January 2007
I am thinking about replacing the Passat sometime this year and am considering trying to source a three or four year old Mazda6 with a diesel engine. I've more or less eliminated my other choices - Avensis D4D (slower, more expensive and won't drive as well as the Mazda) and Accord CDTi (not that good for fuel economy, more cramped interior than I expected, pricey again). I like the looks of the 6 and it ticks most of my boxes in terms of ride, handling, size, affordability and practicality. Plus from a variety of surveys Mazda usually seem to do well in terms of reliability, something which is particularly important to me.
But, having read through the CBCB, the following gives me pause for thought:
"Enough reports of premature clutch and clutch/flywheel failure to state that the model seems to suffer a much higher rate of this than would be normal. One reader also suffered 5th gear failure on a diesel at 34 months old. One reader had ... brake discs re-skimmed (23,000 miles: again seems to be a common problem). ... On the 136PS 5-speed diesel, labouring of the engine in 5th (and towing) can lead to a short 5th gear life as the selector pins wear. Not a problem on later 6-speed box. "
I don't fancy paying for clutch or gear repairs and can't afford the newer 6-speed version. Do the clutch problems affect all versions of the 6? Any specific symptoms to watch out for when test-driving that will tell me whether the clutch is dodgy? Also, does anyone in the know have an idea of how common the 5th gear problems are, and whether I should avoid the 136 bhp version in favour of the 121 bhp? I would ideally prefer the 136 bhp engine to the 121 bhp - I do a lot of driving on B-roads and need to be able to pass the 45 mph brigade safely, but the bits of straight road aren't as long as I'd like. I know I could get the 121 bhp engine chipped, but my insurance would probably jump.
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ... Read more
Sometimes, usually when the site is ntot performing well, when I press "post" it then takes an absolute age to post, and in fact may fail.
However, if I press post, and then press it again, it immediately takes me to the message "this message has already been posted" or somesuch.
This leads me to believe that in the normal course of things the site is up to something totally irrelevant and perhaps wrong, where causing an error bypasses the issue.
And don't tell me its related to today's problems, because it isn't. It always does that. Read more
I normally get a long delay when posting. I'm used to it and wander off to read another post while it updates.
I use firefox and open separate tabs for each 'new' post on and they seem ot load fast enough - it's just posting that seems to take the time to return.
"Gas-guzzling sports cars, 4x4s and people carriers could be priced off the road within five years after a crackdown on carbon emissions to be announced by the European Commission this month.
The average new car in 2012 will have to emit no more than 120 grams of carbon per kilometre under proposals to be announced by Stavros Dimas, the European Environment Commissioner. The rule change could add more than £3,300 to the cost of a vehicle.
He said yesterday that they were needed because of the failure of European car makers to keep to a voluntary agreement signed in 1998 to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2008. They have managed 13 per cent and the agreement ends next year."
Full article at tinyurl.com/yjtbl3
The Editorial Comment in the Telegraph was to the point:
"With all the artful cunning that we have come to expect from our rulers in Brussels, plans are being made to do away with Chelsea tractors and other gas-guzzling behemoths. Nothing so obvious as pricing these brutes off the road, of course.
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas will instead impose on car manufacturers such stringent carbon emission targets that it will become near-impossible for them to build the things.
It may be his dream to see the whole of Europe tootling around in battery-powered dodgems, but this will, we predict, end in tears.
A politician ? even one of the unelected, unaccountable Brussels variety ? comes between a motorist and his brake horse-power at his peril.
Incidentally, Mr Dimas is, like all his European Commission colleagues, chauffeured round in a gigantic Mercedes. Naturally."
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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The EEC have the advantage that 90% of the general public do not respect car companies. A significant proportion think that the car companies are in cahoots with the oil industry and actively working to prevent alternat fuels.
The rest of the people think that car companies are arrogant, care not one jot about people or the environment, and only motivated by greed and control.
The rest are of course right.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
It seems our unelected masters, the European Commission, are determined to drive us all off the road. The following is from today's Telegraph.
