May 2009
Had my Toyota auris t180 for 2 years now; finding 180bhp and 400nm quite fun and a very relaxing drive. It will do 43mpg daily or more on a longer run.
I like learning how things work so whist reading up and learning about common diesel problems like, EGR valves, DMF, turbo failure, soot built up, black smoking, limp mode, injector problems etc... i started to wonder.
I have adapted a specific driving style. I give it some beans, 70% throttle openings and usually try to keep the revs between 1.8k and 2.6k max torque. I also maintain steady speeds just under or on boost; 1.8k. So get up to speed quickly when the engine is running efficiently. I also accelerate through the rev range regulary and i occasionally put the car under full load for 10mins or so for a decent clear out. I always idle for 20seconds before turn off.
My reasoning is, the compression is maintained, the exhaust temps are kept nice and high, soot build up should be reduced, possibly less smoking and carbon build up, the revs just off boost mean that big power requests are answered with enough air to fuel mix from the turbo being ready so you dont get big clouds of black smoke / unburn't fuel. So at between 1.8k and 2.6k there is possibly less stress on the DMF and turbo. I also find that providing you maintain a steady speed there is little difference in fuel consumption between lower RPM's and say 2k. Infact 2.5k would also give similar consumption figures and fast acceleration means less time drinking fuel and more time sipping when at your required speeds; improving MPG for me.
Is my theory correct or are there any knock on effects of giving it the beans (50-70% throttle) for acceleration. I always wondered what the relationship is between people who pootle along or even try to request too much power off boost and who change at say 2k... what effect that has on soot, DMF, turbo etc. Read more
There is hope that authorities will listen to the road users.
When driving North towards the northern M25 J9 roundabout the left hand lane has been logically remarked for the 1st exit (M25) and the 2nd exit Esher . It has taken many years for common sense and safety considerations to achieve this.
(This lane was previously for M25 traffic only and was usually empty.)
I can now legally enter the roundabout and take my exit smoothly and safely without stupid lane changing as soon as I enter the roundabout.
It will make traffic flow much better. All that is missing is a warning sign to reduce last minute lane switching. Perhaps it is too much to ask for a sign :-)
I hope other areas are addressed and sorted. All this needed was some white paint and nowt else ( except the missing sign).
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Damn, looks like my 10-year-old brother got into my account, not me - and I'm not a BMW driver, only my parents are =)
I have an 07 Reg Accord Diesel Sport which has done 22k miles. I bought it as an ex-Honda vehicle a year ago and have just had to replace the rear discs and pads due to a severe intermittent grating noise. Despite arguing with the dealership that there must be some sort of design fault to cause rear discs and pads to wear so badly when the front ones are fine I did not get anywhere and had to pay £215 even though it could validly be argued, I believe, that this should be covered under warranty. This led me to wonder whether anyone else has any knowledge or experience of this problem.
After scouring the internet I came across a US site where there are around 200 complaints about this happening around the 20k miles mark but on the 2008 Accord. Honda are playing hard-ball on this though and are claiming that the setup of the braking system causes the rear brakes to be used more than the front ones and hence wear faster.
This leads me to assume that I will have to go through the same expense again in another 20k miles - surely something quite unacceptable. It is not even as if I am a fast driver who uses the brakes roughly. Read more
Thanks for all the comments on this.
Predictably Honda UK have sent a completely non-committal response and stated that brake discs/pads are consumables and not covered under warranty. They also say that the cases I refer to are purely in the States and have nothing to do with Honda UK.
It is possible that there was some wear/rust present when I got the car - it was 14 months old and had only done 4k miles. However the clear indication is that this is possibly a one-off as no one else over here seems to have experienced the problem.
If anyone is interested in the large number of complaints that seem to be around in the US the link is as follows:
www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Accord/2008/brakes/pre...l
Just returned from Jersey and experienced all the Ford tourist hire cars that drive around the Island . A few years ago almost every car was silver, this time anything but. The new Fiesta and Ka were painted mostly an electric blue and a smaller percentage in black or grey, only a couple of unused factory fresh examples at the port were painted in silver the same amount as bright orange...
