December 2022
Had a VW polo this month on hire, it’s the 1.0 tsi.
What a horrible engine!
5 speed so your doing nearly 4,000 revs at 70
No acceleration in any gear beyond 1st
45mpg on average which is mainly motorway and A road driving
It reminded me in some ways of driving an MG3 1.5 which is a hideous engine.
One thing I don’t understand is I recently had a Seat Ibiza on hire which I liked with the 1.2 tsi ; this car is essentially the same (except the engine and badge) and yet it is far duller and some how more cramped than the Ibiza.
If you’re in the market for a small car and it has to be from the VAG group, put the polo at the bottom of your list.
I can’t wait to hand it back in at the airport next week. Read more
The current holiday period has caught out a lot of EV drivers particularly TESLA owners travelling long distance. Many have reported queueing for up to 3 hours to charge their cars. The reason largely down to the lack of public infrastructure which continues with little sign that there is anything urgent being done about it Read more
"I believe that you said much the same about 200 posts ago"
...
Hello all,
I didn't use my Dacia Sandero for a few days over the sub zero temperatures and first thing I noticed when getting in car was it says "battery now in stand by mode" and it still keeps popping up.
Then when I stop at lights etc it says "priority battery charge"?
What's going on anyone know?
Is it something worry about?... Read more
At 11months old I'd have a trip to the Dacia dealer.
So, my daughter took possession of a 2020 T-Roc this morning, the 150hp 1.5 engine mated to the DQ200 dry clutch 7 speed box. It's a wonderful, smooth and quick thing to drive at the moment but obviously having followed this forum for a while, I'm aware there can be issues and indeed many here would avoid like the plague.
The car does have a 2 year VW warranty and only has 12K on the clock, previous owner being an elderly local lady. My question is simply, is there any particular way to drive the car with mechanical sympathy to minimise the risk of putting undue strain on the box? Or to put it another way is there any particular driving style which is more likely to lead to issues?... Read more
Something to remember, is that if you have the stop/start engaged, the engine is not running when stationary with drive selected.
Although I ended up going for a 2015 90ps Mazda2 Sport Nav earlier this year, I was also looking at MINI Coopers of a similar vintage. They tend to be more expensive, but not by much, and have the 136ps turbo engine giving it a 0-62 of 7.9s. My Mazda isn't too bad at 9.4s, but without the benefit of a turbo you have to give it some welly if you want to press on. It's fun, and overall a pretty good car, but from what I've read the MINI is one of the best when it comes to fun, as well as having a funky interior.
However, I've read a few comments on here implying that MINIs are unreliable. Is that the case? It would be reassuring if it was, as hopefully the Mazda won't give me much trouble (famous last words!). If it isn't, I probably won't be changing in the immediate future, but scouring Autotrader passes the time quite nicely :) Read more
Drat - so the MINI might not be so bad after all :)
This one is solved but I'll post it here as a reference etc.
During the cold snap the Fabia's screenwash jets froze, no surprise as I was caught without a fill of winter mix. However, after the thaw, still no joy. Probably fused it by working it against the ice.
Fuse diagram says fuse 46 in the internal (driver's footwell) box is front and rear window washer, operating lever under the steering wheel. Pulled that but it's intact and a continuity check confirms it's passing current.
POst on Briskoda suggests checking 22, 27 and 31 as well. Pulled 22 and a possible Bingo moment; that's blown. Manual says it's front and rear windscreen wiper system but 27 is specifically allocated to the rear wiper and 8 in the under bonnet fusebox is also wiper specific.
One or two other bits of the handbook are poorly translated, maybe this is another example.
The fuse is a tiny little 7.5amp job and nothing in my kit(s) matches however there was a 10amp in the Berlingo's spare bulb etc kit of the same profile. Pushed that in and all is good.
