November 2000
Do you have any experience of the retro-fit preheaters that are available from companies such as Kenlowe?
I am about to fit an electric fan to my diesel Land Rover Discovery, but wonder whether a preheater would also cut down engine wear, and improve economy at the beginning of a journey (I live at the bottom of a 1mile long steep hill, which always makes the car work very hard first thing - especially in the depths of winter).
Many thanks Read more
HI, John. Will you give an opinion on the conversion from petrol to LPG, cost to convert £1500. Vehicle Honda CRV. Approxiate MPG 27.I appreciate the ecological benefits.Are there any possible problems apart from a small loss of boot space? On 12000 miles per year, how long to recover conversion cost?Is the government liable to increase tax on gas if more people convert? Thank you Bill. Read more
Dear Bill,
Of course the Government will increase tax on LPG if significantly more people use it. The reasons are partyly to recoup lost tax revenue and partly to slow down the sale of LPG because, like diesel, there is a limit to the amout of LPG which can be refined from every barrel of crude or which simply exists as an oilfiled gas. I don't think you drive far enough for a conversion to be worthwhile. And in any case Honda may not approve the conversion. They don't for their VTEC engines.
HJ
I have a new Punto Sporting in which the engine injection warning light intermittently illuminates, usually when doing about 70mph. The car has been back to the dealer several times for diagnostics. So far they have changed the sensor and the wiring loom, but still no joy. The diagnostics show nothing out of the ordinary, and there is no rough rumnning when the light is on.
Any suggestions. Read more
Dear Stuart,
Could be a minor misfire being picked up by the oxygen sensor. Try changing your petrol to Shell which has a slightly higher Research Octane Number than average and which also contains a good detergent package.
HJ
I own an old Skoda Favorit. My insurance renewal has jumped to 214 pounds for TPFT cover. I have not claimed and feel this is unreasonable for a car worth less than 500 pounds.
Is there a specialist insurance company that caters for no frills insurance? or should I sell my Skoda and look for a classic car instead?
Read your article every week in the Telegraph, keep up the good work! Read more
Dear Ian,
All motor insurance premiums have increased considerably over the past 18 months to help meet the high cost of underwriting claims. If all you want to do is cut your insurance costs you could consider a 'classic' on an agreed value policy (numbers in my column of 4th November which you can find in The Eelctronic Telegraph).
But you have sent your letter to the reader's forum, so if any reader has any ideas, please post them in the forum.
HJ
You have twice recently answered readers' questions about removing the catalyst on cars of about 1993. What precisely are the rules on this, and has anyone any experience of a) MOT testers' reaction, and b) cars running, performance and fuel consumption after modification?
You said reduced back-pressure might be a problem, and in one case recommended an intermediate silencer in place of the catalyst, in another re-chipping.
Should the Lambda probe be welded back into the pipe/silencer, or taped up out of the way but left connected, or unplugged?
Obviously if avoidance of a massive charge for a new catalyst on an older car is the motive, then the simplest/cheapest option is the best. What are the consequences of simply replacing the pipe but doing nothing else?
My car is a 1993 Volvo 240. Any of a big range of exhaust pipe/silencer options would fit, if fitted in entirety.
Cliff Pope Read more
Are there other rare cars that you know of, forexample big Mercedes or BMW?
Thanks
Peter
A happy motoring tale with a happy ending.
After a little over 284,000 miles, we've decided to 'let go' of our red Peugeot 205GLD. We bought her new in September 1989 and she's never missed a beat since. When she first arrived we lived by the edge of the sea at Cullen on the shores of the Moray Firth in North East Scotland. When I say by the edge, I mean all of 30 feet away. The first job on starting in the morning was to wash the salt off the windows so you could see out! Despite this, there is virtually no rust evident on the car. She has never had the luxury of a garage and has undergone the full unprotected ferocity of Scottish winters.
For the first number of years I used her to commute daily to Inverness, a round trip of 120 miles. Often my job would take me to the west coast so a daily 300+ miles was not unusual. She regularly returns 55+ miles per gallon of diesel despite being driven hard. A friend talked me into joining Highland Car Club and entering their Novice series of road rallies. To our, and probably everyone else's, surprise, we won our class first time out and ended up winning the novice Championship. We went on the following year and won the intermediate Championship. Regretably a house move precluded further nocturnal nonsense and I retired gracefully. (I still miss the excitement!) I made only three modifications for the road rallies: a jackplug socket for the navigator's map light, 100 watt headlights, and harder front disc pads. The latter was necessary after the originals nearly caught fire on the first event. Smoke and smell everywhere and no brakes: quite exciting really!
Oil and filters have been changed every 6,000 miles and it certainly paid dividends. I stripped down the engine after 230,000 miles and the machine shop refused to believe me! There was minimal wear in either the bore or the valves. In truth, this was the first time the rocker cover had ever been removed. The clutch (the original clutch) still had considerable life left in it but I changed it anyway. Apart from routine renewables such as timing belt, brakes, exhaust, etc there have been no major breakages or failures at all. I've carried out nearly all servicing and repairs myself.
Naturally after all this time and miles, the family has become more than a little attached to the car. Both children grew up with her and learned to drive in her. We fondly remember the many long holidays with luggage stuffed into every nook and cranny. We remember also all the hard work she has done hauling loads of soil and gravel and manure for our garden in the trailer.
I very reluctantly decided not to even try the MOT this year as the back suspension (which is totally original) is showing its age: there are also ominous creaks and groans from the front suspension, there is a small fuel leak and the handbrake needs new cables. She also jumps out of reverse gear fairly regularly. I simply haven't had the time over the summer to do the necessary and of course it is no longer cost effective to spend much money on her.
I began by saying that there was a happy ending, and there is. I'm delighted that the car is now ready to begin a new life towing gliders on Highland Glider Club's grass airfield. She will easily take this new role in her stride and I'm sure that she will be able to do this for very many years to come.
We still have a 306 diesel turbo which is a wonderful car and I'm about to take delivery of a Rover 216 coupe. However nothing could ever replicate the incredible service of 205 G667 SST. May she long enjoy her well-earned semi-retirement. Read more
.jpg)
Does anyone know the best place to fit a Kenlowe heater in 1987
250TD engine bay? Being a Diesel, its a busy bay.