We have just returned from a week in the Algarve. Before going I read a bit about Portuguese driving and it was all doom and gloom, dangerous, locals are nutters etc. These drivers must have been away! 600km in a week and the most traffic we saw was on the way back to the airport at 9am, but even then no traffic jams.

We saw an accident in the shopping centre underground car park 10 minutes after we arrived and a poor Dutch couple were rear ended at a set of lights - it was right outside a Pug dealer so their 307 didn?t have far to go. Our car received a dented door in a car park too, but hire company didn?t seem too concerned when I called and nothing was made of it when I dropped the car off.

Other than events which could happen in a any country, mile after mile of very quiet roads and a motorway where most drivers were sensible, just as the UK those driving the German marques appeared to use the motorway for speed trials!

Well signposted, well maintained and new roads everywhere. The directions to our apartment were wrong as a new roundabout and dual carriageway had been completed since May, which was the last time the owners had visited and checked the route.

No speed cameras per se, but in some villages in rural locations they have random sets of traffic lights. Exceed 50km/h and they turn red for about 15 seconds! Not only do you get annoyed but you also p off anyone following you, keep in limit and they stay green.

Our chariot for the week was a Pug 207 1.6HDi. Knowing we would be doing some lengthy driving I wanted something economical and with a bit of room and at £100 for the week this fitted the bill.

Economy was excellent - computer calculated it at 5 l/100km (56 mpg) with an average speed of 58 km/h.

Other than that there was nothing else I could rave about. The car had done 21,000km since May 2006 and it was developing faults. They clever ?flip key? didn?t flip anymore and was a fiddle to get in the ignition and the remote locking sometimes wouldn't work. I couldn't get the seat right - whenever I was in the driving seat and geeling right so i could see all around and all the instruments I couldn't get out without hitting my leg on the steering wheel. There are no less than 11 warning lights for sear belts. A red and a green one for every seat belted fitted and an additional one on the instrument panel, this one failed to go out every time and sometimes chimed that a seat belt wasn?t fastened when it was. The car had warning chimes for everything, I still don?t know what some of them were for.

The steering felt very woolly and at speed any slight movement induced serious body roll. The engine was very refined and quiet until around 2,000 rpm, after this the noise gathered until at 3,000 revs it became very intrusive, unfortunately in 5th 3,000 revs equals 120 km/h, the limit on Portuguese motorways, so I kept to 100-110 km/h to keep the revs and accompanying noise down, a 6th gear would have been welcomed. On urban 90km/h roads the car was probably in it?s best environment - 5th gear 2,000 revs and acceleration on tap when required, but even then if you came across a vehicle which could be overtaken it had to be planned very carefully as there is no way this car would take off quickly and once 3,000 revs was reached there was nothing left. Gar changes mid overtake were always required.

It did lose speed on uphill motorway sections when in 5th, but I just had to live with it as changing to 4th resulted in serious noise, but no acceleration as the torque band had been breached. In essence a small turbo diesel engine in a larger car such as this is a no no. They may be good at getting reduced emissions, but this comes at a serious reduction in performance.

Portugal is recommended for a late summer/ early autumn driving hoilday though. Read more

Can a damaged cat converter decrease fuel economy?

i recently purchased a 2000/w 306 2.0hdi and found its givng me the same mpg as my previous 306 2.0xsi petrol, which was around 150 miles from 20 litres of fuel (100miles motorway and 50 urban), i am doing the same journey and getting the same fuel economy.

i have found that the cat converter is damaged (a loud vibration) and the front of the car had been lowered, can either of these effect mpg?...surely not by this much?

according to various sources (306 handbook and parkers) i should be getting approx 40% more mpg (average 306 xsi 31 mpg, 2.0 hdi 54.3mpg)

Sorry for re submiting this the other thread contained information about a HDi cutting out#

You're wrong, I went to a great deal of effort to separate the two threads yesterday, both threads are live and completely dedicated to the different problems. This one locked. Do a Forum search on your own alias if you don't believe me. Read more

Grateful for any help anyone can offer - I know it's difficult without seeing the car:
Volvo V40 1999, 2.0i, 96000 miles.
Clutch has gradually become heavy, is now creaking and I suspect it's on its last legs. However, is showing no real signs of slipping. I've tried lubricating the pedal bearings, yet it still creaks and gorans so I fear it could be the cluctch mechanism or whole unit. Any idea how much a replacement is on these cars, and can they just fail or do they go gradually? COuld still be on its original I suppose... Just flown through its MOT, and otherwise in very good nick. Wonder if it's now the time to trade in and move on -- only needed as a second car. Advice welcome Many thanks. Read more

Somebody raised this point earlier and I don't think there was a response.

There is no life from my delete (as opposed to backspace) key. Nor from CTRL-c and CTRL-v.

Why?
Read more

i want to replace the space saver in an X Type estate and don't want to pay in excess of £280 for a new alloy... or buy second hand.. (would worry me what someone else might have done to it, when you're driving fully laden, with your family in, at speed).

my first cunning plan was to buy an X type steel one, but they only made them in 16" not the 17" i need

any ideas as to what alternative model car wheels would bolt right on?... Mondeo?

the tyre details are: 225/45 ZR17 91W Read more