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• What happened to talking cars? 8 Jul 2003 (Forum)
  Why not to the driver, at the very time something goes worng. Which light-bulb has gone wrong, which door has been left open, handbrake on, fuel low .. etc etc etc. PS You *could* shut the Renault up if needed. rojer@lycos.co.uk Astra, Renault 18, Renault 25 TXi, Astra Est, Passat Est, Mercedes 190E, Mercedes
• Diesel experts: your advice needed! 23 May 2003 (Forum)
  I have a suspicion the car has missed the last one or two, but I've no idea if that should make a difference. 3) Can fuel additives/injector cleaners make a difference? 4) Anything else!? Would greatly appreciate your advice from any diesel fans out there....
• Mercedes E-Class W211 17 May 2003 (Forum)
  Having had my pride and joy for nearly six months now someone spotted what looked like oil streaks running away from underneath this morning. I popped up to the dealers and they took it straight round put it on the ramps and said the fuel filter was leaking diesel and there was an oil leak that was dripping onto a coolant pipe and had damaged the pipe to the point where it was about to rupture. They have given me another E-Class to get around in but I can't believe that if someone hadn't spotted the oil I may well have had a ruptured coolant pipe to deal with.
• Biodiesel is best - official! 16 May 2003 (Forum)
  Someone driving a car remarkably similar to one of mine (just 3 years older), and powered by the same stuff, has just won the Tour de Sol, an annual competition event in the States which aims to showcase vehicles using alternative fuels in a range of categories. To quote the homepage of the Tour de Sol (http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/) "If it reduces gasoline or oil use, you can see it at the Tour De Sol: The Great American Green Transportation Festival.
• Cars with 36 volt batteries 1 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  He talks of cars requiring between 12 and 14 kW, electrically powered oil and water pumps, electrically assisted cat converters and starter alternators. Instantaneous engine start times of 220 to 300 milliseconds and reduced fuel consumption of 10% to 15%. All very interesting but I assume that this is going to be a very expensive car with more electrical systems than an aeroplane. I personally can not imaging a car that requires 12 to 14 kW to run it that is a huge load that takes 20 HP out of the engine.
• Volvo s60 27 Mar 2003 (Forum)
  Are they a good buy? / good car? would a similar spec D5 models really worth the extra 3k - that's a lot of fuel! personally I prefer manuals - but I've sure I've read some criticism od the vovo maual box -true?
• SAAB Diesel starting problems 17 Dec 2002 (Forum)
  Can any Back Roomers suggest a fruitful area of investigation? The engine obviously has to have fuel under pressure to start and run. Once it does start, it runs OK. All help most welcome
• Wierd battery behaviour 16 Dec 2002 (Forum)
  The engine would turn over better than normal but it simply refused to start. At one point they were considering looking at the fuel pump as it WAS sparking. Only by getting a van in, revving the nuts off it whilst attempting to start my car with its battery would it do so. After a 2 hour drive ts the battery appears to have recovered, it cranks sluggishly but always starts after 2 audible turn-overs even though it sounds much less lively than when they attempted other sources that failed??
• Buying my company Volvo? 5 Dec 2002 (Forum)
  What else could I get for the money that will do my miles? I've been looking at secondhand deisels to reduce my fuel cost. Not found anything yet I like driving as much as the Volvo. It gives 31 to the gallon overall which is tolerable. Any bright thoughts anyone?????
• Peugeot 1.9TD Woes 26 Nov 2002 (Forum)
  Managed to drive 1 mile to work and then after work managed to drive about 3 miles before the car gave up the ghost and I received a telephone call. Car recovered on the end of a rope and fuel pumped out the next day at a local garage. I noticed that after that the car spluttered a bit before running cleanly after a glowplug start and then seemed to start and run OK. Today I noticed that when starting the engine warm and then a glowplug start it would start and immediatly cut out on 2/3 occasions before eventually starting and running OK.
• Any car suggestions?...... 26 Jun 2002 (Forum)
  I have a very loose budget (up to £15k, lower the better) to spend on a new or second hand car and fuel expenses will be claimed back from the boss. The devil on my shoulder is telling me to go mad for once in my life and get the hot rod I never had in my twenties (I'm 33). However the better side of my nature is telling me to buy something cheap (used Vectra), reliable (Honda), image enhancing (BMW, Merc) and diesel.
