Or eBay for the parts. I bought my tumble dryer in 1998 and it's still going strong, but I changed the belt a few years ago. I found a genuine replacement for about £5 and a YouTube video on how to swap it (which wasn't obvious!). I also found replacement hinges for an 80s Linn turntable lid!

Everything is so complicated these days, though. My car won't start and I'm fairly confident it's the battery so I've ordered a new one that's coming tomorrow. Apparently you're supposed to use an OBDII scanner to change the battery serial number in the car's software so it knows it's a new one.

Yes we have that with Mrs B’s car. It’s the stop/start system that complains if we don’t do that. Adds at least £75 onto the cost.

There seems to be debate in the VW forums about whether it's necessary or whether it "learns" the characteristics of the new battery. I have got a scanner, so I'll do it if I can find the setting!

I had to get a replacement SD card for my satnav unit paired with the car a few years ago. My original one had got corrupted. Thankfully covered under warranty. I did however retro fit the cruise control and diagnosed a faulty EGR valve so complicated car electronics works both ways I suppose.

That's why I bought the scanner - with the warranty I had you had to pay a diagnostic fee if the fault wasn't covered, so I could tell if it was covered before I went. My colleague had to pay for a Nissan map update, but the VW ones are on their website and you can use any SD card.

I’ve probably got one that’s the right size. Bought a bag of mixed belts from eBay last year. I’m grateful the belts are still intact. Have a fighting chance of working out their size and the route they take. Big fan of repairing stuff.

"Then draw the rest of the owl"

Hahaha!

Incredible. If you'd told me, ten years ago, that AI would be able to correctly identify 'part of a toilet' or 'part of a bicycle' from a photograph, I'd be amazed. But it was able to deduce the exact specs along with instructions on how to replace the parts and what to order for those jobs.

To fix the thing, take out broken parts of thing, then replace with new parts. Take care not to break the thing while fixing the thing! Now thing is fixed. Thanks, AI.

So, to fix a part that's inside I have to *checks AI* , open the box, take the old parts out, put the new parts in, and close the box? Got it!

I never thought that we would need a word to describe the AI equivalent of mansplaining... #ArtificialIdiocy #AIsplaining