April 2008
My Zaffy seems to take quite a time to get to temperature (according to the dash gauge). Where is the thermostat and is it an easy thing to replace. Could this be the cause? Read more
P Reg '97 Ka, 79000 miles.
I've posted about my Ka before re: it uses a lot of oil. This has progressed from a mildly concerning but reasonably manageable 800 miles to the litre to a worrying 250-300 (at last measure, 150 miles ago) to the litre. During this deterioration I have done 6,000 miles in 3 1/2 months so at this rate I don't think it's going to hold out much longer...
I've been advised it could 'just' be the valve stem seals, which I guess I could deal with, or it could be more terminal i.e. piston rings. I know these engines don't last forever so I'm not sure whether to take the gamble with the former or not!
So I have a few options really...
Bearing in mind I am coming up to the end of my trial in my new job and the car is due it's MOT very soon after:
-Fix the valve stem seals, keep it a bit longer, hope that it doesn't cost much to get through the MOT in July and then run it to the ground
-Ignore it, stop driving from Mid Wales to North West England every other week for the time being, keep putting oil in (I only do 100 a week locally, its the longer journeys that rack the mileage up) and flog it at a car supermarket when my trial is up in June, using it as a deposit against a newish car, probably a base 207 at a push, but I'd be happy with a nearly new Ka with the better 70bhp engine (guessing these don't have the problems of the old one?)
-Do the above but without taking on the burden of a new car, instead going for a used but slightly healthier car. Perhaps budgeting say a grand for the switchover to something a little newer.
If I choose the third option, there's a fairly good chance I'll get a friend's Seat Ibiza GTi Cupra Sport 2.0 8v. Quite a jump in performance and as a result the insurance is silly money, but i imagine it would go down in due course? The car is mechanically sound, she uses it daily and is pretty gentle with it, and it would come with 12 months MOT. It's a '99 T with 70-odd thousand and she only wants £1300 for it. Is this a daft idea or is it feasible given I do a reasonable amount of mileage and would benefit from a bit more 'go' anyway? Read more
P Reg '97 Ka 79000 miles.
...
worrying 250-300 (at last measure 150 miles ago) to the litre.
Well. Are you sure it's going out of the exhaust pipe, and not somewhere else? You should, at that figure, be able to see quite a lot of smoke from time to time.
Hi,
So is it a good engine or bad, because I'm confused?
Honest John: "Starting from cold, the engine sounded like someone was shaking an old metal bucket of bolts under the bonnet. "
Jeremey Clarkson: "No. It?s crap. Normally, diesels are happiest at low revs in a high gear. Not the Legacy. It has the torque of a pencil sharpener, the life and soul of a corpse. You need to be in first until the whole engine has revved itself clean off its mountings, and even then when you go for second it judders and shivers in protest. "
However:
Autocar, Autoexpress, and What Car reckon it's brilliant!!
Anybody driven it and confirm either way?
Read more
lovely engine:very smooth with a great flat four burble. I'd take the Clarkson rating with a pinch of salt. He's funny but don't I don't go to him for a good opinion on a car as I reckon he is after the laughs now and hating Diesels is a trademark. I have driven one and can say it is not gutless. HOWEVER the power and torque delivery is much smoother and spread across the reve range. It doesn't lunge down the road like a VAG TDI of similar power but there again there isn't the brick wall effect either. It would be improved by a six seed though I must admit.
Stopped off at the services on the M61 and went to put some air in the tyres. Had my 20p piece ready so I was a bit miffed to find the air was 50p, but very surprised to find that it was 50p if I wanted to use the water hose.
I thought M-way service stations had some legal obligation to provide certain facilties FOC?
Anyone know for sure? Read more
I usually adopt the following procedure:-
1. Buy bottle of pop from shop in M'way services
2. Drink contents
3. Go to Gents/Ladies and fill empty bottle with water
4. Take free water to car and top up.
5. Return to conveniences to relieve oneself of liquid imbibed at 2, above ;-)
The old mini I had for my 1st car had a screenwash bottle which could easily be removed, without tools. It was a simple job to take it to the nearest tap (e.g. 3 above) and refill it for free. I once refilled the radiator this way (umpteen bottles full) when a hose blew.
Every sympathy to the injured and inconvenienced.
