January 2010
I'm going to buy a newer version of my car but i'm considering switching to diesel because of the numbers: 0-60 time, torque and of course fuel economy are all in the diesel version's favour, only the BHP value and top end speed (which i'd never get even close to!) is in the petrol's favour by a tiny margin.
Does anyone have experience of the BMW 3 litre diesel M57TUD30 engine circa 2004? How does it run? What does it drive like? How does it behave coupled to an autobox?
I'd be buying one with about 60,000 miles on the clock, i think this is hopefully too soon to worry about aged injectors, knackered diesel pump or dpf renewal etc. are there any other big ticket items i should be aware of?
Many thanks in advance for any experience shared!
-c Read more
I have just changed a rockerbox gasket on my wifes punto 90 1.6 cabroliet which was leaking, when i took the rockerbox off there was a pool of oil which seemed excessive. most cars i have worked with from this era had a drip feed to the rocker arms and had minimal oil residue. Is the amount of oil normal in this type of engine as it seems to me it will have the effect of leaking down the valve stems, puzzled better half !. Read more
Hi guys, I drive an '01 Picasso 1.6 petrol and LOVE the spacious interior.
Sick of fuel prices and sick of road tax prices.
I like the 62mpg of the diesel Nemo, it also cost 35 quid a year to tax it, also it seems to be another spacious beast.
At around the ten grand mark for an ex demo model what do you think my alternative options are?
Not overly fussed whether petrol or diesel, not at all bothered about performance.
Any suggestions? Read more
Thanks guys, I wanted the suggested options to rattle my perception of what I needed, you have done that.
As a couple who are now just retired the money will not come our way again, if I used it to subsidise my beloved Pic then rather quickly we have a money pit.
The MPG would determine whether or not we can afford to bimble about in the car, as with the road tax.
Fuel AND road tax will rocket but a more frugal beast would at least put us half a step ahead.
S'pose I could get an old Lotus and thread her in through the boot. ;-)....sigh
Hello.
I am considering whether or not to do my usual Berkshire-Cheshire commute this evening. All looks OK at the moment on the various websites etc, has anyone done this journey in the last couple of days and will I be OK? : ) I heard the M40 was shut near Oxford on Wednesday but seems to be OK now.
If Humph B is on please can you give me a Nantwich weather update!? My girlfriend is uselss... she's South African so thinks this weather is the end of the world! Read more
We have TV zitters, a DVD zitter, several freeview box zitters, a stereo zitter and a new zitter which is supposed to do everything but which is always missing.. Zitters which open cars are key doofers. Any part of a car you can't quite remember the name of is a doofer too. There is a notable exception in the form of the thingummy for the locking wheelnuts which is a nut wossname.
What are road conditions in the Lincolnshire Wolds (A631 and A157) like this morning? There's very little snow here on the coast, the temperature is a very balmy 3°C and the sun is out, but I'm wary about venturing very far inland. Read more
Probably just as well i went round the block then, difficult driving though frozen washer jets (mounted on wiper blades idiotic design) salt spray and bright sunlight making the speed cameras difficult to spot.
When were starter buttons (the first time around) phased out? The first car I drove that didn't have a starter button was in 1961, so I guess they were phased out in the late 1950s.
What goes around comes around. Read more
Bikes also have an engine kill switch which catches everyone out at some point!
None of the bikes I've ever owned had one. When I was more into bikes, the only ones I saw with kill switches were trail bikes and bikes with large engines.
My wife's Fiesta stalls, it's not cutting out but when you try to pull away off the clutch
We both find it difficult and the only way to get over it is to give more gas (it's like the revs drop too low when you release the clutch)
I heard somehwere this may be a common fault
any suggestions please
thanks Read more
Thanks for the response
I'm intriged as to how the MAF could have an effect
thinking about it, the idle at times is a little up and down
this is like letting up the clutch and the engine stalls but not driver error
I would appreciate any help in choosing which of these two cars to go for. From what I can see the SX4 saloon just comes with the 1.6 petrol engine and looking at the previous posts for the Jetta, the 1.4 petrol engine is well thought of. I note that the Jetta is a lot more expensive. I would be looking for a one-year old car for either choice. I do not do a lot of miles a year. just close to home, and reliability and comfort and a quiet engine are most important. Any help would be welcome.
Brian Read more
My original post asked for help in choosing between the two cars. What I meant to ask for - and I only teach English as a Second Language !!!! - was for opinions on both cars. I understand only I can make the final decison and it is so personal. But, there is a wealth of experience in the Back room - that what I learn here would greatly help in making this decision. Of course, referring to HJ opinions and reviews as well. One bus mechanic a few years back once told that the German engines were agricultural in comparison with the Japanese - but the German being more simple lasted longer and that the Japanese are more 'highly strung' as he put. However, my brother had horrendous problems with the electrics of his VW Golf. My interest in the SX4 Saloon was that it is Japanese made. Once the weather defrosts, will have a test drive on both and report back.
In 27 years of driving, I ve been fortunate in not having many near misses.
The most memorable was 24 years ago , going from The Hogs Back towards Guildford cathedral - I was going down the hill and almost opposite the Happy Eater - when a car came flying over the central reservation - fortunately I was driving my bosses car and at 60 ish was missed by less than 10 ft.
On Tues this week I drove from Weybridge to Hastings and back via Eastbourne - the M25 and A21 were fine, outside lane the exception - all was going well until a coach almost pulled out on me - with the favoured option of the outside lane toooooo dangerous.
Yesterday, coming back fromTolworth toweres A3 TO Weybridge, all was fine at 55 in the middle lane when a car doing 35 overtook a slower car but pulled out with out looking or indication -braking was not the best option as I carry a heavy load, the only other option was, the outside lane, that section for 200 yards actually looked OK !! it wasn't - how I missed the central reservation, the offending car and everyone else I've no idea - did a 360+ and eventually finshed facing the wrong way on the inside lane - thanks to the skill of other drivers who managed to take evasive action - that was a fortunate result
Read more
About three years ago I was travelling up the M1 in quite thick fog, the cluster of cars I was travelling with were driving too close to each other, I still remember them a Mitsubishi Shogun, A Peugeot 306, a white van, then a BMW 3 series came steaming up behind me and stuck himself on my bumper, as I was overtaking myself there was nowhere I could go, he started flashing me, when I got out the way I thought "sod this" and pulled over at the next service for a coffee.
15 minutes later I hit the road again, it wasn't long before I hit a sea of hazard lights, picking my way through the debris of smashed and twisted metal I spotted what was left of a Shogun, a 306, a white van and a 3 series beemer...
how can i tell if the engine in my vectra 1.8 16v engine is an interference engine????? Read more
Most, if not all 16 valve engines are interference engines.
This one definitely is though.
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Thanks, i have still got a slight leak on the gasket so will check the returns are ok when i reseat a new gasket.