Gas-guzzling sports cars, 4x4s and people carriers could be priced off the road within five years after a crackdown on carbon emissions to be announced by the European Commission this month.
The average new car in 2012 will have to emit no more than 120 grams of carbon per kilometre under proposals to be announced by Stavros Dimas, the European Environment Commissioner. The rule change could add more than £3,300 to the cost of a vehicle.
He said yesterday that they were needed because of the failure of European car makers to keep to a voluntary agreement signed in 1998 to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2008. They have managed 13 per cent and the agreement ends next year.
The Citroen C3 diesel emits exactly 120 grams of carbon per kilometre ? the average that the European Commission will set as a legal requirement for every car manufacturer's range in 2012. A supercharged Range Rover Sport V8 emits 376 grams and a five-door petrol Ford Focus 1.6 emits 184 ?which indicates the degree of progress required to meet the new standard.
Car manufacturers said the proposals, which apply only to new cars, would prove devastating for stand-alone sports car builders, such as Porsche, and specialist manufacturers such as Land Rover
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Time to change cars in a couple of months time. We usually buy a 1 year old and sell on its 3rd birthday. I would like to try and forsee what spec. will be in demand in a couple of years time. So, what colour car should I buy now, air con or climate, alloys or steel, sun roof any use, hatchback or saloon, and so on. Remember that I am interested in 2 years time when I come to sell. Any one out there with a crystal ball 'cos I am fed up with buying the wrong colour and or wrong spec!! Read more
If you are looking for someone with a crystal ball, you would be better off looking for a travelling fair than in the backroom.
It seems to me (I'm open to correction here) that what is fashionable in terms of colour and spec of cars has not changed much in the past 4 or 5 years, and will probably not change much in the next 24 months. It would be a brave man to forecast a major change in fashion taking place in the next 2 or 3 years. ("Buy a yellow car. No, really. In 2009 everyone will want one, and will pay big money for one . . . :-)
As for fashionable colours, see
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=39...2
Basically, whatever colour and spec are popular now, will probably be popular then, and the extra you get back in two years time (from choosing the right spec / colour today) will probably not make up for the extra you will pay out now to get them.
Hi guys - we've been told the wife's car is a write off as it's beyond economic repair having been shunted from behind one evening by a runaway parked car. The other side have finally admitted liability so we aren't losing our excess or ncd and tbh we'd expected that the car would be a write off as it's not worth all that much. I enquired about keeping it however as it has passed it's MOT since the damage was done but have been told by the assessor that this would be more trouble than it's worth as we'd need to find new insurance and this would be impossible unless we get it tested first (can't recall name of test - but it costs £85) and had any damage repaired.
Is this correct? Ideally we'd like to be able to use the car until we find another but obviously if it's all too much hassle we'll just have to live with the decision and find another vehicle asap.
Thanks as always guys. Read more
If it is scrapped also remember to remove the radio, mats if worth keeping, and any other fitments.
If the radio is the factory fit one, then it belongs with the car, not with you. This also applies to many other parts on / in the car. Items such as mats are more than likely exempt as they could have been fitted at any time. The insurance pay out accounts for things like the stereo, alloy wheels and the like, so removing / swapping for lesser value equipment basically boils down to theft.
I carefully eliminated the fuel filter, air filter, intercooler trunking for leaks and general wiring etc,. etc.
I recently acquired a Xantia 1997/Rreg XUD Turbo estate - ECU/Bosch equipped. Shortly afterwards a lack of urge had become apparent after washing the engine. After various discussions here, I disconnected the throttle arm position potentiometer, and checked the tracking of the pot with a multimeter:
1) There is an open circuit between the outer two wires - brown and black in other words infinity.
2) The resistance in ohms between green (centre) and brown starts at 1.3K with the throttle arm at rest.
3) When the throttle arm is opened the resitance progresses up to 1.9K ohms
So.... I ran the engine without the throttle position pot connected. It started jst as normal and idled at 1000rpm - again normal.
