March 2019
Electric Avenues - dear lord, HJ still peddling the myth that EV batteries will 'need replacing.'
HJ, how many EVs are you aware of that have needed their battery packs replacing? You can include first generation Leafs if you wish but a simple search of You Tube will find reports of Tesla's with over 200k miles and still on their original packs and, even venerable Leafs that have only 'lost' 4 and 5% of their battery capacity. Read more
You mentioned WLTP forbids researching previous owners.. Did you mean GDPR? Read more
Shares in Disney Paris for £1! What a mug. Any legit shares in anything so seemingly sound would cost a LOT more. When talking about what cars to buy, HJ is top-notch. When talking about mechanical things, "super" fuels or right-foot-braking, his advice is as good as his financial nouse.
I have a 2010 Volkswagon Golf SE Bluemotion TDI Diesel 1.6 which needs major body work repairs. As I drive into London weekly and will be affected by the expanding low emissions zone of 2021 I am wondering if this is the time to cut my losses and change to a petrol or hybrid car. I want something reliable and with good mpg, i do about 13000 miles per year, 2/3 of which is motorway driving. It needs to have a decent boot space and take 5 adults reasonably comfortably. My budget is around £4000. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Read more
Thanks, all of this is really useful.
Evening,
I was looking at buying a weekend car, 2.5k max maybe. Went through a phase of looking at MX5's, sat in one and wasn't me,
Started looking at Mini Cooper S as had an old one as a first car, lots of bad news on the web but still can't completely discount it.
Anyone got any other ideas, doesn't have to be 2 seats, not really counting the rear seats in the mini, likes the idea of the increased power over the MX5 in standard form of the mini.
Any help appreciated, is the early Cooper that bad if I could get one with solid history?
Thanks Read more
would go coupe or saloon, any hidden tips not on CbyC breakdown?
Seems to be little mention of the other changes:
"MEPs also backed rules to demand "an alcohol interlock installation facilitation", and for cars to induce safety technologies that can detect when drivers are feeling drowsy."
Good news if it comes off Read more
I think it's just a typo, and that line 2 should read 'the Swindon area'. I'd imagine that land is a bit cheaper there than round Oxford - slightly further from London and more of it.
No doubt BMW will hold fire on any decision until there is some outcome from the disgraceful shambles currently going on in Parliament. Hopefully BMW is run by adults who don't throw a tantrum if they don't get their own way.
Honestly individual and fleet customers need to vote with their feet and walk away from BMW as a brand. This is appalling. Some people have been waiting nearly 4 months for a recall repair. Audi and Mercedes can take the business in future. Read more
My 2014 X3 has been recalled multiple times, last letter stating 'waiting on parts' and in the meantime if any issues please contact us.
Driving the X3 home the other day and a whining noise started, this went on to become a nasty rattling sound in the turbo.
Contacted BMW who recovered the vehicle, just had a call saying EGR valve issue sorted no issue not replaced, BMW are saying they dont think the 2 are linked.
Any suggestions ?
Blue badges rules don't apply in supermarket car parks. I know these people are obviously doing the survey to lobby for them to, but that then goes against the Equality Act. Read more
I'd make all Blue Badges holders take a driving test to prove they were fit to drive..
I wonder if the Autonomous Braking System would a) force a tailgaiting car from approaching too near the rear of the car in front - set at the Highway Code stopping distance range, by braking the following car and b) whether if a car is overtaken and "cut up" or passed virtually in the same lane by the overtaking car, the car so overtaken will be automatically braked?
Mixing Autonomous braking cars amongst those not so fitted could be rather interesting. I see quite a few cars in front of me, following (tailgaiting in some instances) other cars in a queue with their brake lights going on and off frequently, and wonder if the driver of that car is letting the auto system do the braking for them rather than staying clear of the car in front by using their brake pedal?
I also wonder why Volvo are contemplating setting a top speed of 115mph when the max in the UK is 70mph, surely now a max speed of 75mph is all that is needed.
Not much point in buying GT versions of your 1.0 litre Eco engines now is there..?
DJM
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About once a month my wife’s VW Caravelle does an emergency stop after misinterpreting the traffic situation, sometimes from 60 MPH. This terrifies everyone in the car, and I’m sure those behind. After a couple of near misses where those behind almost hit us this un-safety system remains switched off. I think I would be minded to take the fuse out if the system was permanently on in a new car as it creates more likelihood of an accident than it does safety. They also seem to go wrong often and are very expensive to fix which I think is HJ’s point.
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"Always best to insert a thin smear of high temperature 'Copperease' grease between the alloy wheel and an iron alloy hub."
Seems to be standard advice. Never really understood why antiseize, when ordinary chassis grease does the job, is cheaper, and more available (antiseize is effectively unobtainable in Taiwan, where I'm at)
Perhaps the reasoning is that chassis grease might melt, (never did, with me, but perhaps with more "spirited" driving), and/or if antiseize melts it will leave a residue of copper?
I've also used aluminium foil, which is a bit of a hassle. These days I use a thin sheet of polythene cut from a plastic bag. That does the job too.
"But the quick way to release corroded on wheels is to slacken the wheel bolts only slightly, leaving all of them in place, then lower the car back onto the ground and use the weight of the car to snap the wheel off the hub."
Using that method I've had to twice then take it for a run over some speed bumps, but I'm not lucky, and I buy rather old cars.