Will silver nearly new cars no longer be fashionable or is blue is the next big thing? Read more
One of the things I miss about MG is the range of colours they offered. There was a wide range of flats, metallics and pearls plus some nice chromatics. In addition, they offered colour coded interiors. I don't think anyone does the same range now do they?
My Daughter has had her near side door mirror completely knocked off whilst parked in a supermarket car park by either a car or a trolley, luckily no damage to the door apart from where the mirror dropped down causing some scratches (hanging by the electric wires) that have polished out. The question, is it a an easy DIY repair and how do you do it, and where can I get a replacement, i.e. Mazda main dealer or are there others out there that can supply cheaper. Many thanks. Read more
I would check with main dealer first.Some mirrors are not as expensive as you may think.I have recently replaced a complete mirror for a 323 model and the complete assy and factory painted to the car colour was around £70 and 20 mins to fit.hth
Hi please can some one help? My 318I touring becomes normal tempretaure very quickly. If I am in traffic for10 mins tha guage rises and it ould possibly overheat if i didnt put the blowers on or switch off!!
I though it may be an airlock so i took off the rad cap and ran the engine. It bubbled and it bubbled and it bubbled, for a good 10 mins. In the end i switched off by which time alot of the water had gone. It has been using water but not huge amounts!!! Is this my head gasket on way and if so what is the verdict on these quick fix potions??
Many Thanks
Damian Read more
thanks mate, though not good news, here goes £300!!!!! appreciate your swift response.
NB, last week I took, as requested, a test drive in what I wanted, a new 1.4TSI 160PS engined EOS. It was confirmed by the VW main dealer as definitely a 1.4TSI 160PS. I thought it drove very well, especially from low rpm, I was most impressed.
On returning home, I realized that the test EOS was in VW's 'Individual' trim, the door sill kick plates were also inscribed 'Individual'. VW literature states that only the 2LTSI 200PS and 3.2 V6 engines can have Individual trim. Do you think I was given the 2LTSI to test drive? Read more
I think the current deals on SAAB convertibles are maybe worth a look - 35%+ off on Drivethedeal.com, and even SAAB themselves are hawking lesser spec ones for around 18-19 grand.
Even if SAAB goes down the tubes I doubt parts will be a major issue as they are genetically Vauxhalls (which maybe isn't a good thing ?).
Plenty of SAAB indies around for servicing, but is a ragtop rather than a CC so may not be what you are after.
rear suspension wheel aligment out have fitted new bush to top adjustment rods no broken springs or leaking shocks need a good bit of help as i have put on my second set of new tyres getting a bit costly now hope to hear sum good advice regards gordon. Read more
Just had two new rear bushes on my 01 406 estate. Nearside was worse and actually gave the wheel a wobble which i originally thought was a worn bearing. Nearside tyre badly worn and needed replacing.
Indy garage said it was a common problem. The bushes that had worn are at the bottom of the long metal arm which is joined to the chassis. can't think what the bloke called it. Was only interested in houw much it all cost. Presumably the garage has to set the toe in/out or camber otherwise its just gonna keep scrubbing that rubber.
I bought a 2000 Cabriolet a few weeks ago, it has the above engine. Does anybody have experience of this engine?? Reliability? Longevity??
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they are such a good lump the block rots
keep your eye open for this ,especially the core plugs
Hi everyone,
My fathers car has a problem. When he turns the car off a fan or something keeps going in the engine compartment. This always runs the battery flat. Does anyone have any idea what it could be and how to fix it. I have been told that it could be a relay switch. Any ideas out there? Read more
Thank you, i will find out.
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Minor variations in driving style aren't going to make a lot of difference to MPG or engine life on a car that is already economical by nature.
One tip on a turbo engine is to run the engine at tickover for 30 seconds or so before turning off to minimise oil starvation to the turbo bearing.
And while you're driving along making sure you're giving it 70% welly instead of 75%, you might not notice that you've just passed a speed camera in a 30 mph limit at 42 mph!!!