Do you honestly think many people open their bonnets between services (if they even have them serviced) even if screenwash runs out?
You might be amazed how many people dont even know how to open their bonnet; I kid you not!
You may also be amazed how many people assume an mot test is all a vehicle needs for its servicing requirements! Yes! honestly!
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The only reason to open the bonnet on a newish car is to do a levels check.
I dip the oil on the CC3 regularly, even though it doesn't use any between services.
The PAS is electric, so no reservoir, the battery is sealed, and I can't remember the last time I had to top up coolant or brake fluid.
Which only leaves the washer bottle.
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Agree with yorkie.
I live in a Cul de Sac with 35 houses where most people have the sort of "respectable" cars you would be attracted to on a garage forecourt. I NEVER see anyone with a bonnet open, let alone using a tyre pressure gauge. And as it is a rare sight to see anyone other than kids with mountain bikes using garage airlines I guess that is left to the servicing garage too.
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I suppose the very fact we look, read and post here means we have at least a passing interest in our cars, though some no doubt only visit to find a good deal or maybe to seek advice when their neglected car breaks.;) or to complain that their RWD is rubbish in the snow..;) for example.
Meself i enjoy the more unusual in cars, not necessarily expensive cars as they often leave me cold.
If you took a survey of all drivers we'd stand out as a bunch of eccentrics because we take time trouble and care of our cars, whereas mr average treats it like any other white goods he buys at curry's and runs it till it breaks, then either gets it repaired or disposes of it.
I'm guilty of all of crimes listed in the OP, i wash our cars, overservice them, have them rustproofed as best i can, fit appropriate tyres and care for them to get the best wet or cold grip i can.
The reason i go to all this trouble is that i detest white goods, and the only way to keep what i like in cars going is to look after them and try to make them last as long as possible...keeping them nice gives me pleasure as well as making economic sense...though economies are debatable as i spend i hope wisely on preventative maintenance whereas the neglected car may well cost less to run in short life.
The mr average way of car ownership, neglect, is fine so long as it's relatively new/under warranty/Japanese, maybe thats why some of us are so selective if we buy used..thanks for the reminder of how white good owners owners think BG..;)
In answer to BG's question in my long winded way as usual...yes we are a minority here.
Edited by gordonbennet on 28/12/2009 at 11:53
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Mike why would you want to avoid me? Or my car?
23 years accident free driving, never had a single point on my licence.
Car is serviced at dealer and has full dealer service history which is the only thing I have ever been asked for when negotiating a trade in price?
What will I find if I lift the bonnet - a huge modern diesel engine? Car has warning lights to tell me if any levels are low.
In my 23 years of driving, I have never had to top up brake fluids, PAS fluids or any other fluids. Once, just once, I had an oil leak and knew because of the mess on my driveway.
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A tale of two Mondeos.
One of my closest friends and I were until recently in exactly the same line of work. Self employed and using more or less identical Mondeo diesel estates as high mileage workhorses.
I check everything on a weekly basis. Adhere to service schedules, buy "branded" tyres and take a prevention rather than cure attitude to my cars. He, on the other hand, might change the oil once a year despite that representing 40k or more miles, buys ditchfinder tyres and would only fit new brakes if they started squealing. His car is only washed by the weather whereas mine is cleaned every week.
Mine has done 170k trouble free miles but his had not failed on any count when he sold it with 228k on it.
In this instance who can say who is the smart one ?
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Smart or Lucky?
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Smart or Lucky?
or just mr average driver GB ?
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Aye, true. AS.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 28/12/2009 at 12:14
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Humph, your Mondeo was obviously a necessary tool of you trade, wonder if the Cash-cow will get the same treatment?
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Some habits are hard to break Bobby. All my cars, whether I've owned them or not get mollycoddled a bit.
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A tale of two Mondeos. but his had not failed on any count when he sold it with 228k on it.
A fine testament to the reliability of the Mondeo.
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Keith
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Humph
I'd still rather buy your mondeo than his, although no doubt his car sat on a forecourt somewhere with 'full service history' in the windscreen....
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> Mike why would you want to avoid me? Or my car? <
Look, it's nothing personal but if I buy something secondhand I want to buy something that has been cared about and looked after - call it 'taken an interest in' if you like - by its previous owner.
I also believe that under-inflated tyres can be a serious safety hazard.
I also believe that warning lights only come on when the it's too late to avoid the damage being done.
Call me old fashioned...
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Mike, no offence taken, but what I am saying is if I come to trade my car in, it will sit on a forecourt with full dealer servicing history , will be nicely washed and polished, and no buyer will know if the tyres ran for a coupl eof weeks at 2psi less.
Agree with GB though in that if you have a car that you are planning to keep for a large number of years, then preventative maintenance could be worthwhile. Though Humph's example may contradict that.
I had a Saxo diesel, did 100k miles in it and from 30k onwards, it got 6k oil and filter changes at National and I dealt with any other issues like brake pads as and when they arose.
