February 2001
I have seen a newish diesel volkswagen transporter fitted with a cat converter. There was no oxygen sensor fitted on the exhaust. As I underststand things, one way to establish if or not an older petrol engined car is fitted with a 'cat' is to check for the sensor being fitted. (ie. no sensor, no cat). Are diesel engine's different? Read more
Dear Honest John
I am changing my car and now want to purchase an estate. I have no idea which one to go for. I need it to be reliable (I travel from London to Lands End each week - female alone - I really don't want to break down on the moors!).
I've always driven small, fast (ish!) cars. Should I think about a Turbo Diseal? Does diseal really mean cheaper now for long journeys?
Any recommendations, I have about £6,000 to work with - so it will have to be older.
Thanks
dw Read more
When city diesel first came out I found it halved the noise and also halved the smoke in the old perkins 1.9l diesel LDV200, when compared with ordinary diesel. I found it easier to get through the MOT smoke test!
I spoke to a turbodiesel driver. He said city diesel was OK but reduced the power output. All the major petrol stations seem to have changed diesel to be "greener" like city diesel.
Having had a recommendation above, I will try Millers Diesel Power plus and see if it makes a difference. It adds about 1.2p/litre.
I see in the Telegraph that the last of the 300,000 reliants to roll off the production line has been won in a competition by John Leigh in Cheshire. No quote from him, but I am sure he was overjoyed to receive it!
Guess that is the end of the mainstream UK owned UK produced cars. Where are the motoring jokes to come from now the plastic pig is no more and Skodas actually have a value. Should not the government be subsidising reliant or is it only japanese car production? Read more
Dear HJ
I posted the following earlier this year - since then found it impossible to find an Ibiza TDI. Quite lucky really as we have just got a dog and now need an estate! what would you recommend - passat, or is there another quality alternative - it will have to be reliable - it goes 300 mile plus. And obviously with that kind of journey needs a little "kick" to it so still TDI? Still worth Diseal.
Ahh well, my H 205 turbodiesel although only 165k has reached the stage where ancilaries are starting to fail. No short runs & hants to cornwall weekly so it has to be on form. Scan of this site, HJ books & others boils my £5kmax + whatever 205 p/ex to seat ibiza turbo diesel, or 206/306 turbo job. 206/306 'coz interior of 206 & vehicle size seen remarkably close to its "bigger" bro. Also have vw golf, so have afinity with both marques. Soooo given that I'm going to keep for similiar mileage which do you all rate? Love the german build & lower price of seat. But are there any hidden pitfalls?Something of a fan of vw warrantys as they replaced the failed hood on my cab f.o.c. Oh, just to completely stir it up, is it still worth going diesel?
Pablo Read more
Have a 91H 205 TD (but only 80K). Have had two 306 TDs and feel sure that (a) you would like one and (b) it is bigger than 206. I recommend you find a 95 M/N XRdt or XLdt with 40-60 K on the clock - shouldn't be difficult if you take your time, and ought to cost 4-5 grand. DON'T get a 96/97 as it may have a different turbo or a cat and won't have the same poke.
I visited my local Ford dealer to find out what discounts were available for a Ka Collection. As there is currently a free insurance scheme on offer the best they suggested was £7999. Trade-Sales appear to offer Ka Collections at £6299.
With insurance and an additional warranty the Trade-Sales price would be between £7199 and £7299.
The salesman said that the ECUs of imports needed to be translated by the diagnostics machine, adding delays and extra costs to the servicing.
The salesman also said that the value of imports would be thousands less than a UK-sourced Ka.
Is the salesman right? What are the facts concerning values and diagnostics of non-UK cars? Does anyone have any experience? Read more
Being the owner a Jap import Supra, and member of the owners club, I believe this to be a bit of bunkum on the part of the dealer. We have never had trouble with UK Toyota garages reading Jap ECU error codes. I don't think that computers talk to each other in anything other than Binary.
As for the re-sale value, just ask the salesman how much the Ka will drop in price the minute it leaves the forecourt. There is some truth that import values are less than UK spec though. They will also be awkward with ordering parts, like air filters and plugs, just ensure you book the car for service well in advance and that the dealer gets the parts in beforehand.
Unfortunately, this sort of thing is the downside of import cars. Weigh it up against what you save in cash.
Rob
Have just returned from Germany where I was lucky enough to have an Audi A2 tdi as a hire car. Great car! 60 mpg whilst cruising between 110mph and 125 mph (indicated) on the autobahns! Torque at 2,000 rpm is just what you need although engine gets coarse above 3,200 - really don't need to rev that high though. Typical Audi quality within, ride and handling excellent. However front pillars are appallingly wide with one tiny window between the pillar and door frame. Pulling out of a lot of junctions was extremely tricky and usually involved edging into road to provide a clearer view. Besides that and the stupidly high price tag in the UK, the A2 is one of the best new cars I have driven in a long time Read more
I would also like to say that I don't for one second believe that I was actually driving at 200kph - more like 175-185 allowing for the variances allowed!
Further to your recent comments about car use in the Daily Telegraph, that modern cars with ECUs should not be used on short trips:
Short journeys are a fact of life in today's motoring.
It is not up to the Motorist to change his lifestyle; rather it is for the car manufacturers to design their vehicles to cope with the demands of their customers. It is nonsense to suggest that one should keep a mileage log for every journey. Modern vehicles should be designed for today's usage.
Your comments are naive. It is akin to saying that you should avoid using your car in the wet. After all, mild steel will rust on exposure to water and salt.
Car companies generally do respond to market needs; multi-grade oils and sealed for life bearings are good examples. Read more
Who has Roger Keene addressed his e-mail to? Obviously not to me because e-mails to The Backroom are not to me.
HJ
As i mentioned in an earlier message i will in 3 weeks time be taking delivery of a new honda civic aerodeck 1.6 se ,as i hold on to my cars long term as long as they behave themselves(my wifes 1992 1.5 lsi has only had a new radiator fitted as well as the normal service items in 147000 miles) i would appreciate any tips on how to treat my investment over possibly the next 10 years from day one please. Read more
Talking about a bottomless pit. Try a yacht!
After about 15 years since my last puncture i got one today ,at first i thought my wheel nuts had come loose.I took the wheel to my local tyre specialist and watched to my amazment the removal of a 6ins nail, he immediately told me it was the rear wheel! when i asked how he knew this he told me the only way it could enter the tyre was by being flipped into the upright position by the front wheel and then entering the rear tyre!!!. Read more
Took the spare wheel out of my 1998 vectra hatchback today and found the carpet wet through at the left hand rear near the light cluster.
removed the trim and got the wife to spray water over the quarter light area and also down the hatch sealing rubber whilst I cowered inside to see where it was coming through.
It was weeping through a body seam about a foot back from the lights but was unable to be sure if it was the quarter light or not. However putting the air compressor line from inside it blows through the corner of the quarter light seal. Has anyone else had their Vectra leaking rainwater into the boot.
A. Booth Read more
Browse
.jpg)
DIESELS ARE FITTED WITH TWO-WAY OXGENATING CATS RATHER THAN THE THREE-WAY CATS OF A PETROL ENGINED CAR. A LAMBDA SENSOR IS NOT REQUIRED TO MONITOR THE MIXTURE OF THE EXHAUST GASES.
HJ