November 2003
Nissan Almera/ Toyota Avensis/ Corolla
Hello all
Having started a new job 45 miles form home unsurprisingly the 40mpg I`ve been getting fro mmy `98 Renault Megane isn`t enough.
I love driving and in an ideal world would be zipping around in a nice sporty number, but sadly not when I`m covering 500 miles per week!!
So, I` resigned myself to less performance than petrol, but would obviously like something as good as possible.
I`ve test driven a 2000(X) reg. Almera 2.2 turbo diesel and quite liked the car but worry about the sluggishness. My other options are Avensis (2000 on, D4D) or a Corolla 00-02 D4D.
CAn I get better performance (the Almera looks good on paper)
Or is chipping the way to go (costly!)
Any advice on what to choose betweeen the three? £5K ish to spend
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My 1998 Passat 1.9TDi diesel has a heater problem. Engine is warming up normally, but with the climate contol set to High the fan blows cold.
The only time I can get heat from the system is when travelling on the motorway, 70mph plus or with revs 2400rpm plus when it functions normally. As soon as you slow down/revs drop, the heater then blows cold again.
Local independant garage have checked that the head gasket,thermostat and cooling system are all ok. They've also tried blasting the system through with compressed air, but still the problem remains.
Has anyone please got any other suggestions before winter really sets in? Thanks. Read more
Could be a 'complex' climate control air blend servo motor problem?
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
I've got the need for a wheelchair that will pack into a small hatchback (Toyota Yaris) and hopefully leave enough room for a few shopping bags. I want a "self propelling one" (large rear wheels) if possible.
I know they all claim to knock down for easy storage, but has anyone found a really good design that they would personally recommend?
Many thanks Read more
Many thanks to all of those who have offered advice. I will check with the NHS what they use. The links have shown me some models that are worth looking at as well.
Anyone help I have a Audi 2.0 se Estate 1994 Auto of thelast one's before they became the A6. The car has covered 85,000 with out any major problems but, I think I have one looming now the engine seems to lack power occassionally and is now burning oil, I also seem to have oil sediment in the cars expansion tank. Has the Head gasket blown? any ideas! Read more
Could it be the oil cooler ?
...fuel comsumption.
I have a Passat 1.8T and find my mpg, according to the computer, has dropped from 29mpg in September to 23mpg now. The load is the same, my driving style is the same, the routes I take are the same. The only thing that has happened in between is a service at VW.
I've had it checked by VW who say there is no problem, but I'm not convinced since I had a temp gauge problem which according to them did not exist but I changed the temp sensor and the problem is sorted. VW also told me to expect between 26-30mpg around town, is that accurate?
On a run from London to Luton I averaged 33mpg on the short run computer reading, but the long term readings increased my mpg from 22 to 23. I wonder if the mpg I am getting is normal or could there be a fault somewhere?
The car's idle is the same as before, around 800rpm. A friend drives a 3.0 Omega and gets about 20mpg around town, so I'm not a whole lot better off than him.
S. Read more
isn't there a thread somewhere about the colder weather reducing consumption?
From: www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_834766.html?menu=new...s
"Wrapping car engines in plastic could help cut fuel bills, new research has shown.
Engineers in Germany have found locking heat inside the engine can greatly improve performance.
The findings could lead to engines being completely clad in blocks of expanded plastic foam, The Engineer magazine reports.
By reducing heat loss, plastic wraps could theoretically cut fuel consumption by 5% in the summer and up to 10% in the winter.
The system has been tested at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences using a 1.4 litre Volkswagen Golf.
A research team led by Professor Norbert Deuben enclosed the car's engine with 30mm thick polyurethane foam boards. The engine was run to its operating temperature of about 100C before being turned off.
Although the exhaust gas temperature quickly dropped from almost 500C to the level of the surroundings, the engine block cooled much more slowly.
After about 15 hours it had only dropped to around 50C. Without insulation, it would have taken about two hours to reach this level."
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I just want to clarify that I only wrote-up the invention, I wasn't the inventor. He is a development engineer by the name of Howard Lawrence and he is able to combine lateral thinking with logic, a rare and useful ability.
Someone mentioned to me that there's a loophole in HP law given the fast depreciation (and high markups on initial purchase) of so many cars.
As I understand it, if you have paid off 50% of the purchase price of the car, you can hand it back to the HP company, owe nothing more and they are not allowed to put a black mark against your name.
Normally this would not be a problem, but at the moment many cars bought on HP are worth less than half the purchase price.
I've tried googling and found this which was interesting but doesn't quite answer all the questions: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_factsheets/fact...8
Does anyone know if this is the case? It doesn't apply to me (one old car owned outright, one company car) but seemed interesting! Read more
Hi David,
Sorry for not getting back sooner, I just re-read your original post and thought I would try and clarify.
The Total Credit Price, as mentioned above, is the total amount for the car, plus all credit costs. The 50% figure will actually be detailed on the credit agreement.