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Lets be honest thogh Mike, if you buy a second hand car you can be pretty sure that it has been looked after in exactly the same was as the OP suggests.
I don't know anyone who checks tyres on a regular basis, indeed when I bought my Mondeo recently and got it home one of the tyres read 17psi! Neither do I know anyone that regularly checks their oil, in fact many of the women on my team at work openly admit to simply driving the thing until the next service is due.
One of them has a 52 reg Rover 25 that she has owned from new, it has almost 60K on the clock and in all that time it has NEVER been serviced, just had the oil topped up if she thinks it might need it. Quite frankly I can't comprehend how it still runs but it seems to keep chugging along.
No, I think if you're worried by people not checking tyre pressures etc. you would probably do well to never go out on the public roads again! :-)
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"One of them has a 52 reg Rover 25 that she has owned from new, it has almost 60K on the clock and in all that time it has NEVER been serviced"
That syndrome is far more widespread than you may think or believe !
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I like cars, the whole concept of driving is a massive freedom to me and cars that are white goods, well, they leave me cold also.
I couldnt buy a BMW, its unnatural but even worse is buying a Ford Focus or a Zafira - no two cars demonstrate more a total lack of immagination and that is why ive owned so many odd and unusual cars and Im all the better for it.
I check the levels once a month, keep my tyes inflated, but I dont buy expensive tyres - £35 a corner and not a penny more because with my gentle driving style, why bother.
Ill admit I have waxoyled the back end of my Charade - why, well its not a galvanised car and while it is quite rust resistant, its not infallible and the back end seems to suffer worse than any other area, so I removed the back bumper and wheels and treated it so that I save on welding later on.
I usually keep the cars clean because I dont like sitting in my own filth and moreover, I think that if you are lucky enough to have a car, one should appreciate it by taking care of it.
It is serviced every year, now at the main dealer as they dont charge the earth and loan cars are free, so its easier than trying to get a lift, plus I know they guys who work there know these cars inside out.
Being Mr Average is nothing short of horrific to my mind. I do aspire to own a people carrier one day though, that has so far escaped me, but you can bet it will be the weirdest one going :-)
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As Mike Hannon has said a few posts ago, oil and temperature warning lights come on to tell you your engine is Donald Ducked and you'd better stop before it seizes, not just a gentle reminder to top the levels up. As for brake fluid, I too have never had to top it up on any car I've owned, but the first time it falls too low may be the last time you ever have to worry about it. You only need to be unlucky once.
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To answer the OP, I am very definitely Mr Average. And not just motoring-wise, so Mrs-Badwolf-To-Be tells me...
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I have never driven in a way that I have nearly lost grip I have never waxoyled my underside It will be a rare event if I lift the bonnet in between services, etc etc.
Out of curiosity, what are you doing here??
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I am some where in the middle. My machanical skills don't stretch beyond changing a wheel but I am quite good at electrics I can work out sensor problems. I check fluids at least every three weeks. Fuel is from Shell and I can get excited about different kind of tyres.
I don't wash my car often in winter but in summer I am always washing it. It is my car, it is my space and I am strangely attached to it, despite it not being the nicest car to drive.
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Out of curiosity, what are you doing here??
I have an interest in all things motoring, except under the bonnet, and enjoy the banter!
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I try to regularly (sometimes every week) check all fluids, condition of the bodywork, check for any corrosion or leaks underneath, check operation of all lights/electrics, and tyres are pumped up every 2-3 weeks.
For the average person, there is little reason to worry about whats under the bonnet. Lets put this into perspective. As a computer user, do you worry about the stuff inside your PC? When was the last time you opened your PC to clean it out? Most people would never think of doing this.
For many, a car is just a tool - gets you from A to B. For the vast majority of people on this forum, its something far more. But the fact stands - a car is a tool for travel, and most people don't wish to worry about or understand how it works.
As for cars that have never been serviced - this is common. Some main dealers ,from what I've heard, don't actually do anything when you take it in to be serviced. There are 10, 15 year old cars that have never had new spark plugs. And these people wonder why their car is not running as smoothly as it used to!
Edited by Jcoventry on 28/12/2009 at 18:21
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with respect to the altea....
The bonnet came up a few times in the first months to check to oil consumption, but soon discovered it would keep all its oil between services.
so in 2.5 years and 40k mles
The bonnet came up to fill the washer bottle only.
The pressures in the tyres were never checked (i can see if it loooks deflated)
It gets washed every four months
Its been waxed never.
Its been serviced bang on time every time.
Its been worked hard, and driven hard.
It will be a good car for the following owner / keeper in January.
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In the past 17 years i've owned 3 cars, the latest one for the past 10 years. None of them used any fluids other than water etc from the washer bottle.
My wife's car is 5 years old, that hasn't either.
I think there's an expectation nowadays that modern cars don't need the checking that they used to...and there's good reason for it.