• Unpointy cam lobes 12 Jun 2002 (Forum)
  Every trip to the shops becomes a Grand Prix style thrashfest, which is a bit tedious after a while. I've dealt with all the usual causes - new plugs, points, coil and fuel filter, stripped and cleaned the carb, and the rubber carb mounting block looks to have been recently replaced. One thing I have noticed is that all the cam lobes have worn through the case hardening, and are distinctly less 'pointy' than they should be.
• Land Cruiser Vs Shogun - part II 5 Apr 2002 (Forum)
  I know that no one buys a large 4X4 for economy... but does anyone have "real world" consumption figures for the 3.0/3.5 Petrol V6's in the Shoguns? My reasoning is that as £petrol=£diesel (+/- 3p) fuel costs may be the same for a 3.0/3.5 ltr Petrol and a 4.2 ltr diesel. What about the servicing and other running costs long term (I'd be keeping the car for a minimum of 3 years) - would there be much difference?
• Which Barge? 22 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  Morning, The time is coming to replace my faithful Cavalier V6 with something more modern. I like 6 cylinder cars and as I don't do many miles to worry about fuel and have good no claims bonus to keep the insurance tolerable I fancy another one. That said I don't want to pay the earth maintaining it and it must have 4 or 5 doors. I would prefer if it was R reg or newer which probably excludes German stuff from my budget (up to £7.5K) I am favouring the Mondeo GhiaX/ST24 but also considering 406 V6.
• Vauxhall Electronic Diesel Control 3 Feb 2002 (Forum)
  Does anyone know the general principles of how the EDC works on the new Vectras (Oct 2000 onwards) I can see that its not a common rail system but it looks like a hybrid mechanical system with electronic Knock sensors in the head and injection that has an electronic primary fuel pulse to cancel noise followed by the main injection pulse. Is this correct ? Reason I ask is mine has an irritating problem and I cannot convince the main dealer that there is anything wrong with it.
• MPV or not to MPV? 4 Nov 2001 (Forum)
  I've also noticed that the 'best seller' Galaxy only has a lap belt in the middle row/middle seat (is this OK for a small child?). I see the fuel goes further in the diesels and assume they're a bit better in the damp (the roads I use have been under water the last few winters - another plus for the 4x4). Once you've decided on all that - do you buy UK or Euro cars these days.
• Alternative power. 4 Nov 2001 (Forum)
  The thread about performance bargains of the year mentioned a never-ending power source from two AA batteries etc... What happened to the hydrogen fuel cell engine? Modern myth has it that oil companies bought the patent and buried it. Anyone read Gridlock by Ben Elton will have heard this one before. Far more recently and with my own eyes (i.e. read it in a legit newspaper) there exists a compressed air vehicle which uses overnight charge to pressurise a compartment slowly lettting the out air as required to power the car like a steam engine.
• more range rover stuff 26 Sep 2001 (Forum)
  After a bit of practice I have now more or less mastered the gearchange, bringing the damn clutch up nice and sloooow. I'd probably get an auto next time. I have found the fuel consumption to be fairly reasonable considering the engine size, but having tried a few autos, and observing the way the engine revs like mad and stays in low gear for ages, I bet the auto would use loads more petrol.
• Deisel injector re-furb 26 Jul 2001 (Forum)
  Hi Guys, Many thanks to all the replies to a problem I had with a Volvo fuel injection system. The problem has defeated 2 main dealers, but the Volvo Owners Club (which I joined on-line) came up with a guy who sent me a whole load of info on the system. I will be an expert in a couple of days (when I've waded through the manuals) and then I'll be THE MAN to talk to.
• CAR EMISSIONS 25 Apr 2001 (Forum)
  I saw this article in my local paper and I thought the ?Back Room Boys? would be interested: ? Leaps forward in car engine and fuel technology have been so successful in reducing exhaust emissions that 100 modern cars now produce less hydrocarbons than one petrol lawnmower. According to a government index of vehicle emissions, small two-stroke engines of 50cc or more are rated 74 for carbon monoxide and 338 for smog-inducing hydrocarbons.