{8< SNIP easier to delete than edit. Please see sticky thread on the subject of swearing over in Discussion - DD}
So... what does the throttle arm pot tell the ECU? I am inclined to leave as is. The problem followed a wash down of the engine, and clearly, the throttle arm pot got some water into it which has screwed it up permanently.
Anyone got any answers/thoughts?
Can I leave the pot disconnected?
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I'll try to answer the three questions:
1 It seems to be,but a voltage output test would prove it.
2 No more pollution ,you are not reducing NOX with EGR as on an earlier system
3 An EGR valve which is not operating or hardly operating will lose the self cleaning feature of a normal rapidly oscillating valve and could jam open under certain conditions,so if you want to run without EGR a blanking plate is best.HTH
David Davies
Title should read ? Which is Greener: A BMW 530i Automatic or a Ford Focus 1.6? [Sorry couldn?t really what I wanted to write in the subject header ? restricted by the length].
Believe it or not, the E60 facelift (coming in April 2007) 530iAutomatic emits only 178g of CO2. The five door Focus emits 184g of CO2.
Interestingly, for the first time in a petrol powered BMW 5 series, the Automatic version is greener (at least in CO2 emissions) compared to a manual.
Perhaps Aprillia (or someone with the technical know-how) can explain to us how the Autos are becoming more economical compared to manuals. Perhaps it has something to do with the mountain of torque? Because for smaller powered engines, manuals are still more economical.
The other question is that, as recently as 2000, the equivalent 528 (with a 3.0 litre engine) output was 192hp. The new 530 engine output is 272hp AND more economical. Both engines are non-turbo. We have been used to the diesel engine technology improving by leaps and bounds. Any reason why the petrol engines have begun to make sudden improvements?
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IIRC the BMWs have 6 speed auto boxes, compared to the 4 of the Ford. Could this make it easier to achieve a good result in the 'official' test? It'd be interesting to see what the real wrold consumption is...
Peter
Relucant Honda?
I recently bought a honda 1989 cb 250 r.(motorcycle)
At first it was relucant to start, which I put down to lying up for a year.
I drained the tank of old fuel and also drained the float bowls.
I hooked it up to a car battery in an attempt to start it but no go!
Tried jump starting it and it took of like a bullet.?????????
Attempting to start it with the electric start it refuses to go, it turns over but just wont catch.
I tried the plug test and blipped the starter .... there was no spark...plugs look newish tho!
Where do i go next?
Would it turn over on the start button if the start switch was faulty?
How do I check the coil, cdi unit etc.
Thanks in advance! Ps bike has started a couple of times hooked up to a car battery but only after numerous attempts, a bit hit and miss.
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I know the present battery is past it, 2 or 3 turns and it's flat, when i hook it up to a car battery it will spin for ages
and even then it may not start.
Hi all
Can you advise on this car its a 1.8 Zetec petrol est , reg 04 , am I correct this is a later 04
not had a close look yet so what is a 54 reg ( this is a early 04 )
going to test drive it on monday .
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Make sure you have a long enough test drive to see whether you are happy with the seats. I find the "sporty" seats in the Focus range uncomfortable and much prefer the flatter Ghia seat shape.
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L\'escargot.
Browse
I think you will be proved right. It seems to me that yes, modern diesel engines themselves will last for many miles, but the ancillary items such as turbos, diesel pumps and of course dual mass flywheels are not really capable of operating reliably much beyond 130000 + miles. Each of these items are enourmously expensive to sort out when they fail. I think anyone taking on a 150k+ mile big diesel (from whatever manufacturer) is a brave man or woman indeed. I would take the petrol version every time, if we are talking about a used car of say 5 years/90000 miles old. Let's face it the bigger petrol engined (around 3 to 4 litres) cars are not exactly daft on fuel anymore. Also given the amount of torque these big diesels now produce, one has to wonder how long the transmission components will last - think BMW 535d, Audi 4.0 TDI etc; quite a scary prospect at big miles if you ask me.