June 2006

daewoodave

have a xsara with a faulty temperture control.driving in devon up and down hills.i notice that the engine gets up to normal temp climbing hills i.e. 90c.but when you go down the hills the temp drops to 70-75c.i think this is a very big differnce considering my air temp at moment is 20c.have changed thermostat and bled cooling system.any thoughts or ideas are welcome. Read more

DP

I wouldn't be overly concerned about the running temperatures fluctuating in
the way they do. My Polo is precisely the same, always
has been. In normal driving, whether it be motorways, hill-climbing or
town, 90-92C is the norm. But if I descend a
hill, not necessarily a long one, where the engine is left
to do the braking, then the engine temperature can drop by
about 10 degrees. This is mainly due to the car having
an overrun cut-off, so when descending the hill there is no
(very little) fuel being fed to the engine to burn. Only
if this behavior is new, should you need to have it
looked at.


Our Fiesta does this as well. Can't tell the temperature fluctation as there are no calibrations on the gauge, but the gauge drops back slightly when going down a long hill. There's one on the M3 particularly that always causes it.
scfc_151

my 306 1.9 td gets on average 600 miles from a tank. I work this out to be 10 miles to a litre which is 45 mpg. I think this is average for the car so im pleased as its over 10 years old.

My question is...how are some people selling cars on ebay etc sayin 'i get 520 miles from a tank = 50+ mpg'?

How are people working out mpg? I thought it was 4.5 litres to a gallon.

Just wondered... Read more

mss1tw

that's by filling it to motorbike-death level.


>:-(

All for the sake of 20 more miles before you have to fill up again.
henry k

tinyurl.com/ky6nn

Try a certain free voice?
I can just imagine the available English speaking voice saying " We will do better next time, we are a quarter of the way there" Read more

Forum Safety Tip
type's'

BR's I just popped round to see my mate and witnessed a horrible accident.
His son was in the car playing while he was washing it.
He popped round the back to fill his bucket and came back to see his lad crying with a serious & horrible burn to his fingers.
He had activated the cigarrete lighter and pulled it out as curious children do.

I have checked my cars and they will not activate the cigarette lighter without the key in - clearly his did.

Maybe yours do work without the key - so if you let kids play in the car while washing - please be careful.
Read more

Pugugly {P}

have you not heard of a Mr Rooney - Despite beig the fan of a particular type of film, I never knew that Mickey Rooney ever hurt his foot.
Anyway more of comfort tip, I dislike the dehydrating effect of air-con. Found that this was greatly reduced on a recent long journey recently by what must have been the effect of the dog's water bowl in the rear footwell.

henry k

I saw an upmarket almost new 4X4 with a sort of bull bar fitted.
It was just like a big inverted U shaped tube that sort of covered the grill.
It made me realise than, certainly in urban S/W London / Surrey , they have almost disapperaed.

Have bull bars faded out in other parts of the country? Read more

L'escargot

I think they should be outlawed.


I thought that from a certain date (now passed) they weren't allowed on new vehicles.
--
L\'escargot.
johnny

What's the best way to get to Dover on time for a 4pm ferry, Saturday 22nd July. Coming from Southampton which would be two and half hours on a good day, I'm not expecting as easy ride.
Would the M2 and the M20 be equally bad as all the holiday traffic funnels into the port or can it cope with this sort of traffic.?
We're sailing Norfolk line - I assume all ships depart fom the same docks and join a communal queue.
If we play it safe and arrive early, what's a good way to pass a couple of hours in the vicinity? Any advice from experience is welcome - we've normally gone from Portsmouth or Poole which are dead easy.
thanks Read more

tack

Why not travel up late the night before and book into a nearby motel. You can get rooms for about £50 for two people. A good nights kip and more relaxed for the journey. I do it quite often when I go and I only live an hour or so away. It makes a lot of difference to how you feel in the morning. If going P&O, have a big brekkie in Langans on the boat. Expensive, but it starts the holiday off well

Try and find a nearby hotel/motel on: www.laterooms.com I swear by it

Alternatively, a late night crossing the night before and an even cheaper motel on the other side before the long drive.

neil

Aprilia - or others, if you have thoughts!

i have the chance of a 1999 V plate CLK 320 auto petrol, silver, genuine 27k, full dealer service history (overserviced, yearly despite low mileage). Everything seems to work, just had major service and 4 premium brand tyres (Total £1800 - which is why he's now decided its time to move it on!) One owner from new, chap in early 70s now. Car is absolutely mint inside and out and 'never been kissed'.

Any thoughts on value? (He's looking for £7k apparently, sounds good to me?) Or should I leave well alone...? Or take his hand of? Or...?!

Help!

Neil Read more

Roger Jones

Neil

That model is smack in the middle of the maximum-corrosion era. The particular car may be one of the ones that hasn't suffered at all (they do exist, but appear to be rare). Do check out all the common corrosion points very carefully, including the front suspension components -- there's plenty of info on the Web.

At that price, it's certainly worth paying an expert a couple of hundred quid to check it over. 27k in seven years may seem attractive, but carries its own risks. Check out

ww.ccbenz.co.uk/16180.html

(not hot-linked, because it's an ad according to HJ's criteria).

If it is as good as it appears, it's a screaming bargain. Do let us know the final outcome.

stunorthants

How many years do you have to run a car before the pollution created by making a car, is taken over by the pollution it generates? Read more

Chad.R

>>..... there is a train of thought that suggests this might be and

the concentration by the government of persuading us into
cleaner cars is infact not taking into account the larger picture
( that building cars in very polluting, more so than running them,
by some margin) IF the enviroment is really their concern in their taxation
policies.


Building cars makes money for Governments; both in terms of investment and taxes etc. by manufacterers and those employed. It also create jobs in the area and will contribute towards local and regional economic growth etc. (I'm sure someone will come along and put forward the economic case far more eloquently than I've done but you get the picture).

Unfortunately, the environment usually comes second to these considerations.

omeganoway

Next car will be a Bora but I need good economy because the company I work for are tight with the expenses.Has any body got actual experience of real world MPG of a 1600 petrol.A TDi would be nice but it is just the thought of the govt' ripping us off so much with the silly price of diesel. Read more

Stuartli

The Vento is too heavy for the 1.6 IMO. Better as
a 2.0 petrol. Although I would have the TDi anyday.
Shame it looks so dire but then that's why it's cheaper.>>


The Vento is the model before the Bora; it replaced the Jetta big bumper model from 1992 to the late 1990s.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
007


A recent report... here:

www.virgin.com/news/default.asp?sy=2003&ey=2006&sm...=-

ranked 50 towns and cities from best to worst in terms of 'car-friendliness'. How did you fare?

Let's all avoid Cardiff and head for Dundee :D)

Read more

OAP


>>You pays your money ..........Especially in London :D(