So glad I chose to work from home today. Always seem to need a wee around about the Thelwall and this would have added further distress!
hi room , i recently developed a very loud whining noise in the car , seems to be road speed related , ive jacked up the car and i cant say there is any play in the wheel bearings, tight as drum/s in fact ....could it be a drive shaft letting go...any ideas appreciated...thanks zoo Read more
Mmmmm.........very good, but are you quite sure there are no local cats which have mysteriously disappeared in the last couple of weeks ? ;-)
I've got some spare cash (and am due a mid-life crisis) so, having driven cheap and cheerful machinery for most of my life, I'd like to get a decent car. Key criteria are (a) reliable (b) good performance and handling (c) a bit 'special' (d) small enough to go in my small garage (d) not a convertible (e) a good local dealer ( I live in Sheffield).
I currently have a 1999 Mazda 323.
The shortlist so far:
Nissan 350z - though hard to find one for this price, and likely to be too big for garage.
Mazda RX8 - seem to be a lot around, but would need to find one that has had the required tlc (ie, not used for short journeys). Local dealer has a terrible reputation.
Subaru Impreza - good reliability and nice to drive (I should imagine) but not that 'special' unless you go down the hardcore STi route (which I don't want to do).
Volvo C30T5 - current favourite, though there seem to be very few about. HJ gave it a stonking review, but I've not heard much other feedback.
Skoda Fabia VRs - nice, but not 'special' enough.
Any comments or suggestions? I thought about an Alfa, then looked at the Alfa owners club forum and was put off by the reliability issues.
Cheers
Pete Read more
Stick with your car, but get a decent motorbike. That is the real way to have fun for a reasonable sum of money. After all, the cars that people have been discussing here are a liability, most of the time, but a nice Fireblade will tuck into a corner of your gargae and come out when you get the 'crisis' come on. A couple of blasts to 150mph will get you over a crisis, believe me.
Hello all.
Hope you are all well. I live in congestion zone and park on the street. With the budget (£455 p.a.) and the forthcoming congestion charge of £25 a day (no discount for resident if charge is £25 a day), my RX8 is no longer viable to have in central London.
I am undecided between the following two cars
1) Y/51/02-reg Mercedes S320 CDI
2) 04/54-reg Jaguar S-Type 2.7D SE auto
E320 CDI I believe is still upward of £12,000 even for a 52-reg car. Also, I heard that these early E-Class have fairly troublesome electronics.
I am aiming to spend around £10,000 and admit both will have over 100,000 miles.
I believe is that the Jaguar V6 diesel is still very new and hence a a relative unknown quantity reliability wise compare to the S320. Also, I believe the S-Type will depreciate more than the S320 from £10,000. Are my beliefs correct?
Having read the CBCB already, what are the common faults / repair costs on them?
What would the ownership experience like on either cars?
The cars will be driven approximately 15,000 miles a year, where just over half of the mileage will be driven in Europe. It will be mainly used for carrying parents and family around as I have a Smart Roadster-Coupe for my daily use.
Thank you very much in advance. Gazza Read more
Darn it: the limit on editing time has lost what I just wrote:
As for the E-class, I'd avoid the W210. The W211 also had its problems (electronics, etc.) and it was not until late 2002 that MB began to phase in galvanized bodywork to address the corrosion problem, which affected models other than the E-class too (and indeed some later than 2003).
Very lucky chap. Pity it wasn't a white lotus esprit though...
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008...l
Already under discussion elsewhere !
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=62...2 Read more
We are downsizing to one car and have just collected our new Prius. The problem is, having only ever driven maual cars, I am finding very difficult to adjust. I feel very out of control, particularly when parking. Any advice? I am going to have to get to grips with it very soon, as the old car is going on Saturday.
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"With MMT it's different unless the system has somehow been programmed to creep, and I can't see how you'd do that."
VAG DSG has managed it - all they have done is programme the system to engage the clutches when the footbrake is released - great in traffic jams as it creeps on tickover.
It seems MMT is like the smart system where the clutches don't engage until sufficient power is applied.
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As per several previous threads on this forum & elsewhere many Vauxhalls of this vintage take a long time to reach normal operating temperature, SWMBO's 1.8 Zafira is the same. Seems to be by design rather than faulty.