Please note that this is only applicable to secured loans, regulated under the consumer credit act. The documents should state that it is regulated (at the top of the first page) and must specify the goods (chassis or reg no.) to qualify. I seem to recall that the type of agreement is known as either \"conditional sale\" or \"hire purchase\" under the CCA.
There will be a section on the agreement entitled \"Termination - Your Rights\" This will confirm the 1/3 and 1/2 figures mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
You will be pleased to note that the GAP cover shouldn\'t be included in the figure.
If it\'s not a secured regulated agreement and does not specify the goods then your friend can do what he wishes with the car, but is stuck for the repayment of the loan in some way, shape or form.
Hope this helps.
No Dosh, aka Alan_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
I want to adjust my main beams of a 2002 model Passat to be higher . Also would like to point the offside beam further across to the centre of the road. There is a dark hole at present that I'd like to fill.
There are a couple of socket head adjuster screws each side.
I've twiddled them with the car pointing at the garage door but can't see any difference.
Are the higher power 'blue' bulbs worth a try as well? Read more
Your best bet is to take the car to an MOT test station and get the headlights aligned correctly using the proper beam setting equipment. Most new cars seem to have the lights far too low from the factory. I suspect it's supposed to be set correctly as part of the dealer's PDI but most dont seem to bother especially if they aren't an MOT station so don't have the equipment. I've just had mine done on a 2001 car, stood there and watched to make sure it really got done, having asked another garage to check it last year whilst servicing the car they returned it saying 'within MOT standard'. When checked the other day they were so low I don't think they were ever right. I can see where I'm going now! If you try to adjust them yourself you risk dazzling oncoming traffic.
As for bulbs, anything with a blue coating to the bulb will reduce the light output and make you look like a boy racer. The only bulbs worth considering are Osram Silver Stars and Philips Vision Plus, both are 50% brighter type bulbs available from www.powerbulbs.com. I'm not sure you'd notice much difference with H7 bulbs as the standard ones use 30% brighter technology anyway.
Someone has clipped by drivers side wing mirror. When I push it backwards away from the car, it springs away like it should do and then springs back into position. Fine.
However, when I push it towards the car, it goes without any force as if a spring is missing. I have compared it to the passenger side and all springs etc seem to be in position.
What exactly holds outer mirror housing in place. Although my mirror looks okay just now, I am sure that once I pick up some speed the airflow will just move it in towards the car.
Any ideas? Read more
From the BBC Site:
Student cars are a 'danger'
Cars owned by students in the London are an accident waiting to happen, according to a new survey.
The Nationwide Autocentre Student Survey shows that 32% of students never carry out safety checks and 18% never get their car serviced.
But the survey, which eight universities took part in, also found that 14% of students considered driving a poorly maintained car more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol.
And they rated driving while using a mobile phone as the least dangerous.
Tom Dunn, managing director of the motor servicing company, said: "These results are a cause for grave concern.
"There seems to be a real lack of awareness when it comes to car maintenance and servicing which is surprising given that the lack of maintenance results in very big repair bills and accidents.
This could equally apply to many 'mature motorists'.....
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"Cars owned by students in the London are an accident waiting to happen, according to a new survey.
The Nationwide Autocentre Student Survey shows that 32% of students never carry out safety checks and 18% never get their car serviced."
And if they had surveyed the general motoring population would it be any different? I am amazed by the number of cars at the moment that seem to have only one tail-light/stoplight/headlight. If they can't be bothered to replace a bulb do they check tyres/have car serviced etc? And judging from the number of people who drive with a phone stuck to their ear, students aren't the only ones who consider it "safe". Many students take a great pride in their car - it is often their first and they look after it better than they do their aged parents!! (Or even "than do their aged parents" if you see what I mean!). I much preferred both my children to have their own car while students. Public transport isn't cheap even with student discounts and certainly isn't reliable and not always accessible. Do you want your 18 year old daughter to be walking home late at night often to accommodation in the less salubrious areas of the inner city? Or would you prefer her to have her car (assuming she is not a drink and driver of course!). Give students a break, the majority are sensible and work hard for their degree and it's bad enough starting working life with a £10,000 debt let alone being told they are not responsible enough to own a car. Would you have liked someone to say you can't have a car 'til you are 22 or did you want a car as soon as you were 17?
I'm getting to be a candidate for that "Grumpy old Git " TV show - as my wife said "Only a one hour programme? - you do 24 hours a day 7 days a week!"
Browse
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I'd have thought you would want to buy a X reg 60K mondeo 2.0 petrol GLX at auction for around £3k and run it until falls apart. It will do a big mileage, leave you a couple of grand to put in the bank. They are reliable and drive well and will do close to 40mpg. Also cheap to fix...
Failing that, an Avensis petrol 1.8 will do the same as the above - great cars lets down slightly by handling but perfect for your run. D4D will cost more but will cheaper to run.
I would avoid the 306 as they seem prone to big bills. The Nissan is, as you say, an unremarkable car but will do the job
Focus or SEAT Leon diesels also a possibility but you will have to go for one with a high mileage,
MB