It will do as a temporary measure and Mrs B will pop into Halfords for a 7.5 amp one later - we cannot both be out as a delivery is expected. Read more
Big difference on modern car electrics is that very often the consumer is protected by more than one fuse, whether it be the pump itself or the controller. For example, when you operate the windscreen wash switch, there is actually no direct connection between this and the pump . A signal is sent to the body control module and this unit sorts out how to power the pump for front or rear operation.,
A car specialist tried to fix my car's engine light on issue by recoding two sensors. He told me no serious faults left and the engine light is off. But after I asked to scann again, his diagnostic scanning tools indicate the following errors:
DTC(4) count... Read more
Yellow fault light should flag issues with the engine management system . Fault codes for these start with a P xxxxx
Have searched the forums for any other similar issues and couldn't see anything so thought I'd post and see if anyone can offer any advice:
- Car: 2010 MK6 1.6 TDi Bluemotion
- Mileage: 200,000
- Last service: 10,000 miles ago (due fresh oil and filter)
- Last coolant flush: July 21' - G12 used, no additives ever added
- Coolant level: holding
- Engine oil level: holding
- Heaters: Working OK
- Daily commute: 50 miles each way - motorway
Issue:... Read more
Apologies for the delay responding.
So the problem was down to the heater matrix. Despite a number of garages questioning this I found a post elsewhere online of someone having a similar issue, replacing the heater matrix solving their problem. The same happened for me. Replaced the matrix and the gauge hasn't moved off 90. Engine oil temperature however does continue to run hot. I actually changed the thermostat as well, this made absolutely zero difference.
Can anyone recommend the best battery for a late X250 2015 XF 3.0S and the best way to fit it without encountering any problems? I keep reading about owners who have had nightmares with the central locking on facelift XFs after changing the battery. I understand the logic in keeping the power supply going whilst changing the battery with a OBDll battery saver but this type of work is not exactly my forte so would I be better taking the car to a Jaguar specialist? I'd greatly appreciate any advice from someone who has successfully changed the battery on their facelift X250 XF.
The car still has it's original JLR 7 year old battery. I charged it up with a CTEK charger and it was fully charged up to number 7 on Monday. However today, when I started the car it was extremely cold and the low battery warning came on and when I put the CTEK charger on it stayed on light number 1 on the charger for hours so it seems as though the battery needs replacing.
Many thanks in advance. Read more
There are battery jump start points under the bonnet. I would strongly advise not to keep power on while doing a battery swap . The main battery leads in the boot will still be alive. If the main battery positive lead touches earth, you could end up with a whole lot of trouble. The obd socket is behind the lower part of the dash panel , just by your legs . Do not use a battery saver device in this either.
Hello all
Long time since I last posted, so please be gentle!
I am looking for some advice as to whether I should stick with my current car or buy something else. As background, I have had my Infiniti for the last 4 years. It is very rare, being a 2.0t petrol (I believe this is a Mercedes engine). I really like the car, it has a fantastic interior, and it has been completely reliable (famous last words!) during my ownership. It is a 65 plate, but with only 42,000 miles on the clock. It is also the top spec car, so potentially a lot of electronics which could go wrong!
While I would like to keep the car, I do have the following concerns:
a) I am stuck with only one 'official' Nissan garage nearby to service the car - which is expensive. They are quoting £500 for my next service.
b) I am worried about supply of parts. I haven't needed any so far, so am not sure how easy it is to get parts now and in the future
So I guess my questions are:
a) can anyone recommend a garage reasonably local to me (I live in Wokingham) who could service my car; and
b) should I be worried about the parts supply issue? I think that, when I raised this with Infiniti before they left, they said that parts would be available through Nissan for 10 years - which would take me through to 2030 - but I'm not sure if this is true.
I should be grateful for any views on the above.
Thanks Read more
It is also the top spec car, so potentially a lot of electronics which could go wrong!
Unless they get wet or chewed by wildlife, electronics on top spec cars are usually pretty reliable. Everything on my Audi A8, twice as old as your Nissan and considerably more miles, still works....
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