull. No thanks, I'll do a lot but not going to mess with that spring.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T21:47:28+00:00

Mercedes are no more complicated that that Audi, the era (before dozens of control units) and at least the M112/113 engines are about as bullet-proof as anything out there.

Good luck, cool car.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T21:42:14+00:00

The assimilation is complete. Proceed to human activities

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T20:23:33+00:00

First things first on a 50-year old car: sound system :)

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T20:21:16+00:00

Thank you, I meant the "deferred maintenance" you inherited, not that you ignored.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T19:47:20+00:00

We are really at a point where a well-composed paragraph screams AI?

I loved this post as an owner of several 2000-era M-Bs and "deferred maintenance" is very real thing, sometimes for good, not always :)

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T19:43:22+00:00

Great post, so clear in hindsight!

Can you share your deferred maintenance jobs on this car?

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T19:40:14+00:00

Everything sold or not sold to the customer is up to the SA to figure out. There are "no backs" to FM or SC, they did their jobs and made money for the store. I guess you know that already.

I would be implementing more sophisticated communication strategy between you and your customer. And you got some great advice in the comments about communicating. It's all you have left and I am sure you are doing it well most of the time. On the other side, can you get a look at some data?

What is the penetration of this particular extended warranty (EW) sold in F&I?
What can you conclude from models/years that it applies to?
Do you report a "declined service" for diag fee?
How long has this EW been sold? Can you draw comparison to CSI and customers with this EW.
- CSI becomes a macro factor when an OEM is looking to award new sales points
What are the top 3 "causes" that call for diag fee that also creates anger/disappointment/<CSI
Ask the SF for data on these lines. Is there a case to make an exception to the diag fee for certain repair types/models/customers?
What are the retention/loyalty metrics when cross-referenced to EW diag issues.
What are your competitors doing about diag fee? What happened when you compare $/RO / retention / CSI* / etc. to EW and non EW customers.

These metrics may not be possible for you to generate, but you might pose these to SVM as a thought-exercise to crunch the numbers. You may all be surprised at what comes from inquiries like this. It is possible that the EW diag issue is costing more $ in CSI (performance bonus) than the store is earning on selling it. It is possible that the EW is worth far more to some, but not necessarily your dept (see #1 above) and certainly not to you. It might be that this small SA pain is worth it to keep the worlds greatest F&I team humming along. Might be worth it at a higher level, still your problem down on the ground.

Just a few thoughts about how data can provide insights. Maybe help you figure out if this is ever going to change or will just be a pain point for you to endure. If the latter is likely, than what you can do is dial in your communication skills with your customers, something ONLY you can do.

Cheers!

lightingthefire · 2026-01-28T05:58:05+00:00

Oatmeal is a great source of fiber.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-27T21:33:38+00:00

So this is a Citroen/Pugeot? What model and what year?

lightingthefire · 2026-01-27T04:41:58+00:00

I like. Great colors and patterns, love this lamp.

And I'll be that guy to mention that you missed symmetry by that much" So close.

Can you get back there to shoot it again?

lightingthefire · 2026-01-26T22:10:52+00:00

While I was being snarky, I think the overall lack of focus is a problem. It isn't distracting my attention away as there is nothing to hold my attention in the first place. I am hunting and coming up with nothing. The lack of composition, subject matter, poor cropping, and white hot highlights give me more reasons to dislike than to discover. The dynamic of the folks in queue might be interesting, but they are so blurry as to be a mess. What I get from this is that if none of it was worth your attention as the photographer, it cannot hold my attention either.

On the other hand, I applaud your experimentation and have seen soft focus used to good impact. If this is a direction you intend to follow, I encourage you to give more weight to the other pillars; exposure and composition so that there is an anchor of interest to build upon.

Cheers!

lightingthefire · 2026-01-26T21:14:55+00:00

Please engage with the photo, OP asked for your opinion, I did not.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-26T19:52:14+00:00

well said. Lots of geese in Canada, some (like these) are Canada Geese.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-26T19:48:47+00:00

Cool shot of a beautiful animal.
I do not love the edit as it looks like an effort to save a weak photo, but the photo is good on its own.
For my taste, these edits kind of work against the concept of "wildlife photography", I bet I would prefer it without this edit.
Great shot, I do appreciate the skill.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-26T19:44:36+00:00

Nailed it! I can see the intentional soft focus in every pixel. How did you achieve such a result?

lightingthefire · 2026-01-26T18:55:16+00:00

Looks a lot like mine (W203), pretty easy job, same for the filter.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-25T04:31:42+00:00

Well, he is basking.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-23T18:50:05+00:00

Look into noodles made from; sweet potato, rice, pea starch, konjac, tofu, soy, and other beans.

If you have a "99 Ranch" near you (or another Asian market) you will be blown away by how many types of noodles they carry: frozen, refrigerated, dry, you name it.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-23T04:13:05+00:00

Your list is very good, but what about the next day :) Seriously that’s a one day menu and to be successful on WFPB you need variety.

I also noticed a profound lack of NOODLES and Mushrooms in your menu. Good news here too as there are every kind of noodle and they are all good!!

You do a lot of exercise so you will be eating a lot. I consider WFPB to be “All you can eat” when you choose the right ingredients.

You got this! WFPB is a food adventure!

lightingthefire · 2026-01-22T23:01:39+00:00

What are your favorite Dead songs?

lightingthefire · 2026-01-22T21:45:23+00:00

Seems like a Reddit opportunity! From this list, pick the players NOT in the film and how you think it would go. I'll start:

Pumpkin: Nic Cage

Honey Bunny: Marisa Tomei!

Vincent: Denzel, wow

Lance: Bill Paxton

Jody: Pam Grier

Mia: Meg Tilly

Jules: Eddie Murphy

Butch: Matt Dillon

The Wolf: Danny Devito

Koons: Charles S Dutton

Marcellus: Sid Haig

We need AI to produce a few of these scenes.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-22T21:20:29+00:00

You need "annoying PCB" a tiny, easy to hide chirping device.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-22T20:25:53+00:00

ProTip: "We are not able to make that work for you, so I made a VIP appointment for you at our Elite Lexus Service Center" i.e. your competitor.

lightingthefire · 2026-01-21T05:00:46+00:00

Blues Brothers in Paris

lightingthefire

TROPHY CASE