Tyres are a bit different, because you can easily pick up a nail and they are so safety critical.
Servicing them on time, using manufacturer recommended oils etc and not thrashing hell out of them when cold are my main 'coddles'....along with keeping them fastidiously clean.
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I check all my fluids every week, I'm Mr OCD when it comes to having a clean windscreen so I tent to refill the reservoir every week, while I'm there it's only polite to have a squint at the coolant and check the oil.
Saying that, the levels never change, but it's nice to have a look.
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As an ex-motorcycle rider, I always check my tyre pressures regularly. Car drivers? Complacency is the norm. Present company excepted. I drive the car in a brisk, but not lunatic, manner, so brake and tyre quality are essential points to me. Some drive in a casual manner: they might not anticiapte the need for emergency cornering/braking. Its a matter of time before their skills could be put to the test.
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It seems that some backroomers are just Mr average domestic appliance drivers. :-)
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"The pressures in the tyres were never checked (i can see if it loooks deflated)"
In my experience, a regular pressure check has several times uncovered a tyre with 60% pressure but not looking deflated. Subsequent inspection has always uncovered an offending nail....
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Neither of our cars have much of an appetite for oil, so I tend to check them roughly monthly. While I have the bonnet up, I will check all levels, and have a quick peek at drivebelts, look for leaks, listen to the engine idling and check any unusual noises etc. Both S60 and Golf will alert me on the dash if anything needs topping up (including washer fluid), so it's not strictly necessary, but it makes me feel better.
I am not as conscientious either as I was, or as I should be. Partly modern cars seeming to take care of themselves a lot better, partly having two kids under 5 in the house and less time, partly starting to lose interest if I am brutally honest. I will always love cars/driving, and will never become the type of owner who is disinterested/ignorant of the mechanics of their cars, but my days of spending weekends under/tinkering with the car are behind me, and I don't mourn them.
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DP said "partly starting to lose interest if I am brutally honest"
I think that maybe sums it up for me - in the past I have rigorously checked levels and , especially when I had the Fabia vrs, would regularly wash / wax / polish it and the garage was always clear for it to go into. Many an evening I would spend in there with the vrs, having washed it, then into the garage where I would polish it up etc.
Now, with the Altea, it is so much more a functional family car and I get less excited about washing or polishing it. And, like you, I have all the other distractions like kids, especially acting as their taxi driver, to keep me occupied!
Probably another factor was prior to my current Mon to Fri job, I worked shifts so was regularly having days off when everyone else was at school/work, or not starting work till they came in so had more free time on my hands.
Now if I had to ever get another "driver's" car like the vrs or similar, my habits might change again!
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"The pressures in the tyres were never checked (i can see if it loooks deflated)" In my experience a regular pressure check has several times uncovered a tyre with 60% pressure but not looking deflated. Subsequent inspection has always uncovered an offending nail....
I can feel on the road, a tyre thats 40% down.
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I can feel on the road a tyre thats 40% down.
With modern PAS, I'm often convinced you could remove a tyre completely and the steering would feel no different ;-)
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Its not just steering feel DP. Anyway who is to say its not a back tyre down by 40%.
It all depends on the car of course. If someone replaced the tyres on the lancer with iceland prawn rings you would be hard pressed to tell what was going on, such is the lack of feedback, but with the Altea one could tell if any tyre was 40% down.
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AE must have a very sensitive posterior. :-)
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Well I started owning cars when changing points every 3,000 miles counted as an "extended service period" :-)
Nowadays, I wash cars rarely - polish once a year - or two- check fluids monthly (they use none), check tyres every two /three weeks and that's it.
I also do all my own maintenance as I am still fit enough to do so and (Scottish) mean .. and do check for rust underneath then and treat it.
But nothing like the amount of work needed on a 1960s car let alone 1950s or pre war.
Any car that will not do 30,000 miles without a service is not fit for purpose in that it's too fragile for modern motorists...
As we own a 16 year old Peugeot 106 which is treated as above and is 100% reliable - apart from killing batteries every 3-4 years - the eating proves the pudding.
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I'm pretty much a member of the BobbyG / Altea Ego school of motoring, except that I use winter tyres during the winter - and have been very glad of them on many occasions.
I probably check tyre pressures a little more often than they do (and when tyre tread gets low, I check it regularly).
However, while I give my cars a rinse with water fairly regularly, I rarely actually wash them - let alone wax or polish them.
In the summer, I look for chips and rust spots and fix them up.
I have my oil changed every 6000 miles, and on the few occasions that I have checked oil levels between changes, I've never found that the car has been using oil.
I also have the cars serviced on time, and timing belts are changed early.
And if I wanted a car waxoyled, I'd pay someone to do it for me.
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Tyro, you maintain your cars properly.
With a maintenance regime like that you don't fall into the neglected white goods category.
Oil change at 6K, winter tyres, you're molly coddling the car...good